Images

Using the cableway to measure streamflow in Snake River below the Jackson Lake Dam. With scenery like that, it's hard to keep your eye on the equipment in the water!

Captain Steve Evert (Stockton University) at the helm of the R/V Petrel during the geophysical survey in May 2018.  Captain Evert is also director of the Stockton University Marine Field Station and mentor to several students who joined the team for various parts of the geophysical and sampling surveys.

Map as of 2:00 p.m. HST, June 4, 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.

What a difference four days makes!

Video from helicopter overflight of Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on June 4, 2018, shows lava from fissure 8 entering the ocean at Kapoho Bay. View to the north.

Steamboat Geyser in the steam-phase of an eruption on June 4, 2018, Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.

Steamboat Geyser in the water-phase of an eruption on June 4, 2018, Norris Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park.

Subbottom profiler system towed on pontoons behind the R/V Petrel during the geophysical survey in May 2018

View of ongoing rockfalls on the southern walls of the summit crater and ground cracks just to the north of Halema‘uma‘u.

Bright image: the brightest pixel values throughout the video, useful for identifying the position of maximum wave run-up on the beach, position of all breaking waves, and sea-state.

Dark image: the darkest pixel values throughout the video, useful for tracking sediment plumes, tracking floating debris, and filtering out breaking waves.

Timex (time-exposure) image: a time-averaged image of all frames, smoothing away surface waves and determining the location of persistent wave-breaking (indicative of shallow sandbars).

Variance image: the standard deviation of pixel intensity throughout the video, and it is useful for determining how much variation or movement is occurring at a given location.

Map as of 11:00 a.m. HST, June 3, 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.

Photo from 7AM helicopter overflight, hovering offshore and looking up the flowfront. Nearly all of the front was active and advancing; advance rates were estimated at an average of 250 feet/hour (76 m/hr), and as of 7AM the flow was 500 yards (457 m) from the ocean.

Overflight photo at 7AM HST from offshore looking up the flowfront. Nearly all of the front was active and advancing/spreading.

This animated GIF shows a sequence of radar amplitude images that were acquired by the Italian Space Agency's Cosmo-SkyMed satellite system. The images illustrate changes to the caldera area of Kīlauea Volcano that occurred between May 5 and June 2 at 6:00 p.m. HST.

Summit plume at 8:40AM HST on June 3. A slight mist in the air softens the look of the plume, which is predominantly white steam with very minor amounts of ash.

The Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux project conducts research and monitoring of sediment movement and coastal change at several barrier islands around the U.S.

A child peers at an unfertilized chicken egg at the USGS outreach booth, 2018 Suisun Marsh Field Day. USGS waterfowl ecologists use this method to check the development of a fetal duckling in the field.

*Note: photo taken with permission of parent.

USGS scientists attach small metal bands, each with its own ID, to the ankles of adult waterfowl to identify where the animal was caught. When it is re-captured later in its migration, researchers can use that information to determine how far the animal traveled.