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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.
It’s National Pollinator Week! Get the buzz on USGS pollinator research
Bees, birds, butterflies, bats and beetles provide vital but often invisible pollination services that support terrestrial wildlife and plant communities, and healthy watersheds.
USGS Hurricane Response Met Challenges in 2017, Prepares for 2018
No one has a crystal ball to foresee what will happen during the 2018 hurricane season that begins June 1, but NOAA forecasters say there’s a 75 percent chance this hurricane season will be at least as busy as a normal year, or busier.
New Study Provides the First Comprehensive, Long-term Look at Alaska’s Changing Ecosystems
New research has revealed significant changes to Alaska’s landscape in recent decades
USGS Fish Passage Research Helps Fish Get to Spawning Grounds
The Blackstone River in Rhode Island is where one of the Nation’s first fish passages was built back in 1714 to help fish navigate past manmade obstructions so they could complete their instinctual migration cycles.
Digital Gold Rush Depends on Traditional Gold
In 1849, the discovery of gold in California sparked one of the most famous gold rushes in history. Thousands trekked across mountainous terrain to seek the precious metal, with entire industries springing up around the rush. In fact, the desire to understand our mineral resource wealth that led to the creation of the U.S. Geological Survey was in part fueled by gold rushes like this one.
Mapping the Nation's Wind Turbines
There are more than 57,000 wind turbines across the United States, and a new tool allows you to get up close and personal with each one!
East vs West Coast Earthquakes
Why was an earthquake in Virginia felt at more than twice the distance than a similar-sized earthquake in California? The answer is one that many people may not realize. Earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains can cause noticeable ground shaking at much farther distances than comparably-sized earthquakes in the West.
USGS Rolls Out Groundbreaking Earthquake Study: The HayWired Earthquake Scenario
USGS collaborates with key academic, state, local, and industry partners to provide a new look at what could happen during a major earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area.
USGS Authors New Report on Seismic Hazard, Risk, and Design for South America
New seismic hazard and risk assessments can help at-risk communities prepare for future earthquake disasters
Modern Perspective on Gas Hydrates
After lying hidden in sediments for thousands of years, delicate frozen gas structures are in the spotlight for both scientific research and the national interest. These structures, known as gas hydrate, are being investigated by scientists the world over for their possible contributions to the global energy mix, as well as their potential interaction with the environment.
USGS Flood Experts Respond to High Water in Central, Northeastern U.S.
Crews from the U.S. Geological Survey have been in the field for weeks measuring flooding in the Midwest and in the Mississippi River watershed, and more recently flooding and storm tides on the Northern Atlantic coast, as higher temperatures, heavy rain, snowmelt and nor’easters affected numerous states.
Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake, Papua New Guinea
The USGS has up-to-date details on the February 25, 2018 event.