Unified Interior Regions
Arizona
The Southwest Region includes California, Nevada, and Arizona. The Regional Office, headquartered in Sacramento, provides Center oversight and support, facilitates internal and external collaborations, and works to further USGS strategic science directions.
States L2 Landing Page Tabs
Terrestrial Analog Sample Collections
The Astrogeology Terrestrial Analog Sample Collections include three individual sample collections: the Meteor Crater Sample Collection, the Flynn Creek Crater Sample Collection, and the Shoemaker Sample Collection (embed links to individual pages; add buttons to click to go to individual pages).
Click Related Science tab above to navigate to the individual...
Concealed Rare Earth Element (REE) Terranes in the Southern Basin and Range Geologic Province
We are working to develop an understanding of the types, sizes, and spatial distribution of rare-earth element (REE) related deposits in the Southern Basin and Range geologic province to help ensure the availability of REEs to industry in the United States. Geologic, geophysical, and geochemical data acquired will be used to develop permissive tracts for REE related deposits and to define...
Lunar Legacy at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center
Click on the links below to explore USGS Astrogeology Center's involvement in the Apollo program and lunar legacy:
Information by Region-Arizona
GCMRC Online Maps
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center maintains an enterprise GIS platform built upon ESRI ArcGIS Server and Portal applications. This enterprise system allows for spatial data, maps and analytical tools to be served through online applications. The Geospatial Science and Technology project provides access to this content through different avenues. Online maps can be accessed...
GCMRC Data Releases
Data releases made available by GCMRC can be found here as they are published via the USGS Fundamental Science Practices (FSPs). Individual science product links will take users to the USGS ScienceBase website for each entry.
Click on Data and Tools Tab to see list of Data Releases.
Baerbel Lucchitta
Dr. Baerbel Lucchitta was one of the first women in the field of Astrogeology. She started her career by mapping the Moon and instructing the Apollo Astronauts. She worked extensively on the Valles Marineris canyons on Mars, is a vigorous protagonist of glacial flow and other ice-related features on Mars, and was awarded the Geological Society of America, Planetary Geology Division, G.K....
GCMRC Scientist & Staff Directory
Below is a list of GCMRC scientists and key project support staff with their contact information provided. Names and positions are linked to each individual's USGS staff profile page (where applicable), so click there to find out more about each person's background, research interests and science products. Clicking on email addresses will generate a new email message to that individual....
GCMRC Data and Tools
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center offers a collection of data resources and online tools -- including web maps, applications, and other content -- that convey scientific information related to on-going monitoring of the Colorado River. Some applications are a culmination of long-term monitoring work, while others are developed around more a specific set of information usually...
Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Projects
The Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center currently functions under a Triennial Work Plan (TWP) which is thoroughly reviewed and vetted both internally within the Center and through the GCDAMP Technical Work Group (TWG) and the Adaptive Management Work Group (AMWG). These advisory panels have been a part of the Glen Canyon Dam...
United States Assessments of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources
USGS Energy Resources Program provides periodic assessments of the oil and natural gas endowment of the United States and the World. This website provides access to new, prioritized, assessment results and supporting data for the United States, as part of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).
Grover Photo Collection
The Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle was an engineering marvel, but It would have collapsed on Earth under the weight of a suited astronaut. That's because it was designed to operate in lunar gravity, which pulls with about 15% as much force as Earth gravity. In the 1960s, engineers at the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Branch built a near-copy of the Apollo rover that could...
Geochemical and X-ray diffraction analyses of drill core samples from the Canyon uranium-copper deposit, a solution-collapse breccia pipe, Grand Canyon area, Coconino County, Arizona
This data release compiles the major and trace element analytical results of drill core samples that typify the uranium-copper ore bodies of the Canyon deposit, located about 6.1 miles (10 km) south-southeast of Tusayan, Arizona. The Canyon deposit lies from about 750 to 2,000 ft (230 to 610 m) below the surface at latitude 35.88333 North, longitude -112.09583 West (datum WGS 19
Data for assessing the susceptibility of groundwater used for drinking water supply from selected principal aquifers of the Western United States, 2004-2018
Groundwater age distribution and susceptibility to natural and anthropogenic contaminants were assessed for selected principal aquifers of the Western United States: the Central Valley aquifer system (CVAL), the Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers (BNRF), the Rio Grande aquifer system (RIOG), the High Plains aquifer (HPAQ), the Columbia Plateau basaltic-rock aquifers (
Drainage basins and characteristics for selected streamgages within the Southern Rockies Landscape Conservation Cooperative domain
Streamflow and basin-characteristic data are needed for a variety of scientific applications including estimation of flow in ungaged basins and hydro-ecological classification of rivers. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Southern Rockies Landscape Conservation Cooperative (SRLCC), selected a subset of streamgages across the SRLC
GCMRC GIS Base Map Viewer 2.0
The Geospatial team of the Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center maintains an enterprise GIS system built upon ESRI ArcGIS Server and Portal applications. This web application provides access to many of the most commonly used GIS layers and base data information used by GCMRC in support of on-going science projects.
Click here to launch the Base Map Viewer (2.0) in a separate...
GCMRC REST Services Page
The Geospatial team of Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center maintains an enterprise GIS system built upon ESRI ArcGIS Server and Portal applications. From this platform, geospatial content can be consumed in a variety of forms, from custom-built web applications to content hosted on ESRI's ArcGIS Online to direct access of web map services provided here on our REST services page.
Predicted Shorelines for High Flows on the Colorado River Application
This application highlights modeled flows of the Colorado River for a discharge of 41,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) that is approximate to recent (2012 - 2018) and future anticipated water releases associated with a High Flow Experiments conducted from Glen Canyon Dam near Page, Arizona. These data are to help visualize the water levels during High Flow Events in relation to other map...
Sandbar Monitoring Sites - Remote Camera Photographs Application
GCMRC and Northern Arizona University have engaged in long-term monitoring of 45 sandbar sites along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon for close to three decades. Remote cameras have been established to monitor sandbar changes in between site surveys that occur every Fall. This application provides access to thousands of photos, with an option to view photos around specific high flow...
Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL)
The Geospatial Data Abstraction Library is a translator library for raster geospatial data formats that is released under an X/MIT style Open Source license by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation. As a library, it presents a single abstract data model for all supported formats. It also comes with a variety of useful...
Astro Web Maps
Our Web Mapping Services (WMS) and Web Feature Services (WFS) are based on Open Geospatial Consortium standards and allow capable mapping clients to view full-resolution planetary mosaicked Basemaps. Besides being available for community use, these services are critical for many of our others...
National Water Information System (NWIS) Mapper
The NWIS mapper provides access to over 1.5 million sites contained in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), including sites where current and historical surface-water, groundwater, springs, and atmospheric data has been collected. Users can search by site type, data type, site number, or place.
Surface Materials Data from Breccia-Pipe Uranium Mine and Reference Sites, Arizona, USA
This data release includes elemental analysis of soil samples collected at breccia-pipe uranium mines, at one undeveloped breccia-pipe uranium deposit, and at a reference site in northern Arizona. Samples were collected near the Arizona 1, Canyon, Kanab North, and Pinenut uranium mines, over the EZ2 breccia-pipe uranium deposit, and at the Little Robinson Tank reference site. Sampl
Downloadable Data for Northern Arizona Oil and Gas Assessments
GIS Data for Northern Arizona Oil and Gas Assessments
This product is a global thermal inertia mosaic of Mars generated from high-resolution Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) nighttime infrared images (Christensen et al., 2004; Fergason et al., 2006a) that allows the identification, assessment, and global correlation of martian surface materials. The higher spatial resolution of THEMIS data (100 m per pixel), relative to Thermal Emission...
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched "KAGUYA (SELENE)" to obtain scientific data of the lunar origin and evolution and to develop the technology for the future lunar exploration. With permission from JAXA, researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Science Center have compiled and are releasing multiple near-global mosaics derived from data acquired by the...
In 2003-2005, the USGS worked under the guidance of NASA's Mars Critical Data Products Initiative to conduct research on how controlled large area or global 2001 Mars Odyssey THEMIS IR image mosaics could be generated. The products listed here represent a sampling of the significant data files generated during that research.
The objective of this work is to assemble and cartographically control Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS; Christensen et al. 2004) daytime infrared (IR) and nighttime IR images. In a cartographically controlled mosaic, individual images are registered to one another so that all feature boundaries align. This intermediate mosaic (a “semi-controlled” mosaic) is then registered to a known...
The objective of this work is to assemble and cartographically control Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS; Christensen et al. 2004) daytime infrared (IR) and nighttime IR images. In a cartographically controlled mosaic, individual images are registered to one another so that all feature boundaries align. This intermediate mosaic (a “semi-controlled” mosaic) is then registered to a known...
The objective of this work is to assemble and cartographically control Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS; Christensen et al. 2004) daytime infrared (IR) and nighttime IR images. In a cartographically controlled mosaic, individual images are registered to one another so that all feature boundaries align. This intermediate mosaic (a “semi-controlled” mosaic) is then registered to a known...
USGS LMMP products will soon be available at the LMMP Portal. These include very large high resolution DTMs and orthomosaics of close to 50 key sites on the lunar surface, and high resolution controlled polar mosaics. These products constitute an important initial step in processing LRO datasets and should greatly facilitate the exploration and study of these significant lunar sites.
This global image map of Mars has a resolution of 256 pixels/degree (scale approximately 231 m/pixel at the equator). The black-and-white mosaic is processed to emphasize local topographic features. This mosaic, known as Mars Digital Image Model (MDIM) 2.1, replaces two earlier mosaics produced by the USGS from the same set of approximately 4600 Viking Orbiter images...
Distributed here are control network data for solar system bodies (planets, moons, and asteroids) other than the Earth. Each control network is essentially a set of photogrammetric or radargrammetric solution (input and output) files. The input files consist of, aside from a priori information, measurements of common points (control points, or sometimes tie points) on images of...
The U.S. Geological Survey has recently completed a final revised version of its 231 m/pixel global Viking image mosaic of Mars that has substantially improved geodetic accuracy compared to versions released in 1991 and 2001. This mosaic, known as MDIM 2.1, is currently available in the USGS ISIS file format and will be formatted and submitted to the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) in...
The main science objective of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is to explore and quantitatively assess the habitability and environmental history of a local region on the martian surface. This mission will use a variety of instruments carried on a rover platform that are designed to assess the biological potential, characterize the geology, investigate planetary processes that influence...
Photographic hardcopy scans of 1970 photographs captured by a Soyuz 7K-L1 unmanned spacecraft on the soviet Zond8 mission. This data along with data from Apollo, Lunar Orbiter and Galileo missions is part of a collection commonly referred to as the Lunar Consortium Data.
Riparian restoration framework for the Upper Gila River, Arizona
This technical report summarizes the methods and results of a comprehensive riparian restoration planning effort for the Gila Valley Restoration Planning Area, an approximately 53-mile portion of the upper Gila River in Arizona (Figure 1-1). This planning effort has developed a Restoration Framework intended to deliver science-based guidance on...
Orr, Bruce K.; Leverich, Glen L.; Diggory, Zooey E.; Dudley, Tom L.; Hatten, James R.; Hultine, Kevin R.; Johnson, Matthew P.; Orr, Devyn A.
Probability and volume of potential postwildfire debris flows in the 2011 Wallow burn area, eastern Arizona
This report presents a preliminary emergency assessment of the debris-flow hazards from drainage basins burned in 2011 by the Wallow wildfire in eastern Arizona. Empirical models derived from statistical evaluation of data collected from recently burned drainage basins throughout the intermountain western United States were used to estimate the...
Ruddy, Barbara C.
Probability and volume of potential postwildfire debris flows in the 2011 Horseshoe II burn area, southeastern Arizona
This report presents a preliminary emergency assessment of the debris-flow hazards from drainage basins burned in 2011 by the Horseshoe II wildfire in southeastern Arizona. Empirical models derived from statistical evaluation of data collected from recently burned drainage basins throughout the intermountain western United States were used to...
Ruddy, Barbara C.
Probability and volume of potential postwildfire debris flows in the 2011 Monument burn area, southeastern Arizona
This report presents a preliminary emergency assessment of the debris-flow hazards from drainage basins burned by the Monument wildfire in southeastern Arizona, in 2011. Empirical models derived from statistical evaluation of data collected from recently burned drainage basins throughout the intermountain Western United States were used to...
Ruddy, Barbara C.; Verdin, Kristine L.
Hydrological, geological, and biological site characterization of breccia pipe uranium deposits in Northern Arizona
On July 21, 2009, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar proposed a two-year withdrawal of about 1 million acres of Federal land near the Grand Canyon from future mineral entry. These lands are contained in three parcels: two parcels on U.S. Bureau of Land Management land to the north of the Grand Canyon (North and East Segregation Areas) and...
Alpine, Andrea E. Using GIS/remote sensing models to quantify and monitor Southwestern Willow Flycatcher breeding habitat
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Hatten, James R. Mapping and monitoring Mt. Graham Red Squirrel habitat with GIS and thematic mapper imagery
To estimate the Mt. Graham red squirrel (MGRS) population, personnel visit a proportion of middens each year to determine their occupancy (Snow in this vol.). The method results in very tight confidence intervals (high precision), but the accuracy of the population estimate is dependent upon knowing where all the middens are located. I...
Sanderson, H. Reed; Koprowski, John L.; Hatten, James R.; Koprowski, John L.
Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona— 2006-07
The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400 square-mile Black Mesa area in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in northeastern Arizona because of continued water requirements for industrial and municipal use and the needs of a growing population. Precipitation in the Black Mesa area is typically about 6 to...
Truini, Margot; Macy, J. P. Use of Superposition Models to Simulate Possible Depletion of Colorado River Water by Ground-Water Withdrawal
According to the 'Law of the River', wells that draw water from the Colorado River by underground pumping need an entitlement for the diversion of water from the Colorado River. Consumptive use can occur through direct diversions of surface water, as well as through withdrawal of water from the river by underground pumping. To develop methods for...
Leake, Stanley A.; Greer, William; Watt, Dennis; Weghorst, Paul Dissolved solids in basin-fill aquifers and streams in the southwestern United States
The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program performed a regional study in the Southwestern United States (Southwest) to describe the status and trends of dissolved solids in basin-fill aquifers and streams and to determine the natural and human factors that affect dissolved solids. Basin-fill aquifers, which include the...
Anning, David W.; Bauch, Nancy J.; Gerner, Steven J.; Flynn, Marilyn E.; Hamlin, Scott N.; Moore, Stephanie J.; Schaefer, Donald H.; Anderholm, Scott K.; Spangler, Lawrence E. Using a remote sensing/GIS model to predict southwestern Willow Flycatcher breeding habitat along the Rio Grande, New Mexico
Introduction The Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus; hereafter SWFL) is a federally endangered bird (USFWS 1995) that breeds in riparian areas in portions of New Mexico, Arizona, southwestern Colorado, extreme southern Utah and Nevada, and southern California (USFWS 2002). Across this range, it uses a variety of plant...
Hatten, James R.; Sogge, Mark K. Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona— 2005-06
The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400 square-mile Black Mesa area in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in northeastern Arizona because of continued water requirements for industrial and municipal use and the needs of a growing population. Precipitation in the Black Mesa area averages about 6 to 14...
Truini, Margot; Macy, J. P.
PubTalk 3/2021 - A Jaguar's Field of Dreams
Title: A Jaguar's Field of Dreams - If you build it, they will come (& other lessons from the U.S. - Mexico border) By: Laura M. Norman USGS, Western Geographic Science Center * Case study: the very lonely Jaguar * Madrean Archipelago Ecoregion, a biodiversity hotspot of the planet * Restoration ecohydrology and rewilding * Learn about the ecosystem services of rock
Colorado River: Spring Disturbance Flow
For five days in March of 2021, the Glen Canyon Dam released a historically low flow of 4,000 cubic feet per second into the Colorado River. The USGS took this opportunity to collect data in an attempt to verify the measurements being reported by the Lee’s Ferry gaging station, which showed a discrepancy between the amount of water being released at the dam and the water
B-Roll of Lees Ferry
A collection of video for use in products related to the USGS's streamgage at Lees Ferry. The USGS installed the Lees Ferry gauge 100 years ago, and the data collected since have become critical to monitoring water availability in the West.
Shot List:
- 0:00 Title slide
- 0:25 Lees Ferry streamgage wide shot and pan
- 0:33 Lees Ferry
Gearing up for Landing Day—USGS Mars Rover Team (Dr. Ryan Anderson)
Gearing up for Landing Day - An Interview with USGS Scientist and Mars Rover Team Member, Dr. Ryan Anderson
USGS Astrogeology has been involved in the Perseverance Mission from selecting the landing site and generating a map of the area that is on board the rover to rover operations once Perseverance lands on the red planet. Learn more about Astrogeology's
Gearing up for Landing Day—USGS Mars Rover Team (Alicia Vaughn)
Gearing up for Landing Day - An Interview with USGS Contractor and Mars Rover Team Member, Alicia Vaughan
USGS Astrogeology has been involved in the Perseverance Mission from selecting the landing site and generating a map of the area that is on board the rover to rover operations once Perseverance lands on the red planet. Learn more about Astrogeology's involvement
Gearing up for Landing Day—USGS Mars Rover Team (Dr. Ken Herkenhoff)
Gearing up for Landing Day - An Interview with USGS Scientist and Mars Rover Team Member, Dr. Ken Herkenhoff
USGS Astrogeology has been involved in the Perseverance Mission from selecting the landing site and generating a map of the area that is on board the rover to rover operations once Perseverance lands on the red planet. Learn more about Astrogeology's
La encrucijada del fuego silvestre
La relación entre la gente y los incendios forestales siempre ha sido paradójica: el fuego es esencial como proceso ecológico y herramienta de gestión, pero también puede ser perjudicial para la vida y la propiedad. En consecuencia, los regímenes de incendios se han modificado a lo largo de la historia, mediante quemas intencionales para promover sus beneficios o mediante
Wildfire at the Crossroads
The relationship between people and wildfire has always been paradoxical: fire is an essential ecological process and management tool but can also be detrimental to life and property. Consequently, fire regimes have been modified throughout history through both intentional burning to promote benefits and active suppression to reduce risks. Reintroducing fire and its
San Miguel River, Colorado, Fall 2020
Looking upstream on the San Miguel River in Colorado in fall 2020 when baseflow (groundwater flowing to streams) is the primary contributor to streamflow.
Hydrography Updates for USFS Southwestern Region in AZ and NM
National Hydrography Advisory Call
Joel Osuna-Williams on Hydrography Updates for USFS Southwestern Region in AZ and NM.
The U.S. Forest Service Southwestern Region (Region 3) conducted an NHD Assessment in 2015 on its need for and benefits of updated hydrography for the lands it manages. In 2016-19, they partnered with the Center for Geospatial Science
Lake Powell - Topobathymetric Digital Elevation Model
This video is a three-dimensional (3D) view of Lake Powell topobathymetric digital elevation model, which consists of topography (land elevation) and bathymetry (water depth). The 3D topobathymetric model was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center to support generation of the Colorado River water storage area
Image of the Week - Virtual Road Trip with Landsat
Summer vacation plans changed for many in 2020. Whatever your plans, Landsat can take you on a virtual road trip. Landsat 8, in its sun-synchronous polar orbit, views every national park in the U.S. every 16 days and gathers more photographic data than the most ambitious of tourists.
A total of $133,016 will fund new research and preserve important data across the Grand Canyon State.
This season's edition of the Restoration Assessment and Monitoring Program for the Southwest Newsletter contains recent program highlights including research updates, new projects, field updates and more.
To subscribe to our newsletter, please visit: https://listserv.usgs.gov/mailman/listinfo/ramps
Read more about how the network or RAMPS is enhancing restoration in drylands.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – When you’re planning to explore someplace new, it’s always a good idea to bring a map so you can avoid dangerous terrain. This is true whether you’re heading out for a hike on Earth or you’re landing a rover on Mars.
A team of federal, academic, and NGO researchers conducted a national-scale assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels.
A new study describes how food web dynamics influence the movement of mercury throughout the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. This new research from the U.S. Geological Survey and partners represents one of the first times that the movement and fate of mercury has been traced through an entire food web.
This challenge is now complete!! Thank you to everyone who contributed!
Budget Focuses on Bringing Science, Facilities, and Infrastructure into the 21st Century
This challenge is now FINISHED!! Thank you to everyone who participated!
Calling all Peer Reviewers and Advanced Editors! This challenge is SO CLOSE to being finished!!
This challenge is close to being finished with over 100 points added since our last update - nice work! However, there are still several green points that we need our Peer Reviewers and Advanced Editors to help review.
Here is the weekly update for this challenge! If you're looking for a break from the snow and the cold, come take a virtual tour of the southwest while helping us to collect city/town hall structures!
Topo maps in the West will soon be updated, so we've opened a new challenge for city/town halls in Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona!
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Locations
Astrogeology Science Center
Phone: 928-556-7000
Fax: 928-556-7014
Southwest Biological Science Center - Flagstaff, AZ, Headquarters
Phone: 928-556-7094
Fax: 928-556-7092
Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center
Western Geographic Science Center - Tucson Project Office
Western Geographic Science Center - Flagstaff Project Office
Arizona Water Science Center, Tucson Office
Phone: (520) 670-6671
Fax: (520) 670-5592
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO)
yvowebteam@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-993-8906
Southwest Biological Science Center - Tucson, AZ, Research Station
Phone: (520) 670-6671
Fax: (520) 670-5592
Arizona Water Science Center, Flagstaff Office
Phone: (928) 556-7136
Fax: (928) 556-7112
Arizona Water Science Center, Yuma Office
Phone: (928) 343-8100
Arizona Water Science Center, Glendale Office
Phone: 623-773-6200
Fax: 623-773-6480