Videos

Lessons learned, lessons forgotten, and future directions in earthquake science

By Mary Lou Zoback, Seismologist (and Chair of the Steering Committee, 1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance)

(March 20, 2006, 11:30:10 to March 22, 2006, 07:00:16) The flow field feature seen here in profile is a shatter ring.

The flow field feature seen here is called a shatter ring. Shatter rings are circular to elliptical volcanic features, typically tens of meters (yards) in diameter, which form over active lava tubes. They are typified by an upraised rim of blocky rubble and a central depression.

By Floyd Gray, Geologist

On February 9, 2005, an eruptive surge at Pu'u 'O'o resulted in episodic spattering and fountaining from the MLK vent, on the southwestern flank of the Pu'u 'O'o cone. The main cone active during this event was 6-7 meters (20-23 feet) high. This suggests that fountain heights reached about 10 meters (33 feet).

HOW THE CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IDENTIFIES AND MAPS NATURAL HAZARDS, PROMOTES THE STATE'S ECONOMY, AND PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY

By George J. Saucedo and Keith L. Knudson, Geologists

How Ice Cores Are Revealing the Composition and Temperature of Earth's Atmosphere During the Past Million Years

by Todd Hinkley, Geologist

At 11:10 in the morning on November 28, 2005, the lava delta at the East Lae‘apuki ocean entry, on Hawai‘i's southeastern coast, began to collapse into the ocean. This was not a catastrophic failure of the 13.8-hectare delta, but instead occurred by piecemeal calving of the front of the delta over a period of just less than 5 hours.

At 11:10 in the morning on November 28, 2005, the active lava delta at East Lae'apuki began to fall into the ocean. This was not a catastrophic collapse, with the entire 34-acre delta going at once, but instead occurred in a piece-meal fashion over a period of just less than 5 hours.

At 11:10 in the morning on November 28, 2005, the lava delta at the East Lae'apuki ocean entry, on Hawai'i's southeastern coast, began to collapse into the ocean. This was not a catastrophic failure with the entire 34-acre delta going at once, but instead occurred in a piece-meal fashion over a period of just less than 5 hours.

HOW MAN HAS CHANGED THE FLOOR OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY

by John Chin and Florence Wong, Geologists

From 2005 to 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey-Cascades Volcano Observatory operated a remote camera on the northwest flank of Mount St. Helens. Looking into the crater, the camera captured hourly photographs of volcanic dome growth during the 2004-2008 eruption.

The Very Long Reach of Very Large Earthquakes

by Susan Hough, Seismologist

America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906

by Simon Winchester

Events that occurred in the crater during the 2004–2008 eruption were recorded by a network of seven remote, telemetered digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras installed on the crater floor and rim. The resulting time lapse images constitute a valuable and visually compelling record of dome growth and the resulting response of Crater Glacier.

Why Quality Trumps Quantity

by Mark Marvin-DiPasquale, Microbial Ecologist

Salt Ponds, Wetland Restoration, and Wildlife in San Francisco Bay

by A. Keith Miles and John Y. Takekawa, Wildlife Biologists 

Grizzly bear paws and licks one of our remote cameras and eventually pushes it off the tree. The camera container had a screw top lid that moves as the bear paws at it; the camera was not damaged (Make sure you have your sound on for this).

Wolverine moves through a barbed wire bear hair trap. The wolverine is smaller than a bear and does not snag any hair on the barbed wire.

Lessons and Questions from the Indian Ocean Disaster

By Eric L. Geist, geophysicist, Bruce E. Jaffe, oceanographer, and Brian F. Atwater, geologist

The Impact of Science on U.S. Climate-Change Policy

By Judy Layzer, MIT Political Scientist, and Herman Karl, USGS Earth Scientist