News
News Releases
Browse through a comprehensive list of all USGS national and state news items.
A Whirlwind of Activity—USGS Responds to Hurricanes
What happens when a hurricane threatens? Homeowners in the path of the storm check their insurance policies and their shutters, vacationers decide to head inland or take their chances at the beach--and all over the U.S. Geological Survey, people get busy.
Easter Islands/Pacific Ocean Earthquake
A preliminary magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred on Thurs., Sept. 5, 1996, in the Easter Island chain in the south Pacific, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Taiwan Earthquake
A preliminary magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurred on Taiwan, Thurs., Sept. 5, 1996, at 7:42 p.m. EDT (7:42 a.m., Sept. 6, local time on Taiwan).
USGS Rolla Mapping Center Receives Vice President’s Hammer Award
The 350 employees of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Mid-Continent Mapping Center, U.S. Department of the Interior, received Vice President Al Gore’s Hammer Award in Rolla on September 4. The Mid-Continent Mapping Center employees were honored for their team-based approach to streamlining operations and making them more responsive to customers.
Latest Score: Mill Creek 1,473, Spring Creek 1,312
The Nation has nearly 2 million names for its geographic features -- mountains, town, deserts, streams and everything in between.
Walter P. Ketterer, Retired USGS Scientific Publications Chief
Walter P. Ketterer, 80, of Reston, Va., died on August 17, 1996, at the Hospice of Northern Va., of kidney failure. Ketterer was the former chief of the scientific publications program of the U.S. Geological Survey.
June Floods Trigger Pollution Peak On Potomac River
An unusual influx of atrazine, nitrogen and phosphorus to the Potomac River was carried by flood waters in mid-June and briefly elevated concentrations of these agricultural chemicals, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Print-On-Demand Maps Coming From 3M and USGS
Print-on-demand maps are coming soon, thanks to a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey and 3M of St. Paul, Minn.
Glaciation, Permafrost and Climate: New Report Describes Diverse Alaskan Terrain
From glaciers and lava flats to white spruce woodlands and bog communities, a new U.S. Geological Survey report will aid scientists, managers and planners in organizing environmental data.
On the Potomac, Even Low Is High In July
Potomac River flow, Chesapeake Bay freshwater inflow, and ground-water levels were well above normal in July, according to hydrologists at the U.S. Geological Survey.
Freshwater Flow to the Bay Has Already Surpassed 1995 Total
The total freshwater inflow to the Bay through June of this year (18,100 billion gallons) has already exceeded the entire freshwater inflow to the Bay during 1995 (15,300 billion gallons) according to the U.S.Geological Survey.
Dry Southwest vs. High Flowing Big Three Rivers and Chesapeake Bay
Dry conditions persisted in the Southwest during June, marking the ninth straight month that many of the streams in this area of the country have been in the below normal range.