Volcano Awareness Month programs offered in January 2020 are depicted by these images. Clockwise from top left: ground cracks opened at HVO's former location atop Kīlauea in 2018; fissure erupting on Mauna Loa in March 1984; crater lake within Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit; and visitors hiking a Kahuku trail in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (NPS).
Images
Explore our planet through photography and imagery, including climate change and water all the way back to the 1800s when the USGS was surveying the country by horse and buggy.
Volcano Awareness Month programs offered in January 2020 are depicted by these images. Clockwise from top left: ground cracks opened at HVO's former location atop Kīlauea in 2018; fissure erupting on Mauna Loa in March 1984; crater lake within Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea's summit; and visitors hiking a Kahuku trail in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (NPS).
Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in Utah
Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in UtahPhotographs from a Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in a residential yard in Utah, U.S. (A) The owl had singeing of the rictal bristles on the right side of the face (inset), swollen right eyelids, and a cloudy and thickened right cornea.
Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in Utah
Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in UtahPhotographs from a Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in a residential yard in Utah, U.S. (A) The owl had singeing of the rictal bristles on the right side of the face (inset), swollen right eyelids, and a cloudy and thickened right cornea.
Photomicrographs from a Great-Horned Owl showing (A) moderate acute hemorrhage in the right atrial epicardium extending into the myocardium and (B) a focally extensive area of coagulative necrosis of the epidermis and dermis (arrow) consistent with an electrical burn.
Photomicrographs from a Great-Horned Owl showing (A) moderate acute hemorrhage in the right atrial epicardium extending into the myocardium and (B) a focally extensive area of coagulative necrosis of the epidermis and dermis (arrow) consistent with an electrical burn.
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geophysicist Jefferson Chang during his presentation at the 2019 National Diversity in STEM Conference in Honolulu. Chang and Kevan Kamibayashi (left) were two of four HVO scientists who spoke about their work monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes at the SACNAS conference.
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geophysicist Jefferson Chang during his presentation at the 2019 National Diversity in STEM Conference in Honolulu. Chang and Kevan Kamibayashi (left) were two of four HVO scientists who spoke about their work monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes at the SACNAS conference.
Jefferson Chang (far left) was one of four USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists who spoke about monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes and mentored students at the 2019 National Diversity in STEM Conference in Honolulu.
Jefferson Chang (far left) was one of four USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists who spoke about monitoring Hawaiian volcanoes and mentored students at the 2019 National Diversity in STEM Conference in Honolulu.
Map of seismicity in the Yellowstone region during 2019.
Map of seismicity in the Yellowstone region during 2019.Map of seismicity (yellow circles) in the Yellowstone region during 2019. Gray lines are roads, red line shows the caldera boundary, Yellowstone National Park is outlined by black dashed line, and gray dashed lines denote state boundaries.
Map of seismicity in the Yellowstone region during 2019.
Map of seismicity in the Yellowstone region during 2019.Map of seismicity (yellow circles) in the Yellowstone region during 2019. Gray lines are roads, red line shows the caldera boundary, Yellowstone National Park is outlined by black dashed line, and gray dashed lines denote state boundaries.
USGS Hydrologist Randy Host performs compass calibrations for discharge measurements at the Unuk River. The Unuk River is one of the transboundary watersheds of Southeast Alaska. This site has a Super Gage which is a conventional streamflow gage equipped with continuous water-quality monitors.
USGS Hydrologist Randy Host performs compass calibrations for discharge measurements at the Unuk River. The Unuk River is one of the transboundary watersheds of Southeast Alaska. This site has a Super Gage which is a conventional streamflow gage equipped with continuous water-quality monitors.
Still image from January 2, 2020, YVO video update.
Still image from January 2, 2020, YVO video update.Still image from January 2, 2020, YVO video update.
Still image from January 2, 2020, YVO video update.
Still image from January 2, 2020, YVO video update.Still image from January 2, 2020, YVO video update.
The December 18 overflight provided updated thermal images of Kīlauea summit, covering the caldera floor and showing the warm surface of the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u crater. A band of warm temperatures persists along the new cliff formed during the 2018 subsidence.
The December 18 overflight provided updated thermal images of Kīlauea summit, covering the caldera floor and showing the warm surface of the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u crater. A band of warm temperatures persists along the new cliff formed during the 2018 subsidence.
The December 18 overflight provided updated aerial photographs of Kīlauea summit, covering the caldera floor and showing the current size of the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u crater. The label "downdropped block" shows the large portion of the caldera floor that subsided, along with the Halema‘uma‘u region, during the 2018 eruption.
The December 18 overflight provided updated aerial photographs of Kīlauea summit, covering the caldera floor and showing the current size of the water pond in Halema‘uma‘u crater. The label "downdropped block" shows the large portion of the caldera floor that subsided, along with the Halema‘uma‘u region, during the 2018 eruption.
Scientist adjusts equipment mounted on tower at the Suisun Marsh
Scientist adjusts equipment mounted on tower at the Suisun MarshUSGS Research Scientist Ellen Goodrich-Stuart adjusts a CH4 (Methane) analyzer mounted on the eddy covariance flux tower at the Rush Ranch site at Suisun Marsh.
Scientist adjusts equipment mounted on tower at the Suisun Marsh
Scientist adjusts equipment mounted on tower at the Suisun MarshUSGS Research Scientist Ellen Goodrich-Stuart adjusts a CH4 (Methane) analyzer mounted on the eddy covariance flux tower at the Rush Ranch site at Suisun Marsh.
An HVO geologist uses a high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to c
An HVO geologist uses a high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to cAn HVO geologist uses a high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to collect latitude, longitude, and altitude data on a down-dropped portion of Kīlauea's caldera.
An HVO geologist uses a high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to c
An HVO geologist uses a high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to cAn HVO geologist uses a high-precision Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to collect latitude, longitude, and altitude data on a down-dropped portion of Kīlauea's caldera.
Bison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range
Bison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern RangeBison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range, where scenario planning work is currently underway.
Bison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range
Bison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern RangeBison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range, where scenario planning work is currently underway.
Continued slow rise of water level at bottom of Halema‘uma‘u, November
Continued slow rise of water level at bottom of Halema‘uma‘u, NovemberPhotos taken two weeks apart show the rise of water in Halema‘uma‘u. A white arrow denotes a large rock along the edge of the lake for comparing water levels in the two images. The water continues to rise at a rate of approximately 15 cm (6 in) per day. USGS photos by M. Patrick.
Continued slow rise of water level at bottom of Halema‘uma‘u, November
Continued slow rise of water level at bottom of Halema‘uma‘u, NovemberPhotos taken two weeks apart show the rise of water in Halema‘uma‘u. A white arrow denotes a large rock along the edge of the lake for comparing water levels in the two images. The water continues to rise at a rate of approximately 15 cm (6 in) per day. USGS photos by M. Patrick.
The 1880-1881 eruption of Mauna Loa produced lava flows that came within 1.7 km (1.1 mi) of the Hilo Bay shoreline. This painting by Charles Furneaux, "Night View 1880–1881, Eruption from Hilo Bay," illustrates the first two flows as they would have been in November 1880. In reality, however, both flows would not have been visible from this vantage.
The 1880-1881 eruption of Mauna Loa produced lava flows that came within 1.7 km (1.1 mi) of the Hilo Bay shoreline. This painting by Charles Furneaux, "Night View 1880–1881, Eruption from Hilo Bay," illustrates the first two flows as they would have been in November 1880. In reality, however, both flows would not have been visible from this vantage.
Clear Lake Volcanic Field, California. Tuff deposit outcrop.
Clear Lake Volcanic Field, California. Tuff deposit outcrop.Clear Lake Volcanic Field, California. Tuff deposit outcrop.
Clear Lake Volcanic Field, California. Tuff deposit outcrop.
Clear Lake Volcanic Field, California. Tuff deposit outcrop.Clear Lake Volcanic Field, California. Tuff deposit outcrop.
USGS and National Park Service partner on coral growth study
USGS and National Park Service partner on coral growth studyGlenn Simpson (left), Park Manager of the Dry Tortugas National Park, National Park Service and Ilsa Kuffner (right), USGS Research Marine Biologist, with an elkhorn coral from Pulaski Shoal being weighed and measured.
USGS and National Park Service partner on coral growth study
USGS and National Park Service partner on coral growth studyGlenn Simpson (left), Park Manager of the Dry Tortugas National Park, National Park Service and Ilsa Kuffner (right), USGS Research Marine Biologist, with an elkhorn coral from Pulaski Shoal being weighed and measured.
USGS scientists collaborate with Sri Lankan scientists from the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) on the installation of rainfall and soil moisture instrumentation on an active landslide in southwest Sri Lanka. The station provides real-time data including rainfall and soil moisture content of an active landslide.
USGS scientists collaborate with Sri Lankan scientists from the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) on the installation of rainfall and soil moisture instrumentation on an active landslide in southwest Sri Lanka. The station provides real-time data including rainfall and soil moisture content of an active landslide.
USGS scientists Matthew Smith, Caitlin Marsteller, and Danielle Gerik necropsy Common Murres and harvest tissues to test for harmful algal bloom toxins.
USGS scientists Matthew Smith, Caitlin Marsteller, and Danielle Gerik necropsy Common Murres and harvest tissues to test for harmful algal bloom toxins.
Ice Lake at dusk, looking north from the main outlet structure
Ice Lake at dusk, looking north from the main outlet structureIce Lake at dusk, looking north from the main outlet structure
Ice Lake at dusk, looking north from the main outlet structure
Ice Lake at dusk, looking north from the main outlet structureIce Lake at dusk, looking north from the main outlet structure