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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.
Dry wash in San Rafael Desert with white surface salts. White efflorescent salts form on the soil surface as water evaporates from the soil leaving the salt at the surface.
Dry wash in San Rafael Desert with white surface salts. White efflorescent salts form on the soil surface as water evaporates from the soil leaving the salt at the surface.
Rangelands of the desert Southwest can be in a degraded condition and lacking perennial vegetation, which can lead to exposed soil and erosion.
Rangelands of the desert Southwest can be in a degraded condition and lacking perennial vegetation, which can lead to exposed soil and erosion.
Early life stage exposure laboratory study
Elizabeth Pendleton describes USGS work to map the Massachusetts seafloor to State Senator Viriato “Vinny” deMacedo.
Elizabeth Pendleton describes USGS work to map the Massachusetts seafloor to State Senator Viriato “Vinny” deMacedo.
The CMHRP is testing the calcification rates of different genetic strains of threatened Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) to advise local and Federal agencies engaged in coral reef restoration.
The CMHRP is testing the calcification rates of different genetic strains of threatened Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) to advise local and Federal agencies engaged in coral reef restoration.
Estimated and measured ocean depths (bathymetry) from Madeira Beach, Florida. Each panel shows same geographic area. m = meters. Left: Snapshot transformed from original oblique camera view to overhead “map” view. Middle: Bathymetry estimated by applying cBathy algorithm to July 2017 video imagery. Right: Bathymetry measured with sonar in February 2017.
Estimated and measured ocean depths (bathymetry) from Madeira Beach, Florida. Each panel shows same geographic area. m = meters. Left: Snapshot transformed from original oblique camera view to overhead “map” view. Middle: Bathymetry estimated by applying cBathy algorithm to July 2017 video imagery. Right: Bathymetry measured with sonar in February 2017.
Examples of sediment dynamics offshore of barrier islands include the development and erosion of shoals, tidal deltas, and sand ridges.
Examples of sediment dynamics offshore of barrier islands include the development and erosion of shoals, tidal deltas, and sand ridges.
Exposed bedrock on the beach, below the University of California, Santa Barbara
Exposed bedrock on the beach, below the University of California, Santa Barbara
Bioactive Chemicals Research Laboratory — Boulder, Colorado. Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) swimming in an experimental aquarium. The aquarium is part of an experiment to assess endocrine disruption in fish.
Bioactive Chemicals Research Laboratory — Boulder, Colorado. Fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) swimming in an experimental aquarium. The aquarium is part of an experiment to assess endocrine disruption in fish.
Fish Creek wanders through the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a 22.8 million acre region managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Alaska's North Slope. USGS has periodically assessed oil and gas resource potential there. These assessments can be found here.
Fish Creek wanders through the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, a 22.8 million acre region managed by the Bureau of Land Management on Alaska's North Slope. USGS has periodically assessed oil and gas resource potential there. These assessments can be found here.
Flood measurement at White River near Edwardsport, IN
Flood measurement at White River near Edwardsport, IN
Photo from pages 8 and 9 of
Photo from pages 8 and 9 of
This photomicrograph shows a liver of a frog with a severe Perkinsea infection.
This photomicrograph shows a liver of a frog with a severe Perkinsea infection.
Image of flyer for GeoGirls 2017 science field camp at Mount St. Helens which was held July 30 to August 3, 2017.
Image of flyer for GeoGirls 2017 science field camp at Mount St. Helens which was held July 30 to August 3, 2017.
Gila monsters are one of only two venomous lizard species in the world. They live in the southwestern U.S. and in Mexico. This animated GIF comes from a video that short features USGS Emeritus Research Ecologist, Cecil Schwalbe describing details of Gila monster biology and ecology and how he survived a very painful Gila monster bite.
Gila monsters are one of only two venomous lizard species in the world. They live in the southwestern U.S. and in Mexico. This animated GIF comes from a video that short features USGS Emeritus Research Ecologist, Cecil Schwalbe describing details of Gila monster biology and ecology and how he survived a very painful Gila monster bite.
Landscape view of an un-named glacier off the Sargent Icefield, directly across from Wolverine Glacier, above the Nellie Juan River, in Alaska. Taken during a visit to a wolverine glacier field site as part of a study to examine how alpine areas are changing as temperatures rise in Alaska.
Landscape view of an un-named glacier off the Sargent Icefield, directly across from Wolverine Glacier, above the Nellie Juan River, in Alaska. Taken during a visit to a wolverine glacier field site as part of a study to examine how alpine areas are changing as temperatures rise in Alaska.
Paired images for East Timbalier Island (Louisiana) showing land mass difference over time.
Paired images for East Timbalier Island (Louisiana) showing land mass difference over time.
Paired images for East Timbalier Island (Louisiana) showing land mass difference over time.
Paired images for East Timbalier Island (Louisiana) showing land mass difference over time.
USGS Scientist, Greg Delzer, talking with the local press regarding the AEM flight plan and details on what USGS and others will be collecting and analyzing.
USGS Scientist, Greg Delzer, talking with the local press regarding the AEM flight plan and details on what USGS and others will be collecting and analyzing.
Is this cemetery haunted? Probably not, but there could be tiny things moving beyond the grave. The USGS sampled groundwater downhill of Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan, to find out if materials associated with decomposition and burial processes could affect groundwater quality near a cemetery.
Is this cemetery haunted? Probably not, but there could be tiny things moving beyond the grave. The USGS sampled groundwater downhill of Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan, to find out if materials associated with decomposition and burial processes could affect groundwater quality near a cemetery.
Is this cemetery haunted? Probably not, but there could be tiny things moving beyond the grave. The USGS sampled groundwater downhill of Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan, to find out if materials associated with decomposition and burial processes could affect groundwater quality near a cemetery.
Is this cemetery haunted? Probably not, but there could be tiny things moving beyond the grave. The USGS sampled groundwater downhill of Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing, Michigan, to find out if materials associated with decomposition and burial processes could affect groundwater quality near a cemetery.