News

POTOMAC RIVER FLOW NOSEDIVED DURING AUGUST

The latest computer count is in, and "Midway" remains the most popular name of a populated place in the U.S. And just like last year, "Fairview" came in as a close second.

As a result of the ongoing drought and low flow of the Hudson River, the salt front in the Hudson River has reached the intakes for the city of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., according to hydrologists at the U.S. Geological Survey.

Herman Feltz, a USGS hydrologist in Reston, VA., told delegates to the American Water Resources Association Summer Symposium meeting at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, that because irrigation of marginal land is often the cause of soil erosion, salinization, waterlogging and release of contaminants into irrigation drainwater, agriculturists and planners should assess all these factors before bringing

Drought conditions are hanging on in much of the Northeastern U.S., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The flow of the Hudson River at Hadley, N.Y., continues to decline. On Fri., Aug. 25, the flow was 230 million gallons per day (mgd), 70 percent percent less than the long-term average August flow of 773 mgd.

Greenland’s inland glacier ice -- covering a combined area larger than Alaska and Oregon and the largest remnant of the last "Ice Age" in North America -- is described and illustrated in the latest chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) "Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World."

Volcanic ash clouds can threaten the lives and safety of airline pilots and passengers. In the past 15 years, more than 80 jet aircraft have been damaged by drifting clouds of volcanic ash, and more than 1,500 people put at risk when engines failed temporarily on 7 airliners. 

Increased volcanic activity at Castle Peak vent of Soufriere Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean has led to voluntary relocation of Volcano Crisis Assistance Team of the U.S. Geological Survey.

A new satellite image map of south Florida that will aid resource managers planning a $2-3 billion restoration effort in the Everglades and Florida Bay will be presented to the Governor’s office Wednesday (August 23, 1995).

For the first time in a decade, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is changing the prices of its maps. Effective August 12, 1995, the price of the standard topographic quadrangle map series is increasing to $4.00. The price for most other maps produced by the USGS is being standardized to $4 per map. The USGS has also initiated a handling fee of $3.50 per mail order for all product lines.

Dr. Richard E. Witmer has been named Acting Chief of the National Mapping Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, the nation’s largest civilian mapping agency. Witmer, who previously served as Associate Chief for Programs and Finances, will manage the bureau’s mapping programs while a nationwide search is conducted to select a replacement for Chief Allen H. Watkins, who is retiring after 33 years