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Photo Contest Winner | January 2021 | USGS at Work
Winter Wonderland in Lake Placid, NY

Lab Manager, Adrian Mann, analyzes pore water samples on an Ion Chromatograph.

WHOI/MIT PhD. Student, Sheron Luk, analyses sediment carbon on an Elemental Analyzer at Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center.

Zoomed aerial image of a Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) taking off from the water.

Brian Bergamaschi and Katy O’Donnell onboard the RV Landsteiner during a high-resolution water quality mapping survey. The boat is equipped with a flow-through system that pumps water onto the boat while underway and directs sample water to a multiparameter water quality sonde, thermosalinograph, fluorometers, nitrate and ammonium analyzers.

Brian Bergamaschi and Katy O’Donnell onboard the RV Landsteiner during a high-resolution water quality mapping survey. The boat is equipped with a flow-through system that pumps water onto the boat while underway and directs sample water to a multiparameter water quality sonde, thermosalinograph, fluorometers, nitrate and ammonium analyzers.

(From left to right) Brian Bergamaschi, Katy O’Donnell, Emily Richardson, and Jeniffer Soto Perez onboard the RV Landsteiner during a high-resolution water quality mapping survey.

USGS samples water within wetlands to understand which environmental drivers impact carbon cycle and sediment accretion. Here USGS staff (Jennifer O'Keefe Suttles) pumps water from at Phragmites wetland, Mashpee, MA, to analyze at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Environmental Geochemistry lab.

Zoomed image of a Cuvier’s Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris) below the surface.

Dave Brower (left) and Taylor Nagleri (right) working on logging data that was being collected by Rob Lorens in the stream (not pictured).

Kīlauea's summit lava lake in Halemaʻumaʻu is continually re-surfacing. HVO geologists monitoring the activity in the field have observed crustal foundering, in which pieces of solidified lava crust on the surface of the lava lake break and sink back into the liquid portion. USGS photo by M. Patrick on 12/31/2020. 

The view from Kīlauea Volcano's western caldera rim shows the eastern portion of the lava lake in Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The main island is visible in the bottom of the photograph, and smaller islands can be seen above it (to the east). USGS photo by M. Patrick on 12/31/2020. 

View of the northern portion of the lava lake within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at Kīlauea Volcano's summit. Smaller islands present in the northeastern portion of the lava lake are visible. USGS photo by M. Patrick on 12/31/2020. 

The western fissure in Halemaʻumaʻu wall remains active. Glowing vents and a prominent spatter cone are visible in this photo. This view looks steeply down from Kīlauea's west caldera rim, and the lava lake surface is visible in the background. USGS photo by M. Patrick on 12/31/2020. 

View of the northern portion of the lava lake within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at Kīlauea Volcano's summit. Smaller islands present in the northeastern portion of the lava lake are visible. USGS photo by M. Patrick on 12/31/2020. USGS photo by M. Patrick on 12/31/2020. 

Kīlauea's summit lava lake in Halemaʻumaʻu is continually re-surfacing. HVO geologists monitoring the activity in the field have observed crustal foundering, in which pieces of solidified lava crust on the surface of the lava lake break and sink back into the liquid portion. USGS photo by M. Patrick on 12/31/2020. 

A channel-like feature is visible on the lava lake surface within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at Kīlauea Volcano's summit. This feature originates from the influx of lava from the western fissure, just out of view on the bottom of the photograph. USGS photo by M. Patrick on 12/31/2020. 

This map of Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea shows 20 m (66 ft) contour lines (dark gray) that mark locations of equal elevation above sea level (asl).

Yellowstone rangers -- and tourists, too! -- can determine the height of a geyser eruption with some simple trigonometry.

Devin McGinty collecting measurements in the field including surveying and installing a new staff gage.