Unified Interior Regions

Levels of chloride, a component of salt, are elevated in many urban streams and groundwater across the northern U.S., according to a new government study. Chloride levels above the recommended federal criteria set to protect aquatic life were found in more than 40 percent of urban streams tested. The study was released today by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

By washing your hands after digging in beach sand, you could greatly reduce your risk of ingesting bacteria that could make you sick. In new research, scientists have determined that, although beach sand is a potential source of bacteria and viruses, hand rinsing may effectively reduce exposure to microbes that cause gastrointestinal illnesses.

U.S. Geological Survey Deputy Director Robert Doyle has been selected as a Distinguished recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, a prestigious award that commends outstanding leadership and long-term accomplishments.

Although Hurricane Ike is long gone, its impact lingers more than a thousand miles from where it made landfall.  Runoff from tributaries dumped massive amounts of sediment into Lake Michigan, contaminating the water, compromising near-shore navigation and raising E coli bacteria to levels unsafe for swimming. 

Heavy rainfall across the Midwest has caused major flooding.

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.