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Featured Stories
Dive into the world of science! Read these stories and narratives to learn about news items, hot topics, expeditions underway, and much more.
Invasive Zebra Mussels Found in Pet Stores in 21 States
A citizen’s report of an invasive zebra mussel found in an aquarium moss package found in a pet store prompted a U.S. Geological Survey expert on invasive aquatic species to trigger nationwide alerts that have led to the discovery of the destructive shellfish in pet stores in at least 21 states from Alaska to Florida.
Kermadec and New Zealand Earthquakes
Three notable earthquakes struck in the southern Pacific Ocean near the Kermadec Islands and New Zealand today, March 4, 2021.
Mars 2020 Mission: The Perseverance Rover Landing
The excitement of the Perseverance rover landing on Mars can be witnessed on NASA TV starting at 11:15 PST on February 18, 2021.
ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning Delivery for the Pacific Northwest
Starting March 11, 2021, ShakeAlert®-powered earthquake early warning alerts will be available for delivery directly to wireless devices in Oregon. In May 2021, Washington state will follow suit and complete the ShakeAlert public alerting rollout across the entire West Coast. California enabled ShakeAlert-powered alerts in October 2019.
The Disaster that Helped the Nation Prepare for Future Earthquakes: Remembering San Fernando
The San Fernando earthquake struck Southern California 50 years ago, killing 64 people and costing over $500 million in damages. The quake prompted federal, state and local action to reduce earthquake risks and bolster public safety.
Who’s Sharing? Inconsistent Eyewitness Accounts Can Affect How We Understand Earthquakes
Scientists rely on seismometers and eyewitness accounts to identify an earthquake’s location, time and magnitude. A new study explores how the latter can be limited by socioeconomic factors, which can create biases in datasets that scientists use to characterize seismic hazards and coordinate emergency response.
Post-Wildfire Debris Flow Awareness
Post-wildfire hazards in Colorado can be as dangerous as the fires themselves.
Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake in Croatia
The USGS has up-to-date details on the December 29, 2020 event.
Chronic Wasting Disease: Can Science Save Our Dear Deer?
What’s in a name? Chronic wasting disease sounds ominous, too descriptive for comfort, almost impolite in its directness. It is, in fact, a truthful name for a disease and a real threat to North America’s cervids.
USGS Science Programs
Explore our Earth-and biological science programs and learn about our people, partners and products.
Kīlauea Volcano Erupts
Shortly after 9:30 p.m. HST on Sunday, December 20, an eruption occurred within Kīlauea’s summit caldera. This is an evolving situation. To get up-to-date information, please check the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website. For press inquiries, please email volcanomedia@usgs.gov. [update: 12/21/2020; 10:14am HST]
Bird of Courage
When celebrating Thanksgiving with your family this year, remember that the turkey is not just the main course, but, as Benjamin Franklin said, it’s also a noble fowl deeply rooted in American tradition.