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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.

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Aerial of lava channel
Kīlauea Volcano — Wide Lava Channel
Kīlauea Volcano — Wide Lava Channel
Kīlauea Volcano — Wide Lava Channel

At a wide point in the channelized lava flow, a ropy crust has formed over the more fluid lava below.

Discharge Measurement on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD
Discharge Measurement on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD
Discharge Measurement on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD
Discharge Measurement on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD

On June 20, 2018, hydrologic technician Kammy Durham measured a discharge of 209 cubic feet per second on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD (streamgage 06436180) after the watershed received about 2 inches of rain the previous evening. Streams in the Black Hills of western South Dakota can rise and fall quickly in response to rain.

On June 20, 2018, hydrologic technician Kammy Durham measured a discharge of 209 cubic feet per second on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD (streamgage 06436180) after the watershed received about 2 inches of rain the previous evening. Streams in the Black Hills of western South Dakota can rise and fall quickly in response to rain.

Geologists at work monitoring Kīlauea's Lower East Rift Zone erupti...
Geologists at work monitoring Kīlauea's LERZ eruption
Geologists at work monitoring Kīlauea's LERZ eruption
Geologists at work monitoring Kīlauea's LERZ eruption

Geologist makes early morning observations of the lava fountain and channelized flow at fissure 8 in Leilani Estates.

Fissure 8 and lava channel from above
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 8 Aerial
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 8 Aerial
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 8 Aerial

Fissure 8 lava fountains reached as high as about 50 m (164 ft) during the past day.

GPS monitoring station on the caldera floor
Kīlauea Volcano — GPS Station
Kīlauea Volcano — GPS Station
Kīlauea Volcano — GPS Station

A temporary GPS station (with radio telemetry for continuous measurement) was installed this week on the Kīlauea caldera floor to track the ongoing subsidence of the summit area. The data will help to characterize the extent and rate of the subsidence.

A temporary GPS station (with radio telemetry for continuous measurement) was installed this week on the Kīlauea caldera floor to track the ongoing subsidence of the summit area. The data will help to characterize the extent and rate of the subsidence.

Looking down at the crater where the parking lot used to be.
Kīlauea Volcano — Halema`uma`u Parking Lot Gone
Kīlauea Volcano — Halema`uma`u Parking Lot Gone
Kīlauea Volcano — Halema`uma`u Parking Lot Gone

View of the southern edge of the growing Halema‘uma‘u crater (middle right) during yesterday's helicopter-assisted work at Kīlauea's summit. The once-popular parking lot (closed since 2008) that provided access to Halema‘uma‘u is no longer—the parking lot fell into the crater this past week as more and more of the Kīlauea Crater floor slides into Halema‘uma‘u.

View of the southern edge of the growing Halema‘uma‘u crater (middle right) during yesterday's helicopter-assisted work at Kīlauea's summit. The once-popular parking lot (closed since 2008) that provided access to Halema‘uma‘u is no longer—the parking lot fell into the crater this past week as more and more of the Kīlauea Crater floor slides into Halema‘uma‘u.

Aerial view of lava channels
Kīlauea Volcano — Lava Channel from Fissure 8
Kīlauea Volcano — Lava Channel from Fissure 8
Kīlauea Volcano — Lava Channel from Fissure 8

Lava from fissure 8 travels about 13 km (8 mi) to the ocean in an open channel. Lava remains incandescent (glowing orange) throughout its journey. The ocean entry is at upper right.

Lava from fissure 8 travels about 13 km (8 mi) to the ocean in an open channel. Lava remains incandescent (glowing orange) throughout its journey. The ocean entry is at upper right.

Laze plume from ocean entry
Kīlauea Volcano — Multiple Laze Plumes
Kīlauea Volcano — Multiple Laze Plumes
Kīlauea Volcano — Multiple Laze Plumes

Small streams of lava enter the ocean across a broad area, shown by the multiple white steam and laze plumes. Lava has added about 380 acres of new land into the sea.

Small streams of lava enter the ocean across a broad area, shown by the multiple white steam and laze plumes. Lava has added about 380 acres of new land into the sea.

Close up view of pāhoehoe
Kīlauea Volcano — Sluggish Pāhoehoe
Kīlauea Volcano — Sluggish Pāhoehoe
Kīlauea Volcano — Sluggish Pāhoehoe

Sluggish pāhoehoe briefly spills over a section the levee along the well-established lava channel. Such overflows generally travel short distances measured in meters (yards).

Sluggish pāhoehoe briefly spills over a section the levee along the well-established lava channel. Such overflows generally travel short distances measured in meters (yards).

A geologist points a thermal camera at a fissure to take a temperature reading
Kīlauea Volcano — Temperature Readings
Kīlauea Volcano — Temperature Readings
Kīlauea Volcano — Temperature Readings

HVO geologist measures 260 degrees C (500 degrees F) along ground cracks near fissure 10 in Leilani Estates. Geologists routinely make temperature measurements to track changes throughout the fissure complex in the lower East Rift Zone.

HVO geologist measures 260 degrees C (500 degrees F) along ground cracks near fissure 10 in Leilani Estates. Geologists routinely make temperature measurements to track changes throughout the fissure complex in the lower East Rift Zone.

Diagram showing source and use of freshwater in the U.S. in 2015, by category
Source and use of freshwater in the U.S. in 2015
Source and use of freshwater in the U.S. in 2015
Source and use of freshwater in the U.S. in 2015

Source and Use of Freshwater in the United States, 2015

This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's freshwater and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.

Source and Use of Freshwater in the United States, 2015

This diagram uses a "cylinder and pipe" layout to show the source (surface water or groundwater) of the Nation's freshwater and for what purposes the water was used in 2015. The data are broken out for each category of use by surface water and groundwater as the source.

Spawning Yukon River Chinook salmon
Spawning Yukon River Chinook salmon
Spawning Yukon River Chinook salmon
Spawning Yukon River Chinook salmon

A spawning Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) captured near Pilot Station, Alaska, in June 2018 as part of an experimental temperature manipulation study to validate heat stress biomarkers.

A spawning Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) captured near Pilot Station, Alaska, in June 2018 as part of an experimental temperature manipulation study to validate heat stress biomarkers.

Verification of High Water Mark on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD
Verification of High Water Mark on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD
Verification of High Water Mark on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD
Verification of High Water Mark on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD

On June 20, 2018, hydrologic technician Kammy Durham verified the high water mark on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD (streamgage 06436180) after the watershed received about 2 inches of rain the previous evening. Streams in the Black Hills of western South Dakota can rise and fall quickly in response to rain.

On June 20, 2018, hydrologic technician Kammy Durham verified the high water mark on Whitewood Creek above Whitewood, SD (streamgage 06436180) after the watershed received about 2 inches of rain the previous evening. Streams in the Black Hills of western South Dakota can rise and fall quickly in response to rain.

ADCP measurment from bridge looking downstream
ADCP Bridge Measurement
ADCP Bridge Measurement
ADCP Bridge Measurement

USGS employees measuring WInd River streamflows at Kinnear bridge soon after minor flooding had occurred on the highway.

USGS employees measuring WInd River streamflows at Kinnear bridge soon after minor flooding had occurred on the highway.

Der Wasserkreislauf für Kinder - The Water Cycle for Schools, German
Der Wasserkreislauf für Kinder - The Water Cycle for Schools, German
Der Wasserkreislauf für Kinder - The Water Cycle for Schools, German
Der Wasserkreislauf für Kinder - The Water Cycle for Schools, German

Der Wasserkreislauf für Kinder

Du denkst vielleicht, jeder Regentropfen, der vom Himmel fällt, oder jedes Glas Wasser, das du trinkst, ist nagelneu, aber das asser ist schon immer da, und es ist Teil des Wasserkreislaufs.

Der Wasserkreislauf für Kinder

Du denkst vielleicht, jeder Regentropfen, der vom Himmel fällt, oder jedes Glas Wasser, das du trinkst, ist nagelneu, aber das asser ist schon immer da, und es ist Teil des Wasserkreislaufs.

Color photograph showing volcanic eruption and volcanic gas plume
Kīlauea LERZ fissure 8 on June 19, 2018
Kīlauea LERZ fissure 8 on June 19, 2018
Kīlauea LERZ fissure 8 on June 19, 2018

A thick, dense plume of SO2 and other volcanic gases billows from the lava fountains at fissure 8 on June 19, 2018. SO2 emission rates during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea were so high that they required a new data analysis technique.

A thick, dense plume of SO2 and other volcanic gases billows from the lava fountains at fissure 8 on June 19, 2018. SO2 emission rates during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea were so high that they required a new data analysis technique.

Kīlauea lower East Rift Zone lava flows and fissures, June 19, 1:00...
Kīlauea LERZ lava flows and fissures, June 19, 1:00 p.m.
Kīlauea LERZ lava flows and fissures, June 19, 1:00 p.m.
Kīlauea LERZ lava flows and fissures, June 19, 1:00 p.m.

Map as of 1:00 p.m. HST, June 19, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

Map as of 1:00 p.m. HST, June 19, 2018. Given the dynamic nature of Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone eruption, with changing vent locations, fissures starting and stopping, and varying rates of lava effusion, map details shown here are accurate as of the date/time noted. Shaded purple areas indicate lava flows erupted in 1840, 1955, 1960, and 2014-2015.

Close up of an eruption
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 8 Eruption (June 18-19, 2018)
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 8 Eruption (June 18-19, 2018)
Kīlauea Volcano — Fissure 8 Eruption (June 18-19, 2018)

Fissure 8 vigor increased overnight June 18-19 with lava fountains reaching up to 60 m (200 ft). Spatter built up the cone to the east and into the channel.

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