Images

Northern spotted owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) are mostly non-migratory, long-lived birds whose populations have declined in mature forests of western North America.

Close-up image of Nisqually Delta eelgrass.

A volcano monitoring “spider” was deployed by helicopter to the Oso landslide to track ground movement and seismicity while search-and-rescue operations were ongoing.  The spider was equipped with a seismometer (mounted on the far left leg) to track ground shaking and GPS (a dome-shaped instrument on the upper mast) to track subtle ground movement.

Between 2009 and 2018, scientists conducted a national scale assessment of mercury accumulation in the National Park System using dragonfly larvae as biosentinels (species that accumulate a pollutant in their tissues as an index of exposure to other organisms without significant adverse effects to the biosentinel) through a citizen science network called the Dragonf

Oso Landslide

Graduate student Daniel Hernandez, from the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, measures virus for a Chinook salmon infection experiment in the WFRC wet lab.  Doug McKenney, USGS volunteer is assisting.

Graduate student Daniel Hernandez, measures virus for a Chinook salmon infection experiment in the WFRC wetlab.

The photograph shows a spider unit, which is being used to help study the landslide that occurred in northwest Washington on March 22, 2014. Spiders are portable instrumentation packages that contain high-precision GPS units for detecting landslide movement as well as geophones for detecting small vibrations. The spiders can be emplaced by hovering helicopters.

Oblique aerial photograph of the Oso, Washington landslide, showing the entire extent of the landslide source area and path.

Location: State Route 530, Oso, Washington

Photograph from aerial survey showing the upper parts of the landslide that occurred in northwest Washington on March 22, 2014.

Photograph from an aerial survey showing the extent and impacts from the landslide in northwest Washington that occurred on March 22, 2014. The survey was conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, USGS, and King County Sheriff's Office.

Photograph from an aerial survey showing the extent and impacts from the landslide in northwest Washington that occurred on March 22, 2014. The survey was conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, USGS, and King County Sheriff's Office.

Photograph from an aerial survey showing the extent and impacts from the landslide in northwest Washington that occurred on March 22, 2014. The survey was conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, USGS, and King County Sheriff's Office.

Photograph from an aerial survey showing the extent and impacts from the landslide in northwest Washington that occurred on March 22, 2014. The survey was conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, USGS, and King County Sheriff's Office.

Photograph from an aerial survey showing the extent and impacts from the landslide in northwest Washington that occurred on March 22, 2014. The survey was conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, USGS, and King County Sheriff's Office.

Photograph from an aerial survey showing the extent and impacts from the landslide in northwest Washington that occurred on March 22, 2014. The survey was conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, USGS, and King County Sheriff's Office.

Mauve indicates areas at risk from lava flows and avalanches of hot rock and gases called pyroclastic flows. Bright red areas that fade to orange and yellow indicate potential routes for lahars (volcanic mudflows). Not shown are areas subject to hazards from volcanic ash.

A photograph of Mount St. Helens, as viewed from Elk Rock on January 18, 2014.

Mount Rainier volcano looms over Puyallup Valley, near Orting, Washington.

Mount Rainier volcano looms over Puyallup Valley, near Orting, Washington.