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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.
Lava fountains through the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea's summit, create waves or ripples in the lake surface. The ripples are visible on the surface as thin crustal plates move apart and back together again as the wave motion passes by (like inner tubes in a crowded wave pool), creating a moving arc of increased glow.
Lava fountains through the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u, at Kīlauea's summit, create waves or ripples in the lake surface. The ripples are visible on the surface as thin crustal plates move apart and back together again as the wave motion passes by (like inner tubes in a crowded wave pool), creating a moving arc of increased glow.
The 92-mile, dead-end Denali Park Road crosses an accelerating rock glacier. Until 2014, the rock glacier would only displace the road a few tens of centimeters per year, however during the summer of 2021 the rock glacier has moved the road almost 40 cm/day.
The 92-mile, dead-end Denali Park Road crosses an accelerating rock glacier. Until 2014, the rock glacier would only displace the road a few tens of centimeters per year, however during the summer of 2021 the rock glacier has moved the road almost 40 cm/day.
A new Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater began at approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021, with fountains appearing on the central crater floor, creating a new lava lake. This video shows the dominant fountain, south of the lake center, on the evening of September 29, 2021. USGS video by M. Patrick.
A new Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater began at approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021, with fountains appearing on the central crater floor, creating a new lava lake. This video shows the dominant fountain, south of the lake center, on the evening of September 29, 2021. USGS video by M. Patrick.
A new Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater began at approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021, with fountains appearing on the central crater floor, creating a new lava lake. This video shows numerous vents active on the west crater wall. USGS video by M. Patrick.
A new Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater began at approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021, with fountains appearing on the central crater floor, creating a new lava lake. This video shows numerous vents active on the west crater wall. USGS video by M. Patrick.
A new Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater began at approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021, with fountains appearing on the central crater floor, creating a new lava lake. This video shows numerous fountaining sources in the central portion of the lava lake during the evening of September 29, 2021. USGS video by M. Patrick.
A new Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater began at approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021, with fountains appearing on the central crater floor, creating a new lava lake. This video shows numerous fountaining sources in the central portion of the lava lake during the evening of September 29, 2021. USGS video by M. Patrick.
Snow avalanches kill, on average, 27 people in the United States each year and impact infrastructure and commerce in mountainous areas.
Snow avalanches kill, on average, 27 people in the United States each year and impact infrastructure and commerce in mountainous areas.
Time-lapse of USGS researchers raising a mechanical mast with a high-resolution camera mounted on top, which was deployed atop a dune in the U.S.
Time-lapse of USGS researchers raising a mechanical mast with a high-resolution camera mounted on top, which was deployed atop a dune in the U.S.
We sometimes fall back on an implicit model that post-wildfire debris flows are only triggered once a certain level of saturation or rainfall is reached, and that the sediment supply is soon exhausted and future flows are unlikely until it recharges.
We sometimes fall back on an implicit model that post-wildfire debris flows are only triggered once a certain level of saturation or rainfall is reached, and that the sediment supply is soon exhausted and future flows are unlikely until it recharges.
The increasing risk of flooding along our coasts is driven by climate change, development and habitat loss.
The increasing risk of flooding along our coasts is driven by climate change, development and habitat loss.
The Santa Lucia Mountains of the Big Sur coast, California contain abundant active landslides.
The Santa Lucia Mountains of the Big Sur coast, California contain abundant active landslides.
The record 2018 wet year in Pittsburgh resulted in widespread landslides throughout the region, many of which caused considerable damage to residential property and transportation infrastructure.
The record 2018 wet year in Pittsburgh resulted in widespread landslides throughout the region, many of which caused considerable damage to residential property and transportation infrastructure.
A broad overview of landslide geology across Pennsylvania, and historical and current work on landslides by the Pennsylvania Survey and others. The diverse geology and topography of Pennsylvania's woods provides a variety of landslide problems beyond the well-known issues around Pittsburgh.
A broad overview of landslide geology across Pennsylvania, and historical and current work on landslides by the Pennsylvania Survey and others. The diverse geology and topography of Pennsylvania's woods provides a variety of landslide problems beyond the well-known issues around Pittsburgh.
Rock-mass strength is typically assumed to influence geomorphic processes by setting the erodibility of landscapes. However, the contribution of rock-mass strength to topographic form is often overlooked, largely because rock-mass strength is challenging to quantify over the broad spatial scales relevant to geomorphology.
Rock-mass strength is typically assumed to influence geomorphic processes by setting the erodibility of landscapes. However, the contribution of rock-mass strength to topographic form is often overlooked, largely because rock-mass strength is challenging to quantify over the broad spatial scales relevant to geomorphology.
During a recent dive on the New England Seamount chain off the North Atlantic coast, researchers aboard the NOAA Ocean Exploration Expedition, North Atlantic Stepping Stones, discovered a marine geological feature known as a ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) nodule field in the saddle between two peaks of Gosnold Seamount.
During a recent dive on the New England Seamount chain off the North Atlantic coast, researchers aboard the NOAA Ocean Exploration Expedition, North Atlantic Stepping Stones, discovered a marine geological feature known as a ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) nodule field in the saddle between two peaks of Gosnold Seamount.
During a recent dive on the New England Seamount chain off the North Atlantic coast, researchers aboard the NOAA Ocean Exploration Expedition, North Atlantic Stepping Stones, discovered a marine geological feature known as a ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) nodule field in the saddle between two peaks of Gosnold Seamount.
During a recent dive on the New England Seamount chain off the North Atlantic coast, researchers aboard the NOAA Ocean Exploration Expedition, North Atlantic Stepping Stones, discovered a marine geological feature known as a ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) nodule field in the saddle between two peaks of Gosnold Seamount.
In 2015, the Washington Geological Survey received legislative funding to start a Landslide Hazards Program (LHP). The LHP has three primary functions: landslide inventory mapping, post-wildfire debris flow assessments, and emergency response.
In 2015, the Washington Geological Survey received legislative funding to start a Landslide Hazards Program (LHP). The LHP has three primary functions: landslide inventory mapping, post-wildfire debris flow assessments, and emergency response.
Join USGS researchers Jason Chaytor and Kira Mizell as they virtually participate in a NOAA Ocean Exploration expedition to the depths of the North Atlantic.
Join USGS researchers Jason Chaytor and Kira Mizell as they virtually participate in a NOAA Ocean Exploration expedition to the depths of the North Atlantic.
Join USGS researchers Jason Chaytor and Kira Mizell as they virtually participate in a NOAA Ocean Exploration expedition to the depths of the North Atlantic.
Join USGS researchers Jason Chaytor and Kira Mizell as they virtually participate in a NOAA Ocean Exploration expedition to the depths of the North Atlantic.
Take a virtual tour of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center to learn about the science we do and how we do it!
Take a virtual tour of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center to learn about the science we do and how we do it!
Take a virtual tour of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center to learn about the science we do and how we do it!
Take a virtual tour of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center to learn about the science we do and how we do it!