Unified Interior Regions
California
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.
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California Coast Seafloor
Photograph showing the seafloor off the California coast. This photograph supports the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP), which was initiated in 2007 by the California Ocean Protection Council. Data collected during this project reveal the seafloor offshore of the California coast in unprecedented detail and provide an ecosystem context for the effective
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California Coast Seafloor
This photograph is of the seafloor off the California coast and shows rock outcrop, encrusting sponge, cup corals, red sea star and a female kelp greenling. This photograph supports the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP), which was initiated in 2007 by the California Ocean Protection Council. Data collected during this project reveal the seafloor offshore of
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PubTalk 9/2007 — A Tale of Two Kelp Forests
Sea Otters and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Aleutians and the Commander Islands
By Tim Tinker, Research Biologist, University of California, Santa Cruz
Sea otter populations in the central and western Aleutian Islands have declined by 75-95% over the past 15-20 years, while populations in the nearby Russian Commander Islands have remained
PubTalk 8/2007 — Dark Holes in Muir's "Range of Light"
Insights from southern Sierra Nevada caves and karst
By John C. Tinsley, Geologist
- Water long ago carved many caves in carbonate rocks of the Sierra Nevada
- As the Sierra (John Muir's "Range of Light") was uplifted, successively deeper caves were drained and decorated during the past 5 million years
- Vertical
PubTalk 7/2007 — Plate Tectonics in Action
Exploring the Earth with the new edition of This Dynamic Planet map and Web site
By Robert Tilling, Volcanologist, and Stephen Kirby, Earthquake Geophysicist
- Improved digital data on the distribution of Earth's volcanoes, earthquakes, and meteorite impact craters
- Special maps of polar regions, showing
PubTalk 6/2007 — Adventures in Southwest Geology
Exploring the colorful southern Colorado Plateau in 3-D
By Philip Stoffer, Geologist
Take a colorful tour with the help of 3-D photography through some of the region's highlights:
- A plethora of parklands- Petrified Forest, Chaco Canyon, Wupatki, Grand Canyon
- High desert climate changes, past, present, and
PubTalk 5/2007 — Alchemy in the Abyss
Probing the mysteries of deep-ocean minerals
By James R. Hein, Marine Geologist
- Since President Reagan in 1983 extended U.S. mineral rights 200 nautical miles offshore, interest in deep-sea mining has increased
- Massive sulfide deposits form rapidly at very hot ephemeral vents..black smokers. and .white smokers.
- Slow-
PubTalk 4/2007 — Shock Waves
How the 1906 earthquake shook up California and science
A presentation of the award-winning USGS Video Shock Waves introduced by David Schwartz, Earthquake Geologist
- The 46-minute film Shock Waves includes dramatic historical footage, colorful animations, and interviews with earthquake experts
- Shock Waves received
PubTalk 3/2007 — Impact!
Piecing together the story of a giant meteorite crater beneath the Atlantic coast
By David S. Powars, Geologist, and R.D. Catchings, Geophysicist
- Buried under Chesapeake Bay is a very well preserved impact structure 56 miles across and more than 2 miles deep
- Following clues from drill holes and seismic imagery, careful
Drill Rig Tender staged for departure from Lone Pine, California.
Drill Rig Tender staged for an early morning departure from Lone Pine after drilling a multiple-completion groundwater-monitoring well in Centennial Flats for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
PubTalk 2/2007 — Riding the Storm
Landslide Danger in the Bay Area Hills
Peter Lyttle, National Landslide Hazards Program Coordinator,
will introduce the USGS premiere of the documentary
Riding the Storm by Karen Adams. A question-and answer session
with the producer, USGS researchers, and residents
featured in Riding the Storm will follow.
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden Gate
How tides, currents, and humans have created an array of sea-floor features
By Patrick Barnard, Marine Geologist, and Peter Dartnell, Physical Scientist
- A century of technical advances allow scientists to identify and visualize spectacular sea-bottom features
- Recent collaborative research outside the Golden Gate found that 100
Imagine the world’s oceans teeming with whales, sea turtles and fishes, with shellfish so abundant they posed a hazard to navigation. Only in a Jules Verne classic fantasy? Not so. A group of scientists from several research institutions has recently depicted that such rich ocean life existed in the not-so-distant past.
Last year up; this year down, but the number of sea otters in California remain roughly stable, neither increasing or decreasing rapidly, according to the scientists who study them. Still, a lack of sustained growth worries researchers and sea otter watchers.
Note to news editors: View a summary of spring surveys of California sea otters for 1983-2001, and three-year averages at http://www.werc.usgs.gov/otters/ca-surveys.html. Information about sea otter mortality can be viewed at http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/news/seaottrs.html.
A newly released United States Geological Survey paper indicates that a significant zone of genetic mixing is occurring between northern spotted owls and California spotted owls, particularly in extreme northern California and southern Oregon.
A newly released United States Geological Survey paper indicates that a significant zone of genetic mixing is occurring between northern spotted owls and California spotted owls, particularly in extreme northern California and southern Oregon.
While some folks may make a special effort to ride their bikes to work on the appointed day, May 17, it will be just another day to sit back and take it easy for John Fisher, who lives in Fremont and works as a cartographer at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park.
While some folks may make a special effort to ride their bikes to work on the appointed day, May 17, it will be just another day to sit back and take it easy for John Fisher, who lives in Fremont and works as a cartographer at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park.
A team of university, government, and private biologists have successfully spawned white abalone, a crucial step in developing a white abalone hatchery. Stocking of hatchery-reared white abalone is one of the possible strategies that may be used to rebuild the white abalone population, which is being considered for listing as an endangered species.
A team of university, government, and private biologists have successfully spawned white abalone, a crucial step in developing a white abalone hatchery. Stocking of hatchery-reared white abalone is one of the possible strategies that may be used to rebuild the white abalone population, which is being considered for listing as an endangered species.
Following the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a large number of distant aftershocks or triggered earthquakes occurred much farther away from the fault than previously realized, according to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey.
The most common information available immediately following an earthquake is the location and magnitude. However, what scientists really want to know is where the shaking was felt, and in the case of emergency response, where it shook the most. Two new systems can now answer these questions within minutes following an earthquake. Both are available on the Internet.
Following the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a large number of distant aftershocks or triggered earthquakes occurred much farther away from the fault than previously realized, according to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Locations
Southwest Regional Director's Office
Phone: (916) 278-9551
Fax: (916) 278-9566
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Phone: 831-460-7401
Fax: 831-427-4748
Sacramento Projects Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 916-278-3000
Fax: 916-278-3070
Western Ecological Research Center - Headquarters
Phone: (916) 278-9485
Fax: (916) 278-9475
Geology, Minerals, Energy and Geophysics Science Center
Phone: (650) 329-4881
Earthquake Science Center
Western Geographic Science Center - Main Office
San Diego Projects Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 619-225-6100
Fax: 619-225-6101
Fort Collins Science Center
Phone: 970-226-9100
Fax: 970-226-9230
USGS California Volcano Observatory (CalVO package delivery)
askcalvo@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-5083
Poway Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 858-679-4015
Fax: 858-679-4019
Truckee Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 530-587-0910
Fax: 530-587-0914
Redding Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 530-246-5282
Fax: 530-246-0717
Ukiah Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 707-468-4040
Fax: 707-468-4022
Redlands Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 909-798-3272
West Sacramento Projects Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 916-617-2799
Eureka Satellite Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 707-442-3169
Fax: 707-445-7860
Sacramento Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 916-381-0207
Fax: 916-381-0556
Santa Cruz Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 831-460-7494
Santa Maria Field Office (USGS California Water Science Center)
Phone: 805-928-9539
Fax: 805-928-9220
USGS Menlo Park Library
men_lib@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-5027
Fax: 650-329-5132