Unified Interior Regions

Time-exposure image of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a coastal video monitoring station. Image is time-averaged over 10 minutes of video.

Variance image of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a coastal video monitoring station. Image is compiled from 10 minutes of video and shows areas of more movement as brighter colors.

Variance image of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a coastal video monitoring station. Image is compiled from 10 minutes of video and shows areas of more movement as brighter colors.

Shawn Harrison stands near video cameras on top of a building overlooking Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The cameras measure wave run-up and flooding as part of a study in response to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.

The urban reef at Isla Verde supports various species of protected corals, sea turtles, and crustaceans, as well as many Caribbean fish. It also protects the International Airport and numerous homes and resorts on the coast.

A wave-tide gauge, pictured here on a coral reef amongst among sea rods, brain corals, and sea fans, is installed off Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

This USGS Rapid Deployment Gauge was installed near Morovis, Puerto Rico, to monitor the Río Grande de Manatí after Hurricane Maria destroyed the permanent streamgage which typically monitors the river. USGS photo.

Excerpt of satellite image showing landslide impacts to roads, agriculture, and a reservoir in the Lares Municipality. Points identify the approximate location of roads visibly impacted by landslides. Image filename contains approximate latitude and longitude of this impact location.

Before a hurricane, USGS Scientists undertake a data collection effort of a grand scale. They install a temporary mobile network of sensors along the coasts to collect additional data on the intensity of storm surge, one of the most dangerous elements of a hurricane. This effort provides critical information that allows various USGS partners and emergency responders to

Landsat 8 imagery shows the change in vegetation on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

At the USGS EROS Center, we study land change, operate the Landsat satellites, and maintain the longest, continuously acquired collection of images of the Earth's land surface.

USGS EROS Center (https://eros.usgs.gov/)

Curt Storlazzi of the USGS explains how the water cycle pulled him into oceanography, and how his personal interests parallel his profession.