Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

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.

Filter Total Items: 21351
Burning Gas Hydrate
Burning Gas Hydrate
Burning Gas Hydrate
Burning Gas Hydrate

Gas hydrate is sometimes called “the ice that burns” because the warming hydrates release enough methane to sustain a flame. Credit: USGS

Gas hydrate is sometimes called “the ice that burns” because the warming hydrates release enough methane to sustain a flame. Credit: USGS

California Horizontal ADVM mount 1
California Horizontal ADVM mount 1
California Horizontal ADVM mount 1
California Horizontal ADVM mount 1

Protective housing prevents damage to ADVM and allows for adjustment of heading and roll.

Protective housing prevents damage to ADVM and allows for adjustment of heading and roll.

California Horizontal ADVM mount 2
California Horizontal ADVM mount 2
California Horizontal ADVM mount 2
California Horizontal ADVM mount 2

Protective housing prevents damage to ADVM and allows for adjustment of heading and roll.

Protective housing prevents damage to ADVM and allows for adjustment of heading and roll.

Camden Bay
Camden Bay from west-central ANWR-1002 Area
Camden Bay from west-central ANWR-1002 Area
Camden Bay from west-central ANWR-1002 Area

Northward view towards Camden Bay from west-central Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-1002 Area near the Katakturuk River. Patterns in foreground are permafrost polygons.

Northward view towards Camden Bay from west-central Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-1002 Area near the Katakturuk River. Patterns in foreground are permafrost polygons.

Camden Bay
Camden Bay from west-central ANWR-1002 Area
Camden Bay from west-central ANWR-1002 Area
Camden Bay from west-central ANWR-1002 Area

View to the northeast towards Camden Bay from west-central Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-1002 Area. The tundra and lakes in this area displays a variety of patterns caused by permafrost.

View to the northeast towards Camden Bay from west-central Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-1002 Area. The tundra and lakes in this area displays a variety of patterns caused by permafrost.

Canning River Delta with thin barrier island
Canning River Delta with thin barrier island and ice pack
Canning River Delta with thin barrier island and ice pack
Canning River Delta with thin barrier island and ice pack

Northward view to coast of Canning River Delta with thin barrier island and ice pack beyond.

near the Sadlerochit River
central ANWR-1002 Area near the Sadlerochit River
central ANWR-1002 Area near the Sadlerochit River
central ANWR-1002 Area near the Sadlerochit River

Northward view in central Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-1002 Area near the Sadlerochit River showing gently rolling topography typical of the southern coastal plain.

Northward view in central Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-1002 Area near the Sadlerochit River showing gently rolling topography typical of the southern coastal plain.

Closeup view of oil-saturated Oligocene sandstone
Closeup view of oil-saturated Oligocene sandstone in the Sagavanirktok
Closeup view of oil-saturated Oligocene sandstone in the Sagavanirktok
Closeup view of oil-saturated Oligocene sandstone in the Sagavanirktok

Closeup view of oil-saturated Oligocene sandstone in the Sagavanirktok Formation exposed on Marsh Creek anticline near Katakturuk River in western Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-1002 Area. Weathered surface is light gray and freshly broken surface is brown.

Closeup view of oil-saturated Oligocene sandstone in the Sagavanirktok Formation exposed on Marsh Creek anticline near Katakturuk River in western Arctic National Wildlife Refuge-1002 Area. Weathered surface is light gray and freshly broken surface is brown.

Collection samples hourly at a private domestic bedrock well, Seabrook, New Hampshire
Collection samples hourly at a private domestic bedrock well
Collection samples hourly at a private domestic bedrock well
Collection samples hourly at a private domestic bedrock well

Assessing the variability of arsenic over multiple time scales project.

Collection samples hourly at a private domestic bedrock well, Seabrook, New Hampshire.

Assessing the variability of arsenic over multiple time scales project.

Collection samples hourly at a private domestic bedrock well, Seabrook, New Hampshire.

Color-shaded topographic relief map of the Yellowstone Plateau-Snake River Plain volcanic province
Color-shaded topographic relief map of Yellowstone Plateau Snake River
Color-shaded topographic relief map of Yellowstone Plateau Snake River
Color-shaded topographic relief map of Yellowstone Plateau Snake River

Color-shaded topographic relief map of the Yellowstone Plateau-Snake River Plain volcanic province showing the track of the Yellowstone hot spot. 

Contrasting photos of Heart Spring from 1988 and 2019 Yellowstone
Contrasting photos of Heart Spring from 1988 and 2019 Yellowstone
Contrasting photos of Heart Spring from 1988 and 2019 Yellowstone
Contrasting photos of Heart Spring from 1988 and 2019 Yellowstone

Contrasting photos of Heart Spring on Geyser Hill in the Upper Geyser Basin from 1998 (left) and 2019 (right). Can you spot differences in the hot spring? Photos courtesy of the National Park Service.

Contrasting photos of Heart Spring on Geyser Hill in the Upper Geyser Basin from 1998 (left) and 2019 (right). Can you spot differences in the hot spring? Photos courtesy of the National Park Service.

Custom Boogie Board 1
Custom Boogie Board 1
Custom Boogie Board 1
Custom Boogie Board 1

Photograph of custom boogie board for ADCP deploymet, view of bottom.

Photograph of custom boogie board for ADCP deploymet, view of bottom.

Custom Boogie Board 2
Custom Boogie Board 2
Custom Boogie Board 2
Custom Boogie Board 2

Photograph of custom boogie board for ADCP deploymet, view of bottom.

Photograph of custom boogie board for ADCP deploymet, view of bottom.

Custom Boogie Board 3
Custom Boogie Board 3
Custom Boogie Board 3
Custom Boogie Board 3

Photograph of custom boogie board for ADCP deploymet, view of bottom.

Photograph of custom boogie board for ADCP deploymet, view of bottom.

Densmore uses ultrasound
Densmore uses ultrasound
Densmore uses ultrasound
Densmore uses ultrasound

Dr. Christine Densmore, DVM uses an ultrasound on fish as part of a health assessment.

Dr. Christine Densmore, DVM uses an ultrasound on fish as part of a health assessment.

Grey-scale digital elevation model showing building outlines
Digital elevation model from the 2019 LiDAR survey of Kīlauea
Digital elevation model from the 2019 LiDAR survey of Kīlauea
Digital elevation model from the 2019 LiDAR survey of Kīlauea

A sample of the digital elevation model from the 2019 LiDAR survey of Kīlauea, showing the vicinity of the former HVO office and Jaggar Museum in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

A sample of the digital elevation model from the 2019 LiDAR survey of Kīlauea, showing the vicinity of the former HVO office and Jaggar Museum in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Was this page helpful?