Warmer water could cool Montana’s trout fishing economy
What a catch! An angler holds a brown trout caught from a Montana river. (Credit: Clint Muhlfeld, USGS) Scientists with the …
Read moreWarmer water could cool Montana’s trout fishing economy
Montana
Water Released from Crystallizing Magma can Trigger Earthquakes in Yellowstone
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from David Shelly, seismologist, and Shaul Hurwitz, research hydrologist, both with the U.S. Geological Survey. Evolution of the 2017 Maple Creek earthquake swarm. Plots show earthquake locations colored by time. a) Map view. b) …
Read moreWater Released from Crystallizing Magma can Trigger Earthquakes in Yellowstone
Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing at Yellowstone 101
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from R. Greg Vaughan, research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Thermal infrared satellite images are an important volcano monitoring tool that can be used to estimate surface temperature. And, in fact, these data …
Mapping Mayhem: How to solve a Yellowstone puzzle with unknown pieces
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Hayley Woodrich, Research Experiences for Undergraduates student, and Natali Kraugh, graduate student, both at Montana State University. Photograph of the west side of Mount Everts taken from Sepulcher Mountain. The linear features seen …
Read moreMapping Mayhem: How to solve a Yellowstone puzzle with unknown pieces
Mapping Mayhem: How to solve a Yellowstone puzzle with unknown pieces
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Hayley Woodrich, Research Experiences for Undergraduates student, and Natali Kraugh, graduate student, both at Montana State University. Photograph of the west side of Mount Everts taken from Sepulcher Mountain. The linear features seen …
Read moreMapping Mayhem: How to solve a Yellowstone puzzle with unknown pieces
Using modern tools to look at past earthquakes: How lidar data help to better understand the 1959 Hebgen Lake event
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Mike Stickney, Director of the Earthquake Studies Office at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Major earthquakes that rupture up to the ground surface and form fault scarps are rare occurrences in …
Using modern tools to look at past earthquakes: How lidar data help to better understand the 1959 Hebgen Lake event
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Mike Stickney, Director of the Earthquake Studies Office at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Major earthquakes that rupture up to the ground surface and form fault scarps are rare occurrences in …
The Flight of the Nez Perce
Summer 2023 marks 146 years since the flight of the Nez Perce, when an indigenous tribe crossed Yellowstone in an attempt to reach Canada and during a running battle with the US army. Source link
The Flight of the Nez Perce
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Cole Messa, Ph.D. student and Professor Ken Sims, both in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming. Throughout its history, Yellowstone has been frequented by numerous indigenous tribes. All …
A plan for monitoring the Yellowstone Volcanic System
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory recently published a monitoring plan for better understanding and tracking earthquake, magmatic, and hydrothermal activity associated with the Yellowstone caldera system. The plan, which covers 2022–2032, will expand hazards forecasting capabilities and enable scientific advances that will help geologists better understand how Yellowstone works. Source link
A plan for monitoring the Yellowstone Volcanic System
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Map of seismic stations in the Yellowstone region, with numbers of channels indicated by number and sensor type …
Read moreA plan for monitoring the Yellowstone Volcanic System
How might the devastating June 2022 floods in and around Yellowstone National Park influence seismic and hydrothermal activity?
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Shaul Hurwitz and Blaine McCleskey, research hydrologists with the U.S. Geological Survey, and Erin White, Park Hydrologist at …
How might the devastating June 2022 floods in and around Yellowstone National Park influence seismic and hydrothermal activity?
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, Shaul Hurwitz and Blaine McCleskey, research hydrologists with the U.S. Geological Survey, and Erin White, Park Hydrologist at …
USGS Media Alert: USGS crews continue to measure and assess Yellowstone River flood conditions and probabilities
These data are essential for partner agencies to estimate downstream flow, as well as analyze results to predict future event probabilities. Realtime flood and historic data can be found at: USGS | National Water Dashboard Streamflow data have been collected for around 100 years at three USGS streamgages on the Yellowstone River in southern Montana …
USGS Media Alert: USGS crews continue to measure and assess Yellowstone River flood conditions and probabilities
BILLINGS, MT — As devastating floods on the Yellowstone River continue, the U.S. Geological Survey is measuring streamflow and monitoring equipment at streamgages, as well as making repairs caused by flood waters as necessary to ensure data online is as accurate as possible. Source link
USGS Media Alert: Flights Above Parts of Montana to Map Geology
A low-flying helicopter will soon be visible to residents in six counties of Montana in the greater region of Helena, the Elkhorn Mountains, Bull Mountain and the Tobacco Root Mountains. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology and Rio Tinto are partnering to image geology using airborne geophysical technology as part …
Read moreUSGS Media Alert: Flights Above Parts of Montana to Map Geology
USGS Media Alert: Flights Above Parts of Montana to Map Geology
A low-flying helicopter will soon be visible to residents in six counties of Montana in the greater region of Helena, the Elkhorn Mountains, Bull Mountain and the Tobacco Root Mountains. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology and Rio Tinto are partnering to image geology using airborne geophysical technology as part …
Read moreUSGS Media Alert: Flights Above Parts of Montana to Map Geology
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 annual report—available at a website near you!
Front cover of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 annual report, which includes a summary of earthquake, deformation, and geyser activity, as well as research investigations and other information. The report is freely available online at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/cir1494. Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is …
Read moreThe Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 annual report—available at a website near you!
The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 annual report—available at a website near you!
Front cover of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 annual report, which includes a summary of earthquake, deformation, and geyser activity, as well as research investigations and other information. The report is freely available online at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/cir1494. Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is …
Read moreThe Yellowstone Volcano Observatory 2021 annual report—available at a website near you!
From the Seafloor to Outer Space, USGS is on the Case
At a much deeper vantage, USGS researchers are monitoring what’s happening on the seafloor to better understand risks from tectonic activity that could impact public safety. In earthquake-prone regions, like the west coast of the Americas, a surge of underwater movement could impact people and their environment along the coast. Marine geohazards are sudden and …
Read moreFrom the Seafloor to Outer Space, USGS is on the Case
From the Seafloor to Outer Space, USGS is on the Case
At a much deeper vantage, USGS researchers are monitoring what’s happening on the seafloor to better understand risks from tectonic activity that could impact public safety. In earthquake-prone regions, like the west coast of the Americas, a surge of underwater movement could impact people and their environment along the coast. Marine geohazards are sudden and …
Read moreFrom the Seafloor to Outer Space, USGS is on the Case
Secretary Haaland Announces Progress Toward Conservation and Restoration of Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity
GPS collars deployed on elk in the Tex Creek herd between 2007 and 2009 revealed that the herd migrates an average of 40 miles between their summer and winter ranges within the Caribou Range of the Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area in Idaho. WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today announced several actions the …
Secretary Haaland Announces Progress Toward Conservation and Restoration of Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity
GPS collars deployed on elk in the Tex Creek herd between 2007 and 2009 revealed that the herd migrates an average of 40 miles between their summer and winter ranges within the Caribou Range of the Tex Creek Wildlife Management Area in Idaho. WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today announced several actions the …
New Study Unveils the Secrets of Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Plumbing
Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Mammoth Hot Springs, Mud Volcano and Morning Glory Pool are just a few of the over 10,000 active hydrothermal features formed by the interaction of ground water with the heat remaining from the ancient volcano that formed Yellowstone. While these mesmerizing features are enjoyed by millions of visitors every year, …
Read moreNew Study Unveils the Secrets of Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Plumbing
New Study Unveils the Secrets of Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Plumbing
Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Mammoth Hot Springs, Mud Volcano and Morning Glory Pool are just a few of the over 10,000 active hydrothermal features formed by the interaction of ground water with the heat remaining from the ancient volcano that formed Yellowstone. While these mesmerizing features are enjoyed by millions of visitors every year, …
Read moreNew Study Unveils the Secrets of Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Plumbing
Yellowstone exposed! New elevation map reveals park’s complex geologic history
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Dr. Ben Crosby, Professor, and Kyra Bornong, graduate student, with the Department of Geosciences at Idaho State University. Top image is a view of the Silver Gate landslide complex, near Mammoth Hot Springs, …
Read moreYellowstone exposed! New elevation map reveals park’s complex geologic history
Yellowstone exposed! New elevation map reveals park’s complex geologic history
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Dr. Ben Crosby, Professor, and Kyra Bornong, graduate student, with the Department of Geosciences at Idaho State University. Top image is a view of the Silver Gate landslide complex, near Mammoth Hot Springs, …
Read moreYellowstone exposed! New elevation map reveals park’s complex geologic history
When in Earth’s history did Yellowstone’s volcanism begin? Let’s look at the calendar to find out.
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Shaul Hurwitz, Research Hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. The timing of major events in Earth’s long history are continuously being refined as the accuracy and precision of dating methods improves and as …
When in Earth’s history did Yellowstone’s volcanism begin? Let’s look at the calendar to find out.
What were the major events have shaped the Earth and its environment, and when did these events takes place? When did the major volcanic events in Yellowstone take place within the sequence of Earth’s major events? Geologic research has made significant progress to answer these questions, and future discoveries will further refine the fascinating story. …
Yellowstone—the year 2021 in review
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Michael Poland, geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey and Scientist-in-Charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. Yellowstone is a very active place in terms of seismicity. Typically the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, which …
Yellowstone—the year 2021 in review
It was business as usual in 2021 at Yellowstone—earthquakes, ground deformation, geyser eruptions, and lots of field work! As is tradition, this first Caldera Chronicles of the new year takes a look back at what happened in Yellowstone during the previous 12 months. Source link
USGS Releases Oil and Gas Assessment for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of Montana and North Dakota
The USGS has completed an oil and gas estimate for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota. The estimate includes 4.3 billion barrels of unconventional oil and 4.9 trillion cubic feet of unconventional natural gas in the two formations. This assessment updates the 2013 USGS assessment of …
USGS Releases Oil and Gas Assessment for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of Montana and North Dakota
The USGS has completed an oil and gas estimate for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota. The estimate includes 4.3 billion barrels of unconventional oil and 4.9 trillion cubic feet of unconventional natural gas in the two formations. This assessment updates the 2013 USGS assessment of …
USGS and Rio Tinto Partner to Survey for Critical Minerals in Southwest Montana
The USGS will fly airborne geophysical surveys in areas of interest with support from Rio Tinto during 2022 as part of its Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI). This is the first time the USGS has partnered with a resources company for the Earth MRI program, allowing it to double the area being surveyed in …
Read moreUSGS and Rio Tinto Partner to Survey for Critical Minerals in Southwest Montana
USGS and Rio Tinto Partner to Survey for Critical Minerals in Southwest Montana
The USGS will fly airborne geophysical surveys in areas of interest with support from Rio Tinto during 2022 as part of its Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI). This is the first time the USGS has partnered with a resources company for the Earth MRI program, allowing it to double the area being surveyed in …
Read moreUSGS and Rio Tinto Partner to Survey for Critical Minerals in Southwest Montana
USGS and Rio Tinto Partner to Survey for Critical Minerals in Southwest Montana
The USGS will fly airborne geophysical surveys in areas of interest with support from Rio Tinto during 2022 as part of its Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI). This is the first time the USGS has partnered with a resources company for the Earth MRI program, allowing it to double the area being surveyed in …
Read moreUSGS and Rio Tinto Partner to Survey for Critical Minerals in Southwest Montana
Pathology Case of the Month – Red Crossbills and American Goldfinches
Gross Findings: Gross findings were similar in all examined birds. On external examination, abundant light green fecal material was present in the feathers around the vent. On internal examination, there was no subcutaneous, visceral, or epicardial fat. Pectoral muscle was atrophied in some birds. There were multiple variably sized thick tan plaques or seed-like plaques …
Read morePathology Case of the Month – Red Crossbills and American Goldfinches
Pathology Case of the Month – Red Crossbills and American Goldfinches
Gross Findings: Gross findings were similar in all examined birds. On external examination, abundant light green fecal material was present in the feathers around the vent. On internal examination, there was no subcutaneous, visceral, or epicardial fat. Pectoral muscle was atrophied in some birds. There were multiple variably sized thick tan plaques or seed-like plaques …
Read morePathology Case of the Month – Red Crossbills and American Goldfinches
Relics of past earthquakes: How the 1959 Hebgen Lake M7.3 earthquake may continue to influence Yellowstone seismicity today
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Mike Stickney, Director of the Earthquake Studies Office at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology. Hebgen Lake fault scarp in 1959. USGS photo by J. R. Stacy. The greater Yellowstone region has …
An outlier of Yellowstone’s thermal areas: the travertine of Mammoth Hot Springs
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Pat Shanks, research geologist emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey. Map of Yellowstone National Park showing locations of thermal basins that host hot springs, geysers, and mudpots. Dark green areas host alkaline-chloride fluids. Yellowstone Caldera …
Read moreAn outlier of Yellowstone’s thermal areas: the travertine of Mammoth Hot Springs
Greater Yellowstone Area Expected to Become Warmer, Drier
This image shows a research raft on Spider Lake, Wind River Indian Reservation, Wind River Range, Wyoming. (Credit: Bryan Schuman, University of Wyoming) Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Montana State University and the University of Wyoming studied climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Area (GYA) from 1950-2018. They evaluated how these changes could progress …
Read moreGreater Yellowstone Area Expected to Become Warmer, Drier
Greater Yellowstone Area expected to become warmer, drier
This image shows a research raft on Spider Lake, Wind River Indian Reservation, Wind River Range, Wyoming. (Credit: Bryan Schuman, University of Wyoming) Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Montana State University and the University of Wyoming studied climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Area, or GYA, from 1950-2018. They evaluated how these changes could …
Read moreGreater Yellowstone Area expected to become warmer, drier
New Insight into Climate Change Impacts on Yellowstone
WHAT: Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Montana State University, the University of Wyoming, Greater Yellowstone Coalition and partners studied past climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Area and evaluated how those changes could progress by 2100. Coauthors of the forthcoming report and voices from the Greater Yellowstone Area will discuss the significance of the findings and answer media questions. This event is open to members of the …
Read moreNew Insight into Climate Change Impacts on Yellowstone
Media Event: New Insight into Climate Change Impacts on Yellowstone
WHAT: Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey, Montana State University, the University of Wyoming, Greater Yellowstone Coalition and partners studied past climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Area and evaluated how those changes could progress by 2100. Coauthors of the forthcoming report and voices from the Greater Yellowstone Area will discuss the significance of the findings and answer media questions. This event is open to members of the …
Read moreMedia Event: New Insight into Climate Change Impacts on Yellowstone
Travertine: Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Timekeeper | U.S. Geological Survey
Yellowstone Caldera Chronicles is a weekly column written by scientists and collaborators of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. This week’s contribution is from Lauren Harrison, a postdoctoral researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey. Travertine is a form of limestone composed of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are both made of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). In contrast to limestones …
Read moreTravertine: Yellowstone’s Hydrothermal Timekeeper | U.S. Geological Survey
Piping Plovers Breed Less and Move More in the Northern Great Plains
Two banded piping plover adults stand near a nest with a video camera pointed at it on a sandbar in the the Missouri River. Video cameras were used to identify adults attending nests. Piping plovers are small-bodied, short-distance migratory shorebirds. The Northern Great Plains population has been listed as a threatened species under the U.S. …
Read morePiping Plovers Breed Less and Move More in the Northern Great Plains
Piping Plovers Breed Less and Move More in the Northern Great Plains
Two banded piping plover adults stand near a nest with a video camera pointed at it on a sandbar in the the Missouri River. Video cameras were used to identify adults attending nests. Piping plovers are small-bodied, short-distance migratory shorebirds. The Northern Great Plains population has been listed as a threatened species under the U.S. …
Read morePiping Plovers Breed Less and Move More in the Northern Great Plains
New Report Highlights Declining Sagebrush Ecosystem, Provides Foundation for Next Generation of Conservation and Management
A team of 94 scientists and specialists from 34 federal and state agencies, universities and non-governmental organizations contributed to the comprehensive assessment of the sagebrush ecosystem, which covers 14 western states and two Canadian provinces. The effort was coordinated by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) with support from the U.S. Fish …
New Report Highlights Declining Sagebrush Ecosystem, Provides Foundation for Next Generation of Conservation and Management
A team of 94 scientists and specialists from 34 federal and state agencies, universities and non-governmental organizations contributed to the comprehensive assessment of the sagebrush ecosystem, which covers 14 western states and two Canadian provinces. The effort was coordinated by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) with support from the U.S. Fish …
Landsat will help U.S. and Canada Share River’s Water
The green color depicts vegetation in this 2016 Sentinel-2 normalized difference vegetation index image of land along the Milk River in Alberta. A tool for managing the complexity of a river system’s waters can come, surprisingly, from hundreds of miles above the Earth. Satellite technology and research conducted by the US Geological Survey’s Earth Resources …
Read moreLandsat will help U.S. and Canada Share River’s Water
Bakken Shale unconventional oil and gas production has not caused widespread hydrocarbon contamination to date in groundwater used for water supply
Our surface water, groundwater, and aquatic ecosystems are priceless resources, used by people across the Nation for drinking, irrigation, industry, and recreation. The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project is a leading source of scientific data and knowledge for development of science-based policies and management strategies to improve and protect our water resources. Source link
Surface-water nutrient and sediment mappers are now available
SPARROW mappers are interactive tools that allow users to evaluate streamflow and nutrient and sediment conditions as well as the importance of different sources of contaminants in a selected river basin. Data can be visualized at different scales using maps and interactive graphs and tables. SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) models estimate the amount …
Read moreSurface-water nutrient and sediment mappers are now available
TNMCorps Mapping Challenge Summary Results for City / Town Hall Structures in MT, ND, & SD
This challenge is now complete!! Thank you to everyone who contributed! (Public domain.) Here is a time lapse of our volunteer contributions for this challenge: (Public domain.) Overall, 8 volunteers participated and edited 405 unique points throughout the challenge. Here is a summary of the edits by user role: Standard Editor: 96 Peer Reviewer: 8 Advanced Editor: 470 Many thanks to our volunteers who contributed! Ava …
Read moreTNMCorps Mapping Challenge Summary Results for City / Town Hall Structures in MT, ND, & SD
FINISHED!! TNMCorps Mapping Challenge for City / Town Hall Structures in MT, ND, & SD
This challenge is now FINISHED!! Thank you to everyone who contributed! We’re putting together summary results and will post them on this page shortly. We’re also working on a new challenge that will soon be posted on this page. In the mean time, our challenges for Arkansas schools and Arkansas city / town halls are …
Read moreFINISHED!! TNMCorps Mapping Challenge for City / Town Hall Structures in MT, ND, & SD
Mapping Challenge Update (02/26/2020): City / Town Hall Structures in MT, ND, & SD
This challeng is SO CLOSE to being finished! Approximately 80 edits came in since last week, leaving less than 20 existing points to be reviewed. Don’t forget to check for missing city/town halls, too. Source link
Mapping Challenge Update (02/20/2020): City / Town Hall Structures in MT, ND, & SD
This challenge continues to move along nicely with another 100 edits in the last week! Source link
President Proposes $971.2 Million FY 2021 Budget for USGS
Today, President Trump proposed a $971.2 million Fiscal Year 2021 budget for the U.S. Geological Survey that prioritizes scientific inquiry for effective stewardship of America’s natural resources and natural hazard monitoring and assessments. “President Trump’s 2021 budget request for the Department is about investing in our people and public lands and waters,” said Secretary of the …
Read morePresident Proposes $971.2 Million FY 2021 Budget for USGS
Majority of Prairie Dogs Are Consuming Plague Vaccine
A veterinarian takes hair samples from a prairie dog that’s under anesthesia before scientists release the animal back into the wild. Portions of hair from sylvatic plague-vaccinated animals turn the color of the vaccine-laiden bait under UV light. (Credit: Marisa Lubeck, USGS) Sylvatic plague can decimate prairie dog populations, which in turn affects the recovery of endangered black-footed …
Read moreMajority of Prairie Dogs Are Consuming Plague Vaccine
Geologic Groundwork-How USGS Coal Assessments Assist EIA’s Coal Forecasts
Coal is loaded into trucks at the Trapper Mine in northwest Colorado.(Credit: David C. Scott, USGS. Public domain.) For instance, in just one part of the energy sector—coal—the United States consumed just under 800 million short tons in 2015, which supplied a little over 30 percent of the Nation’s electricity. Those numbers come from the …
Read moreGeologic Groundwork-How USGS Coal Assessments Assist EIA’s Coal Forecasts
USGS Releases Selenium Modeling Framework for Montana and British Columbia’s Lake Koocanusa
This is thanks to a new modeling framework by the U.S. Geological Survey that lays out how to use available, site-specific data within a proven modeling approach to understand how selenium may move and build up in the Lake Koocanusa ecosystem. “I’m excited for the release of this modeling framework,” said USGS scientist Karen Jenni, …
Read moreUSGS Releases Selenium Modeling Framework for Montana and British Columbia’s Lake Koocanusa
Increases in Wildfire-Caused Erosion Could Impact Water Supply and Quality in the West
As a number of previous peer-reviewed studies have shown, the area burned annually by wildfires has increased in recent decades and is expected to continue to increase this century. Many growing cities and towns rely on water from rivers and reservoirs that originates in watersheds where wildfire and sedimentation are projected to increase. Increased sedimentation could …
Read moreIncreases in Wildfire-Caused Erosion Could Impact Water Supply and Quality in the West
Stitching Together the New Digital Geologic Quilt of the United States
Fortunately, in an effort with needlepoint detail, the U.S. Geological Survey has stitched together geologic maps of the Lower 48 States, providing a seamless quilt of 48 State geologic maps that range from 1:50,000 to 1:1,000,000 scale. The new product, called the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation, is a database compilation based on the Preliminary …
Read moreStitching Together the New Digital Geologic Quilt of the United States
Magnitude 5.8 Earthquake in Montana
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck western Montana near northwest Helena, on July 6, 2017 at 12:30 a.m. local time. Visit the USGS event page for more information. For estimates of casualties and damage, visit the USGS Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) website. If you felt this earthquake, report your experience on the “USGS Did …
Return of the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear
“we found a number of carcases [sic] of the Buffaloe [sic] lying along the shore, which had been drowned by falling through the ice in the winter and lodged on shore by the high water when the river broke up about the first of this month. we saw also many tracks of the white bear …
Red Dye Study Will Examine Water Flow in Yellowstone River near Glendive, Montana
U.S. Geological Survey scientists will inject a harmless, bright red fluorescent dye into the Yellowstone River during the week of June 26, 2017, weather permitting. The study is being done in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. The goal of the dye study is to understand how larval …
Read moreRed Dye Study Will Examine Water Flow in Yellowstone River near Glendive, Montana
new science-based tools support Bureau of Land Management’s landscape approach
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Land Management today released a collaborative report with new information and tools to support effective management of millions of acres of BLM public lands. The report underscores the value of a landscape approach to management, and shows that the BLM manages some of …
Read morenew science-based tools support Bureau of Land Management’s landscape approach
Schmidt is New Deputy Director of USGS Idaho Water Science Center
Christian Schmidt is the Deputy Director of the Idaho Water Science Center (Public domain.) BOISE, Idaho — The U.S. Geological Survey has selected Christian Schmidt as the Deputy Director of its Idaho Water Science Center, headquartered in Boise. Schmidt comes to Idaho from Helena, Montana, where he served as the Water Quality Division Administrator for the …
Read moreSchmidt is New Deputy Director of USGS Idaho Water Science Center
Small Alpine Insects are Big Messengers of Climate Change
A scientist is working to collect alpine insects by picking through moss below tiny, cold, alpine streams. This spot was below a small seep on a slope above a tributary to the Dry Fork, North of the Two Medicine area in Glacier National Park. Public domain The 20-year study provides the first comprehensive evaluation of the current status, distribution …
Read moreSmall Alpine Insects are Big Messengers of Climate Change
Study to Uncover Yellowstone’s Subsurface Mysteries
A new study providing an unprecedented regional view of the earth’s crust beneath Yellowstone National Park will begin with a helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic (HEM) survey on November 7, 2016. Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, University of Wyoming and Aarhus University in Denmark hope to distinguish zones of cold fresh water, hot saline water, …
Read moreStudy to Uncover Yellowstone’s Subsurface Mysteries
USGS Assesses Mineral Potential for Sagebrush Habitats in Six Western States
USGS has completed a comprehensive assessment and inventory of potential mineral resources covering approximately 10 million acres of Federal and adjacent lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming. The assessment, conducted at the request of the Bureau of Land Management, ranked the mineral potential in select areas of these states along a gradient …
Read moreUSGS Assesses Mineral Potential for Sagebrush Habitats in Six Western States
Claudia Regan Takes the Helm as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in Bozeman
Claudia Regan begins work this week as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern Rocky Mountain Water Science Center, headquartered in Bozeman.Claudia Regan, USGS, Public domain. BOZEMAN, Mont. — Claudia Regan begins work this week as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, headquartered in Bozeman. “Please join me in welcoming Claudia …
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Study Shows Cold and Windy Nights Physically Drain Mangy Wolves
Note the bright red patch on the wolf’s hindquarters in this thermal image of a captive wolf at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. This is where fur was shaved to replicate the loss of fur associated with sarcoptic mange. The fur will eventually grow back. USGS scientists are examining thermal imagery …
Read moreStudy Shows Cold and Windy Nights Physically Drain Mangy Wolves
New Method for Ranking Global Copper Deposits Saves Time and Money
A new approach to ranking copper resources could result in identifying future supplies of copper while saving both time and money, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. This technique has been used to evaluate 10 areas of the world where undiscovered copper resources in sedimentary rock could be found. The areas are in addition to five, higher …
Read moreNew Method for Ranking Global Copper Deposits Saves Time and Money
Restoration Handbook for Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystems, Part 2
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Ecosystem restoration is complex and requires an understanding of how the land, plants, and animals all interact with each other over large areas and over time. Today, the U.S. Geological Survey published part two of a three-part handbook addressing restoration of sagebrush ecosystems from the landscape to the site level. “Land managers do not …
Read moreRestoration Handbook for Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystems, Part 2
New Remote Sensing Handbook Published
A newly published, three-volume “Remote Sensing Handbook” is a comprehensive coverage of all remote sensing topics written by over 300 leading global experts. With 82 chapters, and more than 2000 pages, the handbook is a reference for every remote sensing student, professor, scientist, professional practitioner and expert. The technical handbook includes up-to-date examples of successful projects …
Genetic Study Confirms Growth of Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Population
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Genetic data show the grizzly bear population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has grown since the 1980s with no loss in genetic diversity, according to a report by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. Results indicate that the effective population size of Yellowstone grizzly bears, or the number of individuals that contribute offspring …
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Oil Development Can Affect Critical Habitat
Many grassland bird species in the Bakken shale region, including some seriously declining populations, are displaced from their habitats as a result of oil and gas development, according to new U.S. Geological Survey research. During 2012-2014, USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientists studied Bakken grassland sites in northern North Dakota containing oil well pads, which …
EarthWord: Crepuscular
The term crepuscular describes events relating to, resembling, or occurring during twilight, meaning morning and evening hours. An animal described as crepuscular is active during twilight. EarthWords is an on-going series in which we shed some light on the complicated, often difficult-to-pronounce language of science. Think of us as your terminology tour-guides, and meet us …
New Evidence Shows Endangered Pallid Sturgeon Spawned in Lower Missouri River
Three tiny fish larvae that were captured by U.S. Geological Survey scientists in May 2014 have just been confirmed to be pallid sturgeon. These new genetic identifications add to mounting evidence that critically endangered pallid sturgeon spawned successfully in the Lower Missouri River downstream of Gavins Point Dam, South Dakota. Although successful spawning by the endangered fish …
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Drainage of Prairie Pothole Wetlands Can Increase Flooding and Degrade Ecosystems
The drainage of small wetlands can decrease wildlife habitat and may contribute to flooding in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey study. USGS scientists analyzed data on 141 large PPR wetlands in North Dakota from the 1930s through 2010, and found that they have increased significantly in size. Most …
Read moreDrainage of Prairie Pothole Wetlands Can Increase Flooding and Degrade Ecosystems
