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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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Keychain in Inupiaq for USGS outreach activities about bird banding and reporting
Keychain in Inupiaq for USGS outreach activities about bird banding
Keychain in Inupiaq for USGS outreach activities about bird banding
Keychain in Inupiaq for USGS outreach activities about bird banding

Keychain developed for USGS outreach activities about bird banding and reporting in Inupiaq and English. Inupiaq translation provided by Qaiyaan and Jana Harcharek.

Keychain developed for USGS outreach activities about bird banding and reporting in Inupiaq and English. Inupiaq translation provided by Qaiyaan and Jana Harcharek.

Sulphur Caldro
Sulphur Caldron
Sulphur Caldron
Sulphur Caldron

Sulphur Caldron -- an example of an acid-sulfate hydrothermal feature in Yellowstone National Park. Photo taken by Blaine McCleskey, September 2008.

Sulphur Caldron -- an example of an acid-sulfate hydrothermal feature in Yellowstone National Park. Photo taken by Blaine McCleskey, September 2008.

Hydrologic Technician, Brady Long, performs routine water quality inspection at the Cooper River station 0217206935.
Hydrologic Technician inspects gage on the Cooper River, SC.
Hydrologic Technician inspects gage on the Cooper River, SC.
Hydrologic Technician inspects gage on the Cooper River, SC.

Hydrologic Technician, Brady Long, performs routine water quality inspection of streamgage 0217206935 Cooper River in Charleston, SC. Cooperator/funding provided by the US Army Core of Engineers. 

Hydrologic Technician, Brady Long, performs routine water quality inspection of streamgage 0217206935 Cooper River in Charleston, SC. Cooperator/funding provided by the US Army Core of Engineers. 

Hydrologic Technician, Brady Long, performs routine water quality inspection at the Cooper River, SC
Hydrologic Technician performs routine water quality inspection
Hydrologic Technician performs routine water quality inspection
Hydrologic Technician performs routine water quality inspection

Hydrologic Technician, Brady Long, performs routine water quality inspection at the Cooper River, South Carolina

Scientific equipment on the deck of a ship in the ocean
On board the IODP vessel JOIDES Resolution
On board the IODP vessel JOIDES Resolution
On board the IODP vessel JOIDES Resolution

Several instruments visible on board the research vessel JOIDES Resolution. Photo taken from the ship bridge roof. USGS logo visible on one of the pieces of equipment. Research cruises taken on the JOIDES Resolution are often interdisciplinary and collaborative across many universities, scientific agencies, and other research institutions.

Several instruments visible on board the research vessel JOIDES Resolution. Photo taken from the ship bridge roof. USGS logo visible on one of the pieces of equipment. Research cruises taken on the JOIDES Resolution are often interdisciplinary and collaborative across many universities, scientific agencies, and other research institutions.

Color photographs
Volcano Awareness Month 2020
Volcano Awareness Month 2020
Volcano Awareness Month 2020

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).

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).

Photographs from a Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove showing injuries on birds.
Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in Utah
Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in Utah
Great-Horned Owl and Eurasian Collared-Dove found dead in Utah

Photographs 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.

Photographs 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.

Photo showing close ups of hemorrhage and necrosis in pink in purple colors.
Photomicrographs from a Great-Horned Owl
Photomicrographs from a Great-Horned Owl
Photomicrographs from a Great-Horned Owl

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.

Color photograph showing scientist presenting at meeting
USGS HVO geophysicist Jefferson Chang presenting
USGS HVO geophysicist Jefferson Chang presenting
USGS HVO geophysicist Jefferson Chang presenting

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.

Color photograph of scientist at meeting
Jefferson Chang at meeting
Jefferson Chang at meeting
Jefferson Chang at meeting

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.

image related to volcanoes. See description
Map of seismicity in the Yellowstone region during 2019.
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 (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.

Scientist standing in Unuk River next to boat getting ready to collect water samples
Sampling the Unuk River, Alaska
Sampling the Unuk River, Alaska
Sampling the Unuk River, Alaska

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.

image related to volcanoes. See description
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.

image related to volcanoes. See description
Thermal map of Kīlauea summit
Thermal map of Kīlauea summit
Thermal map of Kīlauea summit

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.

image related to volcanoes. See description
Updated aerial map of Kīlauea summit
Updated aerial map of Kīlauea summit
Updated aerial map of Kīlauea summit

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 in California.
Scientist adjusts equipment mounted on tower at the Suisun Marsh
Scientist adjusts equipment mounted on tower at the Suisun Marsh
Scientist adjusts equipment mounted on tower at the Suisun Marsh

USGS 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. 

USGS 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. 

image related to volcanoes. See description
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 c
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 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 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 Range
Bison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range
Bison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range

Bison in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range, where scenario planning work is currently underway.

Bison 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
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, November
Continued slow rise of water level at bottom of Halema‘uma‘u, November

Photos 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.

Photos 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.