Unified Interior Regions

Stronger storms, rising seas, and flooding are placing hundreds of millions people at risk around the world, and big part of the solution to decrease those risks is just off shore. A new study finds that coral reefs reduce the wave energy that would otherwise impact coastlines by 97 percent.

US Topo maps now have a crisper, cleaner design - enhancing readability of maps for online and printed use. Map symbols are easier to read over the digital aerial photograph layer whether the imagery is turned on or off. Improvements to symbol definitions (color, line thickness, line symbols, area fills), layer order, and annotation fonts are additional features of this supplemental release.

Great Lakes fish in the salmon family that rely on the fish “alewife” as part of their diet face a major obstacle in restoring naturally reproducing populations, according to new U.S. Geological Survey research published in the journal Fish and Shellfish Immunology.

Oyster aquaculture in the Potomac River estuary could result in significant improvements to water quality, according to a new NOAA and U.S. Geological Survey study published in the journal Aquatic Geochemistry.

Charleston, W.Va. -- The quality of West Virginia's groundwater is generally good, according to a recent 10-year U.S. Geological Survey study, the most comprehensive assessment of West Virginia's groundwater quality to date.  In the majority of cases, raw, untreated groundwater samples met primary drinking-water criteria meant for finished, supplied drinking water.   

The Marcellus Shale contains about 84 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 3.4 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids according to a new assessment by the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). 

"Fishing is hard work!" declared derby participant Ellen, a student in Jefferson County Public Schools.On Friday, June 3, about 45 children with special needs enjoyed a day of fishing in Leetown. With smiles of anticipation, the children arrived -- some with parents and skilled caregivers in tow – at a bucolic pond nestled on the grounds of a research center on West Virginia’s panhandle. 

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.

A study of private water wells in reclaimed surface-coal-mining areas of the northern and central Appalachians shows that traces of mining-related contaminants persist in some wells, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced.

A study of private water wells in reclaimed surface-coal-mining areas of the northern and central Appalachians shows that traces of mining-related contaminants persist in some wells, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced. These contaminants typically decreased to background levels at distances 1,000 feet or more from surface coal mines and in wells deeper than 150 feet.

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.