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Explore a wide variety of videos that highlight natural hazards, the risks they pose and the science we conduct to better understand and prepare for them.
Learn about the natural hazards you might face and how science can help us be better prepared.
Earthquake hazards are a national risk, with nearly half of Americans living in areas prone to potentially damaging earthquakes. Learn about tools and resources that can help us all be better prepared.
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
Geologist Ann Gibbs studies the vulnerability of the rapidly-warming Alaska coast to climate change effects like sea level rise and permafrost thawing.
Research Fish Biologist Vanessa von Biela investigates how heatwaves and other climate-driven stressors may affect Alaska’s spawning Pacific salmon in the future.
Research Fish Biologist Vanessa von Biela investigates how heatwaves and other climate-driven stressors may affect Alaska’s spawning Pacific salmon in the future.
What is a seismic survey? This video gives a very brief overview of the what goes into conducting a seismic survey in an urban area. The survey depicted in this video was done in San Carlos, California.
What is a seismic survey? This video gives a very brief overview of the what goes into conducting a seismic survey in an urban area. The survey depicted in this video was done in San Carlos, California.
A morning overflight of Kīlauea summit on March 2, 2022, provided aerial views of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u. Lava erupts from the west vent area and pours into the active lava lake area.
A morning overflight of Kīlauea summit on March 2, 2022, provided aerial views of the eruption within Halema‘uma‘u. Lava erupts from the west vent area and pours into the active lava lake area.
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.
This monthly update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory begins with a story.
This monthly update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory begins with a story.
USGS geologist Dan Dzurisin is near Sisters, in Central Oregon, to set up portable GPS monitoring equipment to track something that's been going on for 25 years and still goes on today. It’s uplift, a subtle rise in the ground’s surface, in an area west of South Sister volcano.
USGS geologist Dan Dzurisin is near Sisters, in Central Oregon, to set up portable GPS monitoring equipment to track something that's been going on for 25 years and still goes on today. It’s uplift, a subtle rise in the ground’s surface, in an area west of South Sister volcano.
Landslide susceptibility is commonly assessed using physics-based slope stability models. However, modeling the three-dimensional (3D) mechanics of discrete landslides, on a regional scale, remains challenging.
Landslide susceptibility is commonly assessed using physics-based slope stability models. However, modeling the three-dimensional (3D) mechanics of discrete landslides, on a regional scale, remains challenging.
Welcome to the “I Am A..." series, a whiteboard animation video series highlighting USGS careers.
Welcome to the “I Am A..." series, a whiteboard animation video series highlighting USGS careers.
Eruptive activity on the west side of HALMEMAUMAU crater, Kīlauea summit, on December 20. Audible bubble bursts from the west vent (lower right) produced brown-tinted gas plumes with entrained lava fragments. The bursts also created pressure waves that displaced the white steam.
Eruptive activity on the west side of HALMEMAUMAU crater, Kīlauea summit, on December 20. Audible bubble bursts from the west vent (lower right) produced brown-tinted gas plumes with entrained lava fragments. The bursts also created pressure waves that displaced the white steam.
Some people have characterized the seasonal rise and fall of Yellowstone as being like breathing. During the summer there is a little pause in the overall trend of subsidence and sometimes even a short episode of slight uplift. The trend reverses in early winter.
Some people have characterized the seasonal rise and fall of Yellowstone as being like breathing. During the summer there is a little pause in the overall trend of subsidence and sometimes even a short episode of slight uplift. The trend reverses in early winter.
Lava continues to erupt from a perched lava pond within the west vent of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. This video shows nearly continuous spatter bursts through the pond and a roiling and sloshing pond surface. At about 43 seconds into the video, a white-trailed tropicbird (koa‘e kea) flies through the frame.
Lava continues to erupt from a perched lava pond within the west vent of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. This video shows nearly continuous spatter bursts through the pond and a roiling and sloshing pond surface. At about 43 seconds into the video, a white-trailed tropicbird (koa‘e kea) flies through the frame.
California is one of the most geologically diverse states in the nation, the second most seismically active, and first in seismic risk with a population approaching 40 million.
California is one of the most geologically diverse states in the nation, the second most seismically active, and first in seismic risk with a population approaching 40 million.
Lava continues to erupt from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u, and supply the lava lake through a spillway in the spatter cone. On November 12, a small overflow of the perched lava lake levee was visible from the western crater rim. Overflows are an important process for building up perched levees, as they help add height and stability.
Lava continues to erupt from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u, and supply the lava lake through a spillway in the spatter cone. On November 12, a small overflow of the perched lava lake levee was visible from the western crater rim. Overflows are an important process for building up perched levees, as they help add height and stability.
Landslide initiation processes in subarctic Alaska are complicated by the prevalence of ice-rich permafrost. Permafrost and permafrost thaw influence landslide type, frequency, and continued ground surface deformation, resulting in positive feedbacks between permafrost thaw and landsliding.
Landslide initiation processes in subarctic Alaska are complicated by the prevalence of ice-rich permafrost. Permafrost and permafrost thaw influence landslide type, frequency, and continued ground surface deformation, resulting in positive feedbacks between permafrost thaw and landsliding.
Lava continues to erupt from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u, and supply the lava lake through a spillway in the spatter cone. On November 9, a close-up view of the west vent shows spatter bursting and sloshing within the cone. Spatter was thrown about 6–9 m (20–30 ft) above the pond surface, occasionally depositing spatter onto the rim of the cone.
Lava continues to erupt from the west vent in Halema‘uma‘u, and supply the lava lake through a spillway in the spatter cone. On November 9, a close-up view of the west vent shows spatter bursting and sloshing within the cone. Spatter was thrown about 6–9 m (20–30 ft) above the pond surface, occasionally depositing spatter onto the rim of the cone.
The November 2021 YVO Yellowstone Volcano update comes to you from a very snowy Norris Geyser Basin with a story about Porkchop Geyser’s 1989 explosion.
The November 2021 YVO Yellowstone Volcano update comes to you from a very snowy Norris Geyser Basin with a story about Porkchop Geyser’s 1989 explosion.
Eruptive activity continues in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The west vent remains active with low fountaining in a slightly perched pond set within the cone. Lava pours through a short spillway into the lava lake. The base level of the pond fluctuates over the timespan of minutes.
Eruptive activity continues in Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. The west vent remains active with low fountaining in a slightly perched pond set within the cone. Lava pours through a short spillway into the lava lake. The base level of the pond fluctuates over the timespan of minutes.
It has been one month since the new eruption began in Halema'uma'u. Over the past year at Kīlauea summit there has been a water lake and two eruptions within Halema'uma'u crater.
It has been one month since the new eruption began in Halema'uma'u. Over the past year at Kīlauea summit there has been a water lake and two eruptions within Halema'uma'u crater.
The granitic cliffs of Yosemite Valley produce frequent rockfalls, modifying the landscape but also posing risk to park visitors. Analyses of terrestrial lidar and historical structure-from-motion photogrammetry data provide relatively precise short-term (approximately 40 years) rates of rockfall and cliff retreat.
The granitic cliffs of Yosemite Valley produce frequent rockfalls, modifying the landscape but also posing risk to park visitors. Analyses of terrestrial lidar and historical structure-from-motion photogrammetry data provide relatively precise short-term (approximately 40 years) rates of rockfall and cliff retreat.