News
National News Releases
Browse through a comprehensive list of all national USGS news items.
River Levels Set Records in Texas: USGS Continues to Monitor Rivers in the State Due to Flooding
Editor’s note: this news release will be updated online with more information on the streamgage records being set in Texas as it becomes available.
Rivers and streams reached record levels as a result of Hurricane Harvey’s rainfall, with about 40 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages measuring record peaks.
Increases in Wildfire-Caused Erosion Could Impact Water Supply and Quality in the West
A growing number of wildfire-burned areas throughout the western United States are expected to increase soil erosion rates within watersheds, causing more sediment to be present in downstream rivers and reservoirs, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS Installs Storm-Tide Sensors along Florida’s Coasts prior to Hurricane Irma’s Arrival
To learn more about USGS’ role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Hurricane Irma, visit the USGS Hurricane Irma page.
Wildfire and Invasive Species Drives Increasing Size and Cost of Public Land Restoration Efforts
An examination of long-term data for lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management finds that land treatments in the southwestern United States are increasingly large, expensive and related to fire and invasive species control.
USGS Crews Measure Record Flooding in South-Central Texas
Reporters: Do you want to interview USGS scientists as they measure flooding? Please contact Jennifer LaVista or Lynne Fahlquist.
U.S. Geological Survey field crews are measuring record flooding in parts of south-central Texas following intense rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey.
Many Texas Beaches Likely to Erode, Be Overwashed, or Inundated by Hurricane Harvey
To learn more about USGS’ role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Hurricane Harvey, visit the USGS Hurricane Harvey page.
UPDATE: This story has been revised to reflect new NOAA-National Hurricane Center storm surge projections which were released August 25 at 7 a.m.
Study Links Major Floods in North America and Europe to Multi-Decade Ocean Patterns
The number of major floods in natural rivers across Europe and North America has not increased overall during the past 80 years, a recent study has concluded. Instead researchers found that the occurrence of major flooding in North America and Europe often varies with North Atlantic Ocean temperature patterns.
Pesticides Prevalent in Midwestern Streams
One hundred small streams in the Midwest were tested for pesticides during the 2013 growing season and found to contain, on average, 52 pesticides per stream
MEDIA ADVISORY: Media Webinar – Gathering and Sharing Information about Recent Earthquakes
After the next significant earthquake, many sources will be disseminating information from a variety of accounts, tools and services.
Deadly Fungus Affecting Hibernating Bats Could Spread During Summer
The cold-loving fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans, or Pd) that causes white-nose syndrome, a disease that has killed millions of North American bats during hibernation, could also spread in summer months. Bats and humans visiting contaminated caves and mines can inadvertently contribute to the spread of the fungus, according to a recently published study by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Subsurface Magma Triggers Earth’s Most Severe Extinction
Subsurface magma intrusions (sills), rather than surface lava flows, may have triggered the Earth’s most catastrophic extinction event approximately 252 million years ago.
Historical Maps at Your Fingertips
Earlier this month, the USGS launched “TopoView 2.1”, an enhancement to the current popular TopoView mapping service that lets users discover, interact, and download historical USGS topographic maps scans.