Images

Central Arctic Herd - caribou crossing a road within the Kuparuk oil field on the North Slope of Alaska. The photo was taken during the summer mosquito harassment period. 

Central Arctic Herd caribou within the Kuparuk oil field on the North Slope of Alaska. The photo was taken during the summer mosquito harassment period. 

House destroyed by Palu earthquake-induced liquefaction. Note standing water which indicates a nearly surface-level water table that contributed to the widespread liquefaction.

Conifers, incluing ponderosa pines, can be seen along the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

What is a meniscus?

A meniscus is a curve in the surface of a molecular substance (water, of course) when it touches another material. With water, you can think of it as when water sticks to the inside of a glass.

Why a meniscus occurs

Caribou with calves from the Central Arctic Herd in the Kuparuk Oil Field, Alaska.

It seems to defy the laws of physics, but a paper clip made of steel can indeed float on the water surface. The high surface tension helps the paper clip - with much higher density - float on the water.

Each summer, interns join USGS offices around the Nation in support of our water studies.

Data locations for Ice Island Arctic Ocean Heat Flow Studies

Different portions of the ponds have different colors, presumably reflecting different amounts or varying chemistry of dissolved particles in the water.

Three SCREE hikers traversing a thin hiking trail to the saddle that separates the two arms of the Green River that defines the Bowknot Bend at Mile 63.

Sections of a zircon crystal, only 100 micrometers across, showing stages of the crystal's growth. Upper panel shows the outer surface of the crystal, which is 131,000 years old based on 238U-230Th dating. This is when the crystal stopped growing. Lower panel shows the interior of the same zircon crystal.

Schematic diagram of Yellowstone's current magmatic system. A silicic crystal-mush (gray region with white crystals) is thought to underlie the caldera at a depth of ~5 km to 15 km, with more mafic basalt (in black) underneath.

Taken from the saddle, a panoramic view of the Bowknot Bend of the Green River. The Bowknot Bend is 7 river miles around. Erosion will eventually shorten the river course considerably.

The California Aqueduct flowing near Huron, CA in the San Joaquin Valley.  This spot is near one of several USGS land subsidence monitoring stations in the San Joaquin Valley.

On behalf of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Carolyn Donlin, Chief of the USGS Menlo Park Publishing Service Center, accepted an award from the National Association of Government Communicators recognizing HVO's weekly "Volcano Watch" articles as excellent communication products.

Four recently hatched piping plover chicks huddle in the nest bowl on the Garrison Reach of the Missouri River, North Dakota

The USGS maintains and monitors hundreds of streamgages across California, as well as across the Nation. Nearly all data collected by the USGS is made public and most in near real-time. Cities can use the data for flood mitigation and water supply.

Sampling Big Sandy River below Farson, WY

USGS technicians collect water samples for eDNA analysis to estimate foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) presence at historically occupied sites throughout Oregon. These data are important for assessing the species' status and conservation needs. 

This image from a viewpoint at Dead Horse State Park in Utah shows horizontal Mesozoic sedimentary rocks characteristic of the Colorado Plateau. The Colorado River can be seen from this vantage point and this state park is located between Canyonlands National Park to the southwest and Arches National Park to the northeast.