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Listen to USGS podcasts, interviews, and explorer audio clips related to earth science.
Culprit Identified: Fungus Causes Deadly Bat Disease
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. Geological Survey and partner institutions have identified the cause of WNS as a fungus appropriately known as Geomyces
USGS Releases Resource Estimate for Afghanistan Rare Earth Prospect
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.
Disease Detectives: Investigating the Mysteries of Zoonotic Diseases
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. Geological Survey and other wildlife health agencies must embark upon complex investigative work to determine what these diseases are, where they come from, and how they’re
Stranger than Fiction: The Secret Lives of Freshwater Mussels
Within the rivers, streams, and lakes of North America live over 200 species of freshwater mussels that share an amazing life history. To metamorphose from larvae to adult, the mussels must pass through a parasitic phase on the gills of freshwater fish. To trick the fish into accepting their larvae, female mussels have developed a complex array of lures and baits to
Responding to Hurricanes, Floods and Droughts in North Carolina
North Carolina, like many years before, is responding to flooding in the East and drought in the West. Holly Weyers, USGS North Carolina Water Science Center Director, discusses these extreme events.
How Can You Prepare for Earthquakes?
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.
East Coast Earthquakes
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.
Groundwater 101
In this episode we explore how vital groundwater is as a natural resource and discuss what impact a changing climate and human consumption has on groundwater supplies. Join us, as we sit down with USGS Groundwater Specialist Marshall Gannett to get a primer on the role groundwater plays in our daily lives, today on the Oregon Science Podcast.
The Air We Breathe…It’s a Gas!
We live at the bottom of an ocean of air. Most adults take around 29,000 breaths a day, children breathe a little faster; but what is in this air we breathe? What are the gases in the air? How much of each gas is there? Do these gases have different weights? How cold are liquid nitrogen and dry ice, and where did those names come from? Come join us to explore these
Time-Lapse Photography Project on the Platte River
NEWSC Director Bob Swanson, Wildlife photographer Mike Forsberg, and NET Television producer Mike Ferrell discuss their plans to mount 45 cameras along the entire Platte River to document its changes through the year and beyond.
Who's Your Mama? Conservation Genetics and At-Risk Species
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. Catherine
USGS Water Activities in South Carolina - Update
An update on USGS Water activities in South Carolina as SC Water Science Center Director Eric Strom is interviewed by SC Public Radio ‘Your Day’ host, Donna London.
Wade into Wetlands Research
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
Shocking! Electrofishing for Largescale Suckers on the Columbia River
In this episode we take to the water and accompany a USGS field crew as they collect largescale suckers (Catostomus macrocheilus) along the lower Columbia River. Using a boat equipped with specialized shocking equipment, researchers stun nearby fish, allowing them to be easily collected and examined. Join us, as we explore how native fish are used to determine the water
USGS Economic Analysis Updated for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA)
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. Join us as we
USGS Economic Analysis Updated for the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA)
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. Join us as we
Flooding Hits Along the Mississippi River
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. Record floods are possible in some areas
USGS Hydrologic Investigation of West Africa's Congo River (part 3)
USGS South Carolina Water Science Center Data Chief, John Shelton in a special hydrologic expedition down the Congo River, West Africa. Part three of the three part episode, reveals a hydrologic data set that changed the world record books.
New Madrid Earthquake Bicentennial
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. Scientific presentations and discussions about these historic events and recent major earthquakes
Treasures of the USGS Library
Since its creation in 1882, the USGS Library has grown to become the world's largest library dedicated to earth and natural sciences, holding more than 1.5 million volumes and 800,000 maps. Richard Huffine, Director of the USGS Libraries Program, will highlight some of the rarest, most valuable, and significant materials held by the USGS. These include early maps of
An Unseen World Beneath Our Feet - Caves, Sinkholes and Springs
Randall Orndorff, Director of the Eastern Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center, discusses how Karst affects daily life. Beneath a quarter of the United States are rock types that can dissolve to form caves, sinkholes and other features. Nearly every state has rock layers of limestone, gypsum, and other soluble rocks we call ‘karst’. Karst is important for many reasons.
Beyond Billions: Threatened Bats are Worth Billions to Agriculture
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. Geological Survey, University of Pretoria in South Africa, University of Tennessee, and Boston University who contributed to the study warn that these valuable
Waves Rippling Through Groundwater
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.
Flooding Spring 2011
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. In this episode of CoreCast USGS National Flood Coordinator Bob Holmes talks to CoreCast host Kara Capelli about why increased flooding is likely this year and how USGS is responding.