Unified Interior Regions

Friday's magnitude-5.2 earthquake in southern Illinois is a reminder that earthquakes are a national hazard.

Today's early morning earthquake that jolted many in the central U.S. is a reminder that seismic events do occur in areas not normally thought of as "earthquake country."

Nine states in the Mississippi River Basin contribute the majority of nutrients to the Northern Gulf of Mexico, threatening the economic and ecological health of one of the nation's largest and most productive fisheries.

The overabundance of nutrients in the Gulf has resulted in a zone of low dissolved oxygen, or hypoxia, which can cause stress and death in bottom-dwelling organisms, threatening the economic and ecological health of the one of the nation's most productive fisheries.

A report published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) contains a regional map and an associated database that inventory 36 locations of reported natural asbestos and fibrous amphibole occurrences in the central United States.

America’s rivers and streams are generally suitable for irrigation, supplying drinking water, and home and recreational uses. However, in areas with significant agricultural and urban development, the quality of our nation’s water resources has been degraded by contaminants such as pesticides, nutrients, and gasoline-related compounds.

America’s rivers and streams are generally suitable for irrigation, supplying drinking water, and home and recreational uses. However, in areas with significant agricultural and urban development, the quality of our nation’s water resources has been degraded by contaminants such as pesticides, nutrients, and gasoline-related compounds.

Farmlands, wetlands, forests and deserts that composed the American landscape in the early 20th century have frequently been transformed during the past 30 years into mushrooming metropolitan areas as urbanization spreads across the country.

Farmlands, wetlands, forests and deserts that composed the American landscape in the early 20th century have frequently been transformed during the past 30 years into mushrooming metropolitan areas as urbanization spreads across the country.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers investigating 51 streams in nine Midwestern States found low levels of the herbicide glyphosate in 36 percent of the samples tested, and found its degradation product in 69 percent of the samples tested. Antibiotics were found in few samples.

Coal provides over half of our nation’s electrical energy needs. To gain a better understanding of available energy resources, the USGS has recently completed an assessment of one of our nation’s most important coal producing regions, the Illinois Basin (an area covering Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky).