Videos

Old Faithful, one of the icons of Yellowstone National Park and probably the most famous geyser in the world. But how faithful is it really? That's the question we're going to tackle in this June 1, 2023 update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.

The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center maintains the largest civilian collection of images of the Earth’s land surface. At EROS we study land change and produce land change data products used by researchers, resource managers, and policy makers across the nation and around the world.

May is traditionally the start of the field season and plans are underway to strengthen monitoring networks, collect data, and conduct research to better understand volcanic activity in the Yellowstone region. Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, outlines upcoming projects in this YVO monthly video update for May 1, 2023.

This video covers the Bulk Download Web Application or BDWA, which allows you to download large quantities of satellite imagery and geospatial data. The BDWA is web based and compatible with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge. No additional downloads are required to use the BDWA.

Research Ecologist Adam Terando helps people understand how climate change may affect their communities and ecosystems by using mathematical models to “downscale” large global climate models. 

Aparna Bamzai-Dodson uses social science to tease apart how individuals’ values affect how decisions are made, particularly when it comes to planning for and adapting to a changing climate. 

Research Ecologist Brian Miller uses a process called “climate change scenario planning” to help managers think about the many ways climate change could impact the resources under their care, allowing them to create robust strategies ready for anything the future may bring.

Research Fish Biologist Holly Embke investigates how climate change is impacting inland fish populations used by recreational anglers and for Tribal subsistence activities.  

Research Ecologist Jeremy Littell explores how Alaska’s melting glaciers affect the region’s famously productive salmon fisheries. 

Research Oceanographer Jessica Lacy investigates the influence of tides, waves, and water levels on wave-exposed tidal salt marshes, helping to understand how these important ecosystems will respond to sea level rise. 

Partnerships Ecologist Lindsey Thurman explores how climate change impacts amphibians in the Northwest, looking to understand the traits that allow species to survive and thrive in a changing world.  

As the leader of the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center, Mari-Vaughn Johnson brings USGS science to communities in the Pacific Islands, her ohana, to help address the unique climate challenges in their region. 

Research Ecologist Owen McKenna investigates how climate and land use change are impacting the Prairie-Pothole region, a critical habitat for ducks and other migratory waterfowl.  

Research Geochemist Renee Takesue combines geology and chemistry to shed light on how chemical components from natural and human-made sources make their way into coastal environments. 

From volcanologists to oceanographers, biologists to paleontologists, the U.S. Geological Survey employs thousands of scientists across the Earth sciences. Each has a unique role in supporting the bureau’s mission of providing “science that matters” to the American people.

An iceberg the size of Houston broke from the Brunt Ice Shelf Antarctica on January 22nd, 2023. Landsat images show the area one day before the break and several days after. A feature named Chasm One had been lengthening for years, and it finally reached all the way across the shelf.

Do animals prank humans? It sometimes feels that way, says Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’s scientist-in-charge Mike Poland. Mike shows some of the ways animals have “interacted” with monitoring equipment in this April 1, 2023 monthly update of activity at Yellowstone Volcano.

The USGS Alaska Science Center leads long–term research on polar bears to inform local, state, national and international policy makers regarding conservation of the species and its habitat.

Cheyenne Bottoms is the largest inland wetland in the United States. Water normally diverts from rivers into the vast marshland. The wetland water level changes with precipitation and surface flows. For example, 2007 was a wet year. And 2013 was a dry year.

Could an external event trigger a Yellowstone eruption? No, says Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’s scientist-in-charge Mike Poland, that’s not how volcanoes work. Most of the pressure that drives a volcano toward eruption comes from within, from the exsolution of gases in the magmatic system.

Behind the Headlines of a Wildlife Disease Die-off

The how and why of wildlife disease investigation 

By Dr. Kimberli Miller, Wildlife Disease Specialist 

USGS National Wildlife Health Center