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Browse images from a wide range of science topics covered by USGS.

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Collecting permafrost information on the Tahana River
Collecting permafrost information on the Tahana River
Collecting permafrost information on the Tahana River
Collecting permafrost information on the Tahana River

David Pelunis-Messier and Milton Roberts navigating on the Tanana River, a main tributary of the Yukon River. The two are taking part in the Yukon River permafrost study. 

David Pelunis-Messier and Milton Roberts navigating on the Tanana River, a main tributary of the Yukon River. The two are taking part in the Yukon River permafrost study. 

Map illustration showing fault lines and direction of tectonic plate movement along a stretch of the Alaskan coastline.
Study region along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault
Study region along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault
Study region along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault

Study region along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault offshore southeastern Alaska. Rectangles show locations of the two USGS-led marine geophysical surveys in May and August 2015. The third cruise was offshore Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, and southern Alaska in September 2015.

Study region along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault offshore southeastern Alaska. Rectangles show locations of the two USGS-led marine geophysical surveys in May and August 2015. The third cruise was offshore Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, and southern Alaska in September 2015.

Illustrated map shows the seafloor off of Alaska, a fault runs through the middle and seafloor features are clearly offset.
Yakobi Sea Valley
Yakobi Sea Valley
Yakobi Sea Valley

Enlarged from previous figure, this map shows a string of basins along the fault and offset of the south wall of the Yakobi Sea Valley. Line A–B marks the location of multichannel seismic-reflection profile.

Enlarged from previous figure, this map shows a string of basins along the fault and offset of the south wall of the Yakobi Sea Valley. Line A–B marks the location of multichannel seismic-reflection profile.

USGS scientist leaning against a rock outcropping with trees in the background
Shearing of the Melozitna Granite
Shearing of the Melozitna Granite
Shearing of the Melozitna Granite

Geologist and cataclastic shear zones in the Melozitna granite in the Ruby batholith. This granite contains abundant monazite and high levels of thorium and rare earth elements.

Geologist and cataclastic shear zones in the Melozitna granite in the Ruby batholith. This granite contains abundant monazite and high levels of thorium and rare earth elements.

Map illustration showing bathymetry, or depth, and a fault offshore of the Alaskan coastline.
Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault
Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault
Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault

Enlarged details of Survey Area 1 showing new multibeam bathymetry data (rainbow colors) acquired on R/V Solstice near Cross Sound and Glacier Bay National Park, southeastern Alaska. Arrows highlight the surface expression, or trace, of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault.

Enlarged details of Survey Area 1 showing new multibeam bathymetry data (rainbow colors) acquired on R/V Solstice near Cross Sound and Glacier Bay National Park, southeastern Alaska. Arrows highlight the surface expression, or trace, of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault.

Computer application screen showing seafloor features, depth on left, a volcano-like cone sticking up in middle with plume.
Sidescan sonar record off so. Alaska
Sidescan sonar record off so. Alaska
Sidescan sonar record off so. Alaska

Profile of newly discovered volcano-like cone in sonar record collected off southern Alaska. The cone’s summit is at about 1,000 meters water depth. Note fluid plume (blue) rising more than 700 meters upward from the summit.

Profile of newly discovered volcano-like cone in sonar record collected off southern Alaska. The cone’s summit is at about 1,000 meters water depth. Note fluid plume (blue) rising more than 700 meters upward from the summit.

USGS scientist Layne Adams places a radiocollar on a sedated large bull caribou in Denali National Park, Alaska
USGS scientist places radiocollar on a sedated bull caribou in Alaska
USGS scientist places radiocollar on a sedated bull caribou in Alaska
USGS scientist places radiocollar on a sedated bull caribou in Alaska

USGS scientist Layne Adams places a radiocollar on a sedated large bull caribou in Denali National Park, Alaska. 

Clams half buried in very fine, gray sediment.
Calyptogena spp. in Alaska
Calyptogena spp. in Alaska
Calyptogena spp. in Alaska

These clams (Calyptogena spp.) were discovered in about 1000 meter-deep waters off the southern tip of Alaska near a 250-meter-high cone rising from the seafloor and 10 kilometers from the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault.

These clams (Calyptogena spp.) were discovered in about 1000 meter-deep waters off the southern tip of Alaska near a 250-meter-high cone rising from the seafloor and 10 kilometers from the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault.

Computer-generated illustration of colored, high-resolution seafloor map clearly shows a fault and where the seafloor is offset.
Seafloor trace of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault
Seafloor trace of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault
Seafloor trace of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault

Seafloor trace of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault (from top left to bottom right) offsets the edge of the Yakobi Sea Valley off southeast Alaska. This 700-mile-long fault has generated large earthquakes in the past. Future shocks—and tsunamis—could threaten coastal communities in the U.S. and Canada. (Color-coded depths, in meters, were mapped in 2015.)

Seafloor trace of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault (from top left to bottom right) offsets the edge of the Yakobi Sea Valley off southeast Alaska. This 700-mile-long fault has generated large earthquakes in the past. Future shocks—and tsunamis—could threaten coastal communities in the U.S. and Canada. (Color-coded depths, in meters, were mapped in 2015.)

Emperor geese at the shoreline in Kodiak
Emperor geese at the shoreline in Kodiak
Emperor geese at the shoreline in Kodiak
greatly magnified image of volcanic ash
Scanning Electron Microscope image of volcanic ash
Scanning Electron Microscope image of volcanic ash
Scanning Electron Microscope image of volcanic ash

Scanning Electron Microscope image of resuspended volcanic ash from the 1912 Novarupta-Katmai deposits in the Katmai region, picked up during high winds on November 1, 2015 and carried to Larsen Bay on Kodiak Island, AK. Sample collected by Sherry Harmes of Larsen Bay.

Scanning Electron Microscope image of resuspended volcanic ash from the 1912 Novarupta-Katmai deposits in the Katmai region, picked up during high winds on November 1, 2015 and carried to Larsen Bay on Kodiak Island, AK. Sample collected by Sherry Harmes of Larsen Bay.

Black and white aerial image of a glacier.
South Cascade Glacier October 14th, 2015
South Cascade Glacier October 14th, 2015
Image: Repairing Seismic Stations in Alaska
Repairing Seismic Stations in Alaska
Repairing Seismic Stations in Alaska
Repairing Seismic Stations in Alaska

USGS\AVO seismologist works to replace an old seismometer at seismic station LSSA on Little Sitkin Volcano in the western Aleutian Arc.

USGS\AVO seismologist works to replace an old seismometer at seismic station LSSA on Little Sitkin Volcano in the western Aleutian Arc.

Image: Repairing Seismic Stations in Alaska
Repairing Seismic Stations in Alaska
Repairing Seismic Stations in Alaska
Repairing Seismic Stations in Alaska

AVO seismologists work to repair a seismic station on Little Sitkin Volcano in the western Aleutians Islands.

AVO seismologists work to repair a seismic station on Little Sitkin Volcano in the western Aleutians Islands.

Helicopter to pick up field personnel in Fortymile region north of Tok
Helicopter landing to pick up field personnel in Alaska
Helicopter landing to pick up field personnel in Alaska
Helicopter landing to pick up field personnel in Alaska

Helicopter landing to pick up field personnel after a day of geologic mapping and sampling in the Fortymile region north of Tok, Alaska.

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