Unified Interior Regions

Greater sage-grouse populations have declined substantially in many areas in the West, though populations in some locations remain relatively stable, according to a comprehensive publication written by federal, state, and non-governmental organizations. The population assessment is one of numerous sage-grouse topics covered in the 24 chapters released today.

Twenty years after the Loma Prieta earthquake caused loss of life and widespread property damage, advances in science, technology and engineering have the San Francisco Bay Area better prepared for the next big earthquake. When the Loma Prieta quake hit just after 5 p.m. October 17, 1989 – 20 years ago Saturday – the digital age was in its infancy.

As people in northern California begin to assess damage from the high winds and heavy rain of October 13 and 14, they may wonder what hit them.

On October 17, minutes before the scheduled start of the third game of the 1989 World Series in San Francisco, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocked the California coast from Monterey to San Francisco.

On October 17, minutes before the scheduled start of the third game of the 1989 World Series in San Francisco, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocked the California coast from Monterey to San Francisco. Centered near Loma Prieta peak in the mountains south of San Jose, the quake killed 63 people and caused an estimated $6 billion to $10 billion in property loss.

Rainstorms this year in the area burned by the Station Fire have the potential to trigger debris flows that may impact neighborhoods at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains as well as areas in Big Tujunga Canyon, Pacoima Canyon, Arroyo Seco, West Fork of the San Gabriel River, and Devils Canyon, according to an assessment released today by the U.S. Geological Survey.

USGS will Grant Universities $5 Million to Beef Up Public Safety Grants totaling $5 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are being awarded to 13 universities nationwide to upgrade critical earthquake monitoring networks and increase public safety.

Keeping up with plants: the challenge for Arctic geese: A large-scale redistribution of geese seems to be occurring in boreal and tundra ecosystems, perhaps because of the changing balance and distribution of the plants they eat.

On October 17, the San Francisco Bay Area will be marking the 20th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake -- the Bay Area's most significant and destructive earthquake during recent times. As part of the anniversary commemoration, the U.S. Geological Survey is holding an evening public lecture about scientific and technological advances in earthquake studies achieved since 1989.

Idaho Developed Mapping Method Garners Prestigious Award. Data from earth observing Landsat satellites plays a central role in a new, award-winning type of mapping that tracks water use. Water-use maps help save taxpayer money by increasing the accuracy and effectiveness of public decisions involving water – for instance, in monitoring compliance with legal water rights. The maps are especially

New hydrologic studies in the Walker River basin and Walker Lake will guide policy makers in the management of scarce water resources. Agricultural practices between 1882 and 2008 resulted in a significant drop in Walker Lake's water level, and caused the Lake to become more saline.