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This site explores real-life examples of USGS science applied to societal challenges. USGS scientists use innovative, state-of-the-art methods to understand the Earth. Our science is used by Federal, Tribal, State, and local agencies, and the private sector to solve increasingly complex issues and ensure a secure, healthy, and economically prosperous America. Check back for new stories. 

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USGS Scientists Help Address Conflict Mining

The USGS has collaborated with several international organizations working to track and monitor illegal mining and armed groups funded by natural...

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From the Seafloor to Outer Space, USGS is on the Case

It’s a pale blue dot. It’s also a landscape of jagged peaks and valleys beneath fluffy white clouds. It's a vast field of wispy green grasses and a...

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A Century of Watching the Colorado River

Right where the Colorado River flows into the mouth of the Grand Canyon, an inconspicuous 20-foot-high concrete tower rises from the riverbank.  

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National Preparedness Month 2020: Earthquakes and Tsunamis

Natural hazards have the potential to impact a majority of Americans every year.  USGS science provides part of the foundation for emergency...

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USGS Hazard Science – Understanding the Risks is Key to Preparedness

 Learn About USGS Hazards Science and More About National Preparedness Month:  The very nature of natural hazards means that they have the potential...

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Earthquake Early Warning: Vital for City Transit

Although no one can reliably predict earthquakes, today’s technology is advanced enough to rapidly detect seismic waves as an earthquake begins...

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Forecasting the World’s Energy Resources

It is difficult to overstate the importance of energy to the American economy.  Managing this vital sector depends on knowing how many energy...

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The Vital Nature of Streamgaging

Gary Moore spent the last three days of 2015 stacking hefty bags of sand in front of a fellow church member’s brick home. With only 1,000 feet between...

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Tracking the Bad Guys: Toxic Algal Blooms

Every few days, a fleet of satellites orbiting 700 kilometers above the Earth scans the continental United States to help keep Americans safe. But...

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Maps Made with Light Show the Way

The topic, officially, was water. But during a scientific conference in Butte, Montana, in 2013, earthquake expert Michael Stickney glimpsed something...

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Busy as Bees to Help Protect Pollinators

In late 2006, beekeepers across the United States reported sudden, dramatic losses in honey bee colonies. Similar losses were reported in 2007 and for...

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Protecting California’s Bay-Delta with Innovative Science

California's Bay-Delta is facing ongoing drought and declining fish populations. The water in the Delta arrives primarily from the Sacramento and San...

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