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Dive into the world of science! Read these stories and narratives to learn about news items, hot topics, expeditions underway, and much more.
Do you eat fruits and vegetables? What about nuts? If so, you can thank an insect pollinator, usually a honey bee. These small insects play a major role in pollinating the world’s plants, including those we eat regularly. They also increase our nation’s crop values each year by more than 15 billion dollars.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Sichuan Province near Changning, China on June 17, 2019 at 10:56 pm local time (14:56 UTC).
It’s pollinator week and USGS is providing science to better understand the status of pollinator species. Here’s the chance to test your knowledge about bees and other pollinators, with our pollinator week quiz! And let us know on FB or Twitter how you did!
The 2019 Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1, and the U.S. Geological Survey is prepared to provide science that can help guide efforts to protect lives and property if a major storm makes landfall this season.
A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck north-central Peru on May 26, 2019 at 2:41 am local time (07:41 UTC).
Unmanned Aircraft Used to “Sniff” Methane Gas Escaping from Thawing Permafrost
The team at the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of several finalists nominated for the 2019 Service to America Medals.
In September 2004, USGS scientists detected sudden, but unmistakable, signs that Mount St. Helens was waking up. Volcano monitors had picked up the occurrence of hundreds of small earthquakes and other signals that the volcano’s crater floor had begun to rise. Within a week, several eruptions blasted clouds of ash into the atmosphere, and soon after, a new lava dome emerged in the crater.
Seven months after their home base in the Florida Panhandle was demolished by Hurricane Michael, U.S. Geological Survey sea turtle researchers are headed back into the field on May 1, the start of nesting season for Florida's sea turtles.
In the far north of Alaska, near the giant Prudhoe Bay oil field, an international research consortium has been studying the potential of an altogether different energy source. In late December of 2018, drilling operations confirmed the existence of two high-quality reservoirs that were fully saturated with a potential alternative fuel source: gas hydrate.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
USGS crews continue fieldwork in response to the ongoing flooding in the Midwest. Nearly 70 USGS gages in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota are above minor flood stage with more rain forecast in the coming days.