USGS CoreCast

A worldwide earthquake drill, known as the Great ShakeOut, will be held on Thursday, October 17 at 10:17AM local time. The drill is your chance to practice how to protect yourself in the event of an earthquake.

An interview with USGS scientist David Krabbenhoft about an article he co-authored in Science about global change's effects on mercury around the world.

An interview with USGS scientist emeritus Richie Williams about his career studying the Earth's cryosphere with remote sensing technology.

On April 30, 2013, USGS released an updated assessment of the Bakken Formation of North Dakota and Montana as part of the National Oil and Gas Assessment.

The next Great ShakeOut earthquake drill will be held on October 18, 2012. During the drill, participants will ‘drop, cover, and hold on’ to practice how to protect themselves during an earthquake.

A year after the August 23, 2011 Virginia earthquake, USGS geologist Dr. Mike Blanpied discusses USGS efforts currently underway to learn more about the cause of the event. Dr. Blanpied discusses how scientists are using the August 23 earthquake to inform estimates of the region's seismic hazard.

A year after the August 23, 2011 Virginia earthquake, USGS geologist Dr. Mike Blanpied discusses whether a similar event could occur again in the region in the near future, and in an earthquake, what you can do to stay stay safe.

The wet, subtropical wilderness of Everglades National Park is home to a diversity of Floridian wildlife, but one invader is causing severe changes in these native animal populations. Many of the park’s mammals are declining dramatically as a result of invasive Burmese pythons, according to a recent study by U.S. Geological Survey scientists and partners.

Scientific integrity runs deep at USGS. What is it exactly, and why is it so important? Find out in this episode of CoreCast. Host Kara Capelli talks with Linda Gundersen, Director of the USGS Office of Science Quality and Integrity.

Drought in Africa is of increasing concern as millions are suffering from malnutrition and difficulty growing crops and supporting livestock. Stunted growth in children due to malnutrition was also recently linked to climate change. Join us as we talk with USGS scientists Jim Verdin, Jim Rowland and Chris Funk about what is being done to help.

USGS Research Hydrologist Jim Landmeyer discusses how living plants can be used to clean up contaminated groundwater through a process termed phytoremediation.

White-nose syndrome is a deadly disease in North American bats that has been spreading rapidly since its 2006 discovery in N.Y. State. Thus far, bat declines in the northeastern U.S. have exceeded 80%. For the first time, scientists with the U.S.

Zoonotic diseases are those that are spread between wildlife and humans, and are an increasing health threat in the U.S. and throughout the world. As such diseases emerge, scientists with the U.S.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates at least 1 million metric tonnes of rare earth element resources within the Khanneshin carbonatite in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. This estimate comes from a 2009-2011 USGS study funded by the Department of Defense's Task Force for Business and Stability Operations.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred in Virginia on August 23, 2011. Join us as we talk to David Russ, who is the USGS Regional Executive for the Northeast Area, about that event as well as earthquake risk, history and geology along the East coast.

No matter where you live, it is important to be aware of and prepared for earthquakes. Join us as we talk to Mike Blanpied, who is the Associate Coordinator for the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, as he gives us safety tips to ensure you and your family are prepared before, during, and after an earthquake.

USGS science supports management, conservation, and restoration of imperiled, at-risk, and endangered species. Endangered Species Day is commemorated in May, and we’re taking some time to find out just how one goes about studying at-risk species and what part cutting-edge technologies can play in helping us do the science that informs managers and policy makers.

May is American Wetlands Month—so we're taking some time out to talk about this important National Treasure that shelters us from storms and provides a unique habitat for wildlife.

Jennifer LaVista asks USGS National Wetlands Research Center Director, Phil Turnipseed a few questions on the importance of wetlands

An updated USGS assessment on the economic recoverability of undiscovered, conventional oil and gas resources within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) and adjacent state waters is available. Economically recoverable resources are those that can be sold at a price that covers the total costs from finding the resource to getting it the market.

An updated USGS assessment on the economic recoverability of undiscovered, conventional oil and gas resources within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) and adjacent state waters is available. Economically recoverable resources are those that can be sold at a price that covers the total costs from finding the resource to getting it the market.

2011 had been predicted to be a particularly bad year for flooding in the northern Plains and upper Midwest. Areas along the Red River in North Dakota and Minnesota and the James Rivers in the Dakotas are still experiencing flooding from snowmelt. Now extreme rainfall is causing severe flooding along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

Earthquakes – and large ones at that – threaten to shake residents and buildings of the central and eastern United States, a reality that scientists, emergency responders and others hope to drive home during the bicentennial of the 1811 and 1812 New Madrid earthquakes.

Earthquakes affect Earth’s intricate plumbing system. The magnitude 9.0 earthquake in Japan on March 11, 2011 affected water levels in groundwater wells in many places in the United States. In this episode of CoreCast USGS Geophysicist Evelyn Roeloffs explains this phenomenon.

Insect-eating bats provide pest-control services that save the U.S. agriculture industry over $3 billion per year, according to a study released today in the journal Science. However, scientists with the U.S.

The upper Midwest, the Deep South, the Northern Plains, the Ohio Valley and parts of southern New England are experiencing flooding now or are highly vulnerable to flooding this spring.

A magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. USGS geophysicists and Bill Ellsworth and Eric Geist talk to CoreCast host Kara Capelli about the quake and subsequent tsunami.

Groundwater is not a single vast pool of underground water; rather, it is contained within a variety of aquifer systems. Each of these aquifers has its own set of questions and challenges.

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the south island of New Zealand near Christchurch on February 21, resulting in 75 lives being lost. This earthquake was an aftershock from the Sept. 4^th magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred in nearby Darfield last year. So why did this lesser magnitude earthquake result in more damage and lives lost? 

Though the Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system on Earth, the basin has the potential for local shortages, according to a new basin-wide water availability assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey.

Beginning on Christmas Eve, 1861, and continuing into early 1862, an extreme series of storms lasting 45 days struck California. The storms caused severe flooding, turning the Sacramento Valley into an inland sea.

With the New Year came a number of mass animal deaths across the country, including the 3-5,000 red-winged blackbirds that fell near Beebe, AR, beginning on New Year’s Eve. The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis.

Damage to bat wings from the fungus associated with white-nose syndrome (WNS) may cause catastrophic imbalance in life-support processes, and this imbalance may be to blame for the more than 1 million deaths of bats due to WNS thus far. Paul Cryan, USGS bat ecologist at the Fort Collins Science Center, discusses this newly published USGS research.

A trio of USGS scientists has been involved in the excavation and study of a major animal and plant fossil discovery in Snowmass Village, Colo., which provides more than 100,000 years of vegetation and climate records for the area.

The USGS has just released the first-ever nationwide assessment of rare earth elements in the United States. The report estimates total U.S. resources at just under 12 million metric tons, located in significant deposits in 14 states. Keith Long and Brad Van Gosen, the two lead authors of the report, discuss their findings.

The USGS has been contracted to study the yet unknown source of problematic hydrogen sulfide emissions coming from certain household wallboard, which is imported from China and used in some regions of the U.S. USGS chemist Steve Wilson, who is working on this problem wallboard issue with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), discusses the project.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals were identified in all of the 11 Minnesota lakes studied by the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Cloud State University and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Female characteristics were observed in male fish in most of the lakes studied. USGS scientists Jeffrey Writer talks to us about what's going on. 

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Nutrient sources in both agricultural and urban areas contribute to elevated nutrient concentrations in streams and groundwater across the nation.

The USGS PAGER system now produces rapid estimates of an earthquake's impact, a significant advancement in USGS earthquake information and alerting capabilities. PAGER stands for ‘Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response’. Dr. David Wald describes the PAGER system and its new earthquake impact alerting capabilities.

This morning the Washington D.C. Metro area was awakened by a 3.6 magnitude earthquake which struck near Germantown, Maryland and was widely felt throughout the region. We spoke with Mike Blanpied, of our Earthquake Hazards Program, about the details related to this event, why it was felt so widely, and what people can do to prepare around the region.

You may notice a green, red or brown film on your favorite boating or swimming area in the summer. This coloring could mean that the water is affected by harmful algal blooms. USGS scientists Dr. Barry Rosen, Dr. Jennifer Graham and Dr.

Early Friday morning of June 11, the  Little Missouri River in Southwest Arkansas experienced a deadly flash flood, with waters that rose over 20 feet in just 5 hours.

Development can have negative effects on streams in urban and suburban areas.

More than a third of the Nation receives drinking water from public wells. The USGS has released new information on contaminants in these wells. In this USGS podcast Kara Capelli talks to USGS Scientist Patricia Toccalino, who led the study on contaminants in these wells

We speak with Carol Finn about her new appointment to be the President of the American Geophysical Union as of July 2010.

Recent research by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team provides new insight into grizzly population dynamics and the hazards that influence bear mortality within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, which is one of the largest strongholds for grizzly populations in the United States.

Bison are an icon of North America. However, bison today are restricted to less than one percent of their original range, according to a new report by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

In response to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that tragically struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey has coordinated a series of trips to the country to characterize the damage and install seismic instruments for earthquake monitoring.

Harley Benz, Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, discusses the recent earthquake in Chile and how research and preparation can save lives.

Ice shelves are retreating along the Antarctic Peninsula due to climate change. This could result in glacier retreat and sea-level rise if warming continues.

USGS scientist Jane Ferrigno discusses the USGS project that is for the first time studying the entire Antarctic coastline in detail.

The powerful storms that swept through Southern California dumped a lot of rain in that region, leaving behind the danger of debris flows.

Sue Cannon, USGS research geologist, explains the hazardous situation facing residents in and near the San Gabriel Mountains, how people in the area can respond to these hazards, and what the USGS is doing to respond.

The aftershock sequence of the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, will continue for months, if not years. The frequency of events will diminish with time, but damaging earthquakes will remain a threat.

As Haiti copes with the aftermath of the magnitude 7 earthquake, which struck on Tuesday, January 12, 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey is working to gather information that can aid response efforts. Michael Blanpied, USGS Earthquakes Hazards Program coordinator, gives an update on the current situation in Haiti and answers questions about the global picture.

Carcinogenic compounds in a popular pavement sealer are tracked indoors, where they show up in high concentrations in house dust.

Listen as USGS hydrologist Barbara Mahler explains how she and her team identified the link between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coal-tar-based pavement sealcoat and house dust.

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by the most violent earthquake in a century. Michael Blanpied, associate coordinator for the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, answers questions about the earthquake, its severe shaking, and the possibility of additional hazards, such as landslides and a tsunami.

Scientists have reconstructed what the climate conditions were 3 million years ago, and are using these data as one of the closest analogs to estimate future climate conditions.

USGS scientists Harry Dowsett and Marci Robinson discuss some of their findings regarding carbon dioxide’s impact, Arctic conditions, and the deep ocean’s system.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred just south of the California-Mexico border shortly before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, December 30, and shaking from this earthquake was widely felt.

Ken Hudnut, Southern California Regional Coordinator for the USGS Earthquake Program, spends a few minutes filling in some details about this event.

The USGS is investigating the use of Twitter, a popular micro-blogging tool, to collect and analyze citizen accounts of earthquakes around the world. USGS scientists Paul Earle and Michelle Guy discuss this Twitter Earthquake Detection (TED) project.

On Thursday December 3, 2009, the USGS celebrated the 125^th anniversary of topographic mapping at the USGS National Center in Reston, VA.

Thanks to a satellite collar, two innovative scientists, and a blog, people can follow the travels of Brutus, the ‘North Pole wolf’ as he leads his pack through the long arctic winter.

Listen as wolf researcher David Mech talks about why he and his team put this satellite collar on Brutus and what they hope to learn about these arctic wolves.

When a 40-foot tsunami wave hit the shores of American Samoa on Sept. 29, 2009, thousands of locals made it safely to higher ground, thanks to education efforts and research.

Right now in Florida, non-native, giant constrictor snakes—pythons, anacondas, and the boa constrictor—are being found in the wild, and two species have established several breeding populations. The snakes pose a considerable resource management challenge for agencies charged with preserving native ecosystems and species.

Increasing nitrogen emissions from motor vehicles, energy production, and agriculture are being deposited in lakes throughout the world, directly affecting lake biology and associated food webs. Alpine lake ecosystems are especially vulnerable to this deposition.

The United States is using less water than during the peak years of 1975 and 1980, according to USGS water use estimates for 2005. Despite a 30 percent population increase during the past 25 years, overall water use has remained fairly stable.

Several USGS scientists are investigating the problem of fatal bat and bird collisions with wind turbines. USGS scientist and bat specialist Dr. Paul Cryan at the Fort Collins Science Center chats with Juliette Wilson about whether we can have our wind turbines and healthy populations of bats and birds too.

Two large earthquakes have hit the Pacific. Harley Benz, Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, talks about the quakes' damage, their relationship to one another, and what USGS scientists are doing in the aftermath.

Interview with USGS scientist Dr. Roger Clark about his Sept. 24 Science article that suggests water exists on the moon. Imaging spectroscopy led Clark and others to this discovery which opens the possibilities into further moon exploration.

Did you know that natural resources like coal can have impacts on human health?

Geologic maps record the distribution of rock and soil materials at Earth's surface and help decision makers identify and protect valuable resources, avoid risks from natural hazards, and make wise land use choices.

Mercury contamination was detected in every fish sampled in 291 streams across the country. About a quarter of these fish were found to contain mercury at levels exceeding the criterion for the protection of people who consume average amounts of fish, established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Most glaciers in Washington and Alaska are dramatically shrinking in response to a warming climate.

It's Pollinator Week 2009, and we're talking to USGS scientist Sam Droege about the tremendous importance of native bees and pollinators in general, and how you can lend a hand to these tiny titans.

Like eating fresh fruits and vegetables? Think agriculture is important to our society? Then you'll want to pay attention to this CoreCast.

It's Pollinator Week, and we're talking to USGS scientist Sam Droege about the tremendous importance of native bees and pollinators in general, and how you can lend a hand to these tiny titans.  

 

Climate change is happening across the entire Nation and is projected to continue in the future with widespread impacts.

A roundup of the April and May 2009 hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

Man-made moon dirt, or regolith, has been created by the USGS to help NASA prepare for upcoming moon explorations. USGS scientist Steve Wilson talks about this ‘mission critical’ project.

Late on May 17, 2009, a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck in the Greater Los Angeles area.

We spoke with Ken Hudnut, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey to fill us in on the details.

USGS Geophysicist John Power discusses the recent flare up in earthquake activity at Mt. Redoubt and the likelihood of another eruption in the near future.

Climate change is increasing the mobility of sand dunes in the Southwest, posing threats to roadways, infrastructure, human health, cultural practices of the Navajo Nation, and much more. Vegetation on dunes serves as a stabilizer, but as the climate warms and precipitation decreases, there is less vegetation growth.

A roundup of the March 2009 hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

Early this morning, April 06, 2009, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck near Rome, Italy.

We spoke with Stuart Sipkin, a geophysicist at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center to fill us in on the details.

More than 20 percent of private, domestic wells contain at least one contaminant at levels of potential health concern. About 43 million people—or 15 percent of the Nation's population—use drinking water from private wells, which are not regulated by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

A new method to assess the Nation's potential for storing carbon dioxide in rocks below the earth's surface could help lessen climate change impacts. The injection and storage of liquid carbon dioxide into subsurface rocks is known as geologic carbon sequestration.

A roundup of the February 2009 hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

This is the third and final installment of a three-part series on climate change. Slight changes in climate may cause abrupt changes in ecosystems that are not easily reversible. Some of these responses, including insect outbreaks, wildfire, and forest dieback, may adversely affect people as well as ecosystems and their plants and animals.

Attention citizen scientists: We need your help watching the way the world changes!

For nature, timing is everything. So how does climate change affect the timing of things like flowers blooming and animals migrating, and why is this so important?

The United States faces the potential for abrupt climate change in the 21st century that could pose clear risks to society in terms of our ability to adapt.

USGS Associate Program Coordinator for the Office of Global Change John McGeehin discusses a new report on the potential for abrupt climate changes from global warming during this century.

A roundup of the December 2008 and January 2009 hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

Temperature change in the Arctic is happening at a greater rate than other places in the Northern Hemisphere, and this is expected to continue in the future. As a result, glacier and ice-sheet melting, sea-ice retreat, coastal erosion and sea level rise can be expected to continue.

Mount Redoubt in Alaska is likely to erupt within days or weeks. We talk with USGS Volcano Hazards Program Coordinator John Eichelberger to find out more details.

Yellowstone National Park has experienced several hundred small earthquakes in the past few weeks. So what's going on?

Dr. Jake Lowenstern, USGS Scientist-In-Charge at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, tells us what's happening and how scientists monitor volcano and earthquake activity at Yellowstone.

In this episode: California wildfires, the Great Southern California ShakeOut earthquake preparedness drill, landslide potential, and a magnitude 7.5 off the coast of Indonesia that prompts fears of a tsunami.

Safe drinking water supplies are critical to maintaining and preserving public health. But how healthy is that resource? A recent USGS study found low levels of man-made chemicals in water entering and leaving drinking water treatment plants. USGS lead scientist Greg Delzer explains the findings of this study.

More accurate predictions of future climate and improved understanding of today’s warming are possible with new data from the first comprehensive reconstruction of an extreme warm period. Past warm periods provide real data on climate change and are natural laboratories for understanding the global climate system.

Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and USGS Director Mark Myers reflect on the successes of The Great Southern California ShakeOut—the largest earthquake preparedness drill in U.S. history.

The USGS estimates that there are 85.4 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable gas from natural gas hydrates on the Alaskan North Slope. This is the first-ever resource estimate of technically recoverable natural gas hydrates in the world.

A blazing start to the southern California wildfire season! A number of powerful and destructive earthquakes around the world! The largest earthquake drill in US history just around the corner! 

Early this morning, October 29, 2008, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Quetta, Pakistan. Twelve hours later, a second 6.4 struck in the same area. Dr. Harley Benz, Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, fills us in with the details.

Hurricane Gustav; Hurricane Ike; Real-time storm surge sensors; Gulf coast impacts and satellite imagery; hurricane photography; Great California ShakeOut

Long-standing farming practices in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta expose fragile peat soils to wind, rain and cultivation, emit carbon dioxide (CO2) and cause land subsidence. To capture or contain the carbon, farmers would ‘grow’ wetlands.

The last week in September is known as Sea Otter Awareness Week throughout California. To bring more attention to the issues surrounding the sea otter and its ongoing recovery from near extinction, we interviewed Tim Tinker, USGS lead sea-otter researcher. Video also provided in the Transcript/Links section.

The last week in September is known as Sea Otter Awareness Week throughout California. To bring more attention to the issues surrounding the sea otter and its ongoing recovery from near extinction, we interviewed Tim Tinker, USGS lead sea-otter researcher. Video also provided in the Transcript/Links section.

The last week in September is known as Sea Otter Awareness Week throughout California. To bring more attention to the issues surrounding the sea otter and its ongoing recovery from near extinction, we interviewed Tim Tinker, USGS lead sea-otter researcher. Video also provided in the Transcript/Links section.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

You might be surprised where minerals pop up; they're just about everywhere. We sit down with Kathleen Johnson, USGS Mineral Resources Program Coordinator, as she walks us through just how valuable minerals are to our lives.

It's our first anniversary, so to celebrate, we're letting our listeners do the talking—literally. Listen to this episode and enter the ‘Be a CoreCast Host for a Day’ contest!

Kasatochi Volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Islands is erupting, so USGS volcano scientist Marianne Guffanti fills us in on the situation.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

There was a magnitude-5.4 earthquake about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles today. Mike Blanpied, Associate Coordinator of the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, fills us in on what happened and tells us how people can report their earthquake experience and prepare for future earthquakes.

Today, the USGS released the first publicly available petroleum resource estimate of the entire area north of the Arctic Circle.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

Water quality in the Salish Sea will be measured during the Coast Salish annual summer canoe voyage, the Tribal Journey.

This project will blend traditional knowledge of the Coast Salish People with USGS science in an effort to help improve management of ancestral waters experiencing environmental decline.

Listen to an interview with USGS scientists John Pallister, John Ewert and Andy Lockhart describing their efforts to help the government of Chile establish real-time monitoring and provide warning of further eruptions of the Chaitén volcano.

Listen to an interview with USGS scientists John Pallister, John Ewert and Andy Lockhart describing their efforts to help the government of Chile establish real-time monitoring and provide warning of further eruptions of the Chaitén volcano.

We talk to Bob Holmes about some of the recent flooding events occuring in the Midwest, how does a 500-year flood occur twice in 15 years, and what do the recent events have in store for folks downriver.

Heavy rainfall across the Midwest has caused major flooding. USGS National Flood Specialist Bob Holmes gives us the latest information on the rising rivers and what the USGS is doing to respond.

Want to stay on top of wildlife disease developments throughout the world? USGS scientists Josh Dein and Hon Ip, and USGS web content manager Cris Marsh tell us how with some great Web tracking tools.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

Thousands of bats in the Northeast are dying from white-nosed syndrome. Paul Cryan, Research Biologist, and Kimberli Miller, Wildlife Disease Specialist, talk about the disease and what's being done to address it.

The recent, devastating earthquake in China has sparked discussion about whether earthquakes can be predicted. USGS scientist Mike Blanpied sets the record straight on what science is capable of.

Early on the morning of May 12, 2008 a magnitude-7.9 earthquake rattled eastern Sichuan, China. Dr. Harley Benz, Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, fills us in with the details. (After this interview, the USGS changed its report of this earthquake's magnitude from 7.8 to 7.9.)

A huge sinkhole in Texas begs a few questions about this fascinating and sometimes hazardous phenomenon, so we sit down with USGS geologist Randy Orndorff to learn more.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

A magnitude-5.2 earthquake struck in southern Illinois on April 18, 2008. Harley Benz, Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, fills us in with the details.

The Senate is holding a hearing on pharmaceuticals in water, and the USGS is supplying information. Herb Buxton, USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program Coordinator, fills us in on related research and findings.  

A 99 percent chance of a magnitude-7 earthquake? That's the 30-year outlook for California, according to a new USGS State-wide earthquake forecast. Learn more in this interview with USGS geophysicist Tom Parsons.

The USGS has determined that the Bakken Formation, in North Dakota and Montana, has 25 times more technically recoverable oil than was estimated in the USGS's 1995 assessment. We sit down with USGS scientists Brenda Pierce and Rich Pollastro to learn more.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii has experienced its first explosive eruption in more than 80 years and is now spewing noxious gas at 10 times the normal rate. John Eichelberger, head of the USGS Volcano Hazards Program, fills us in on the situation.

In the second part of our two-part drought mini-series, we head down South to talk with USGS scientists Curtis Weaver and Brian McCallum about the drought situation in the Southeastern United States. We also learn some eye-opening economic implications of drought. (Did you know that it's possibly the most expensive natural hazard to address?)

In the first part of our two-part series on drought, we sit down with USGS scientists Julio Betancourt and Greg McCabe to talk about drought in the Western United States, along with some other interesting and surprising drought info.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

Sea ice, which is constantly thickening and thinning, plays an important role in the Earth's climate system.

Dams don't help just by holding water back. By opening Glen Canyon Dam's jet tubes for a high flow experiment—scheduled to take place on March 5—scientists can study and improve resources in Grand Canyon National Park. Learn more by listening to our interview with John Hamill, USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Program Chief.

Rick Dinicola, hydrologist with the Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) program, tells about the effects of urbanization in Puget Sound, Wash.—disappearing habitats, increasing contaminants, and declining fish and wildlife populations.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

USGS hydrologist Richard Alexander talks about the nine States that contribute to the majority of nutrients in the northern Gulf of Mexico, threatening the economic and ecological health of one of the Nation's largest and most productive fisheries.

Three scientists talk about lesser-known topics that were brought to light in the media in 2007 by the USGS Science Picks, including the loss of coastal wetlands, leaping carp, and evolutionary teamwork. We also preview CoreFacts, the quick science Q & A we'll offer every weekday starting February 4th.

Biologist Robert Fisher tells a troubling tale of how wildfire in Southern California has disrupted the lives of frogs, shrews, fish, and salamanders (despite the latter's mythical fondness of flame).

We get educated on the whats and whys of dam removal by geomorphologists Jim O'Connor and Jon Major. BONUS: Watch a very cool time lapse video of Oregon's Marmot Dam being breached--click ‘Show Details’ below and scroll to the bottom!

USGS Hydrologist Tom Herrett gives us the skinny on the flooding in the Pacific Northwest and on how the USGS responds to such events.

After the smoke from wildfires clears, debris flows can become a big problem. USGS Research Geologist Sue Cannon talks about how.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

Get caught up on the latest in land remote sensing, the future of Landsat, and more with Barbara Ryan, USGS Associate Director for Geography.

We offer you a heaping helping of geography and GIS education and info. Enjoy!

We talk with USGS's Stephen Peters about the newly released preliminary assessment of non-fuel mineral resources in Afghanistan and how they're a critical part of rebuilding its natural resource sector and economic stability.

Most of the wildfires in Southern California are contained, but there are still things to consider after the smoke clears. USGS Research Ecologist Jon Keeley talks about wildfire patterns and the notion of suppression in the chapparal regions in Southern California.

A fearsome foursome of CoreCasters gives you the lowdown on what the USGS is all about, from science responsibilities to products to public events. Warning: This episode of CoreCast is scary informative. Happy Halloween.

We talk to USGS wildland fire expert, Erik Berg, about the current California wildfires and what the USGS is doing to help, how the public can keep up to date on what's happening with wildfires, and more.

In the fifth and final episode of our Earth Science Week coverage, USGS Education Coordinator Bob Ridky tells us why science education is important for everybody, why kids need to get outside, and more.

In this fourth installment of our Earth Science Week series, scientist Randy Orndorff gives us the lowdown on how geologic maps show what's down low, and he explains how these maps and the USGS's new geologic time scale and colors benefit planning, development, industry, and you.

USGS scientist Duane Champion explains the Earth's geomagnetic qualities and the potential for and possible consequences of a geomagnetic shift.

In our second Earth Science Week installment, we talk with scientist Richie Williams about the USGS's amazing new satellite imagery of Antarctica as well as what's going on with ice on the southernmost continent.

We welcome you to our Earth Science Week extravaganza (a podcast every day from Monday to Friday!), and then we sit down with Tom Armstrong to talk about the intriguing past and uncertain future of the Northwest Passage.

We turn the mic around and give you a chance to ask those deep, thought-provoking science questions you've been obsessing over.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

How important is the link between polar bears and sea ice? USGS Associate Director for Biology Sue Haseltine talks about it, along with some other aspects of the USGS's recent polar bear research.

We sit down with USGS Senior Science Advisor for Earthquakes and Geologic Hazards David Applegate to talk about some of the subtle nuances and uses of seismic networks.

A roundup of the previous month's hazard-related events around the world, with some newsworthy tidbits.

We talk with Carl Schreck, USGS biologist, on the effects humans are having on aquatic life by introducing chemicals and waste products into lakes and streams. How do these contaminants affect aquatic species' reproductive systems, metabolism, mood, growth development, and more? Listen to find out.

Each year hurricanes and tropical storms cause billions of dollars worth of damage to the Eastern United States. With the peak period being August and September, it's the perfect time to remind ourselves of the risks and discuss what research the USGS does in regard to hurricanes and strong storms.

We catch up with Tom Armstrong, Senior Advisor to the Director on Climate Change, to ask him some burning questions about how climate change is affecting the planet and our lives.