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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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View of the ocean and coast from the air on a sunny day, with low clouds over land
Ocean and California coast from the air
Ocean and California coast from the air
Ocean and California coast from the air

Low clouds over land, but clears skies over the ocean during a test flight in March 2019.

The Seabird Studies Team at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center is conducting aerial photographic surveys of the ocean off central and southern California to create comprehensive maps of seabird and marine mammal distributions.

Low clouds over land, but clears skies over the ocean during a test flight in March 2019.

The Seabird Studies Team at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center is conducting aerial photographic surveys of the ocean off central and southern California to create comprehensive maps of seabird and marine mammal distributions.

A green landmass on the coast in the background behind the wing of a small airplane.
Passing Diablo Canyon Power Plant during aerial survey test flight
Passing Diablo Canyon Power Plant during aerial survey test flight
Passing Diablo Canyon Power Plant during aerial survey test flight

Passing Diablo Canyon Power Plant during a test flight in March 2019, in preparation for aerial photographic surveys.

Three cameras in front of a small window, with closed door covering the window behind it.
Camera set-up for an aerial photographic survey
Camera set-up for an aerial photographic survey
Camera set-up for an aerial photographic survey

Camera set-up in the plane before belly port doors are opened for an aerial photographic survey.

The Seabird Studies Team at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center is conducting aerial photographic surveys of the ocean off central and southern California to create comprehensive maps of seabird and marine mammal distributions.

Camera set-up in the plane before belly port doors are opened for an aerial photographic survey.

The Seabird Studies Team at the USGS Western Ecological Research Center is conducting aerial photographic surveys of the ocean off central and southern California to create comprehensive maps of seabird and marine mammal distributions.

Wireless monitor screen with a black-out curtain behind it, inside a small plane.
Gear used for aerial photographic surveys
Gear used for aerial photographic surveys
Gear used for aerial photographic surveys

Mount with black-out curtain used to hold a wireless monitor. This set-up allows technicians to interface with four mini-PCs in real time, allowing them to check data and image quality, and make adjustments when necessary.

Mount with black-out curtain used to hold a wireless monitor. This set-up allows technicians to interface with four mini-PCs in real time, allowing them to check data and image quality, and make adjustments when necessary.

Two people kneeling to collect a carcass
Measuring wildlife mortality
Measuring wildlife mortality
Measuring wildlife mortality

Scientists collect carcasses at a wind energy facility to estimate total wildlife mortality at a site.

Scientists collect carcasses at a wind energy facility to estimate total wildlife mortality at a site.

 Melting snow near Miles City created measurable flow in Reservation Creek. This site is only visited when there are high flows,
Melting snow created measurable flow in Reservation Creek
Melting snow created measurable flow in Reservation Creek
Melting snow created measurable flow in Reservation Creek

 Melting snow near Miles City created measurable flow in Reservation Creek. This site is only visited when there are high flows,

Calvert Formation near Plum Point, MD
Calvert Formation near Plum Point, MD
Calvert Formation near Plum Point, MD
Calvert Formation near Plum Point, MD

Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | March 2019 | USGS at Work
Seth Sutton at an outcrop of the marine Calvert Formation near Plum Point, MD, on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay

Northeast Region Photo Contest Winner | March 2019 | USGS at Work
Seth Sutton at an outcrop of the marine Calvert Formation near Plum Point, MD, on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay

A USGS technician sits in a boat as he deploys a water measuring device to measure floodwaters
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River

After record flooding on the Big Sioux River, USGS crews mobilized to take important water measurements.

USGS technician stands next to a boat on a flooded and debris-filled landscape
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River, Akron, IA
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River, Akron, IA
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River

USGS technician Chris Broz helps take water measurements on the Big Sioux River during record flooding in March, 2019.

Flooding on the Big Sioux River, Iowa
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River

USGS scientists and technicians took water measurements during flooding on the Big Sioux River near Hawarden, Iowa in March 2019.

Flooding on the Big Sioux River, March 2019
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River
USGS crews respond to flooding on the Big Sioux River

USGS technician Chris Broz helps take water measurements on the Big Sioux River during record flooding in March, 2019.

Spring flooding on the Big Sioux River
USGS takes water measurements during Big Sioux flooding
USGS takes water measurements during Big Sioux flooding
USGS takes water measurements during Big Sioux flooding

USGS scientists and technicians took water measurements during flooding on the Big Sioux River near Jefferson, SD in March 2019. Measurements for this site were 52,000 cfs at a gage height of 40.14 ft.

USGS scientists and technicians took water measurements during flooding on the Big Sioux River near Jefferson, SD in March 2019. Measurements for this site were 52,000 cfs at a gage height of 40.14 ft.

Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River

After record flooding on the Big Sioux River, USGS crews mobilized to take important water measurements.

A USGS technician deploys a water measurement tool from a bridge to measure floodwaters
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River, Hawarden, IA
Spring 2019 Flooding - Big Sioux River, Hawarden, IA
image related to volcanoes. See description
HVO geologists make field observations in the lower East Rift Zone
HVO geologists make field observations in the lower East Rift Zone
HVO geologists make field observations in the lower East Rift Zone

What does a hardened lava flow look like? This photograph is of the frothy top of a lava flow near the fissure 8 vent, on Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone. The different sizes and abundance of bubbles in the surface texture create different colors of the lava, including the light brown and darker black near the boot (for scale).

What does a hardened lava flow look like? This photograph is of the frothy top of a lava flow near the fissure 8 vent, on Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone. The different sizes and abundance of bubbles in the surface texture create different colors of the lava, including the light brown and darker black near the boot (for scale).

Dive camera system on the boat
Dive Camera System Ready to Deploy In Lake Ontario
Dive Camera System Ready to Deploy In Lake Ontario
Dive Camera System Ready to Deploy In Lake Ontario

An integrated camera and scooter system is ready to deploy in Lake Ontario. The camera is used to record circular transects.

Diver using camera and scooter completing a transect
Diver swimming a circular transect
Diver swimming a circular transect
Diver swimming a circular transect

This SCUBA diver is using a camera integrated with a scooter running a circular transect. The white line attached to the scooter is also attached to a pivot point at the center of the sample area.

This SCUBA diver is using a camera integrated with a scooter running a circular transect. The white line attached to the scooter is also attached to a pivot point at the center of the sample area.

2 men boating to shore from a large iron post with ladder in icy river houses on shore in background
Making repairs at the Green Island streamgage on the Hudson River
Making repairs at the Green Island streamgage on the Hudson River
Making repairs at the Green Island streamgage on the Hudson River

Sean Stewart and Brendan Hallmark making repairs at the Green Island streamgage  (01358000) on the Hudson River. Photo by Travis Smith (Public Domain)

Members of the LANDFIRE team at the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center
LANDFIRE Team - 2019
LANDFIRE Team - 2019
LANDFIRE Team - 2019

Members of the LANDFIRE team met in March of 2019 at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center near Sioux Falls, SD.

Members of the LANDFIRE team met in March of 2019 at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center near Sioux Falls, SD.

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