USGS scientists are providing critical data to support emergency response efforts as glacier flooding affects Juneau, Alaska. A glacier has become a natural dam, trapping water that is now being released and creating flood conditions. The flooding has become an annual threat since 2011, with record-breaking floods over the past two years that impacted more than 300 homes. Our scientists use satellite cameras, lasers and real-time water sensors to track conditions, providing critical information to support a multi-agency emergency response. Live views of the river and glacier conditions are available on our HIVIS website: https://ow.ly/OGKy50WFB1F 📹: Time lapse of Glacial Lake from July 21 - August 13.
About us
The USGS is a science organization that provides impartial information on the health of our ecosystems and environment, the natural hazards that threaten us, the natural resources we rely on, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the core science systems that help us provide timely, relevant, and useable information.
- Website
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http://usgs.gov
External link for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
- Industry
- Research Services
- Company size
- 5,001-10,000 employees
- Headquarters
- Reston, VA
- Type
- Government Agency
- Founded
- 1879
- Specialties
- science, geography, geology, biology, hydrology, geospatial, natural hazards, climate change, energy, and environmental health
Locations
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Primary
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
Reston, VA 20192, US
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Employees at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Updates
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Want to understand the past? Start with the ground beneath your feet. The Marsh-Felch Quarry is more than a fossil site. It’s a geologic time capsule. Located near Cañon City, Colorado, this site is one of 55 featured in the Geoheritage Sites of the Nation Explorer. Its layered rock record preserves not just traces of ancient life but clues to the forces that shaped an entire landscape. In July 2024, USGS scientists used drone technology to map the site in high resolution. The resulting data supports ongoing research and educational access, helping us tell the full story of the land itself. Selected for its rich geologic history and educational value, this site is recognized for its contributions to: 🔬 Science 🎓 Education 🎨 Culture 💎 Economic value 🌄 Natural beauty & wonder Geoheritage celebrates the geology underfoot, forming the foundation of our environment, economy, and identity. Every month, we spotlight a new site where geology and heritage come together. 💬 Where should we explore next? Drop a comment! Dive into the Explorer 👉https://ow.ly/o5ji50WCPSl 📹: 3D model of the Marsh-Felch quarry generated using the UAS-acquired 3D Scan images.
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Melting sea stars. A decade of mystery. And now - an answer. If you've noticed sea stars melting away on West Coast shores, you're not alone. Since 2013, a devastating disease known as Sea Star Wasting Disease has wiped out billions of sea stars, impacting over 20 species and reshaping coastal ecosystems. Now, after more than a decade of unanswered questions, scientists at the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center’s Marrowstone Marine Field Station helped crack the case. The culprit? A strain of bacteria called Vibrio pectenicida. This groundbreaking discovery was a huge collaborative effort, led by the Hakai Institute and the The University of British Columbia. Why it matters: 🌊 Sunflower sea stars are key predators of sea urchins. Without them, urchin populations explode in number, devouring kelp forests and tipping entire ecosystems out of balance. 🔬 Scientists re-created the disease in a lab using sea star "blood" samples and cutting-edge genomics, confirming Vibrio pectenicida as the infectious agent. With this knowledge, we’re one step closer to understanding, managing, and preventing future marine disease outbreaks. 👉 Learn more: https://ow.ly/ZeT650WBFC6 Footage courtesy of the Hakai Institute
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Small devices, big science. USGS delivers the research behind the minerals that support medical innovation. From jawbones to joints, implanted devices restore function and improve quality of life. But they also rely on specialized materials. Dental Implants Titanium, gold, silver, and zirconium provide the strength and biocompatibility needed for crowns, bridges, and dentures. Orthopedic Implants Hip and knee replacements use cobalt, chromium, magnesium, and iron to handle movement and integrate with bone. USGS studies the critical minerals that help make modern medical devices possible. 📸1: Close up view of a sample of titanium. 📸2: Graphic showing an x-ray of a dental implant. 📸3: Graphic showing an x-ray of a knee implant.
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Earthquakes can be devastating and strike all over the world. In the last 120+ years, many have been extremely large. These are the 5 biggest quakes ever recorded (or at least as recorded since 1900). 5️⃣ MAGNITUDE 9.0, Russia, 1952 – The was the world's first recorded magnitude 9 earthquake. It triggered a large tsunami that struck Hawaii causing over $1 million in damages. 4️⃣ MAGNITUDE 9.1, Japan, 2011 – This earthquake sent a devastating tsunami along coastal Japan, triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and led to more than $220 billion in damage. 3️⃣ MAGNITUDE 9.1, Sumatra, 2004 – Amazingly, this earthquake shook for at least 5 minutes and produced a massive tsunami that killed more than 280,000 people, while displacing 1.1 million more. 2️⃣ MAGNITUDE 9.2, Alaska, 1964 – Known as the Great Alaska Quake, this earthquake was largest in US history and spurred new insights and better understanding of subduction zone seismicity. 1️⃣ MAGNITUDE 9.5, Chile, 1960 – The Valdivia Earthquake, the largest earthquake ever recorded, killed more than 1,600 people and left more than 2 million others homeless. USGS earthquake research helps us understand where and how the largest earthquakes on Earth strike. By studying these powerful zones, we can better assess risk, improve early warnings, and build resilience in vulnerable communities. Earthquakes can occur all over the world. Do you live in a seismically active area? Are you prepared? Do you know what to do? 📚 Learn your risk 🚨 Prepare an emergency kit 📝 Make a plan 🫨 And if you feel shaking, remember to drop, cover, and hold on. What do you want to know about large earthquakes? Leave a comment.
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The USGS just released the 3D National Topography Model Call for Action— Part 2: The Next Generation 3D Elevation Program. The report outlines how USGS is aligning and integrating 3D elevation and hydrography data under the umbrella of the 3D National Topography Model. The report explains how the USGS used the results of the 3D Nation Study to develop a new program design and includes all the details about the next generation of the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). What’s new for the next generation of 3DEP? ✅Enhanced lidar quality levels and refresh rates, giving users better, faster data ✅Greater program flexibility to meet changing needs and take advantage of advancements in mapping technologies ✅A stronger focus on interagency collaboration, for both land topography and bathymetry of inland rivers ✅A research-forward approach that fosters innovation, agility, and adaptability ✅Transforming how products and services are delivered to make data easily accessible and analysis ready Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/gCNXkg7W
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Satellites are now tracking flood risks in America's most remote communities—places where a single washed-out bridge can cut off entire towns. Alaska's Department of Transportation manages 5,600 miles of wilderness highways and 839 bridges with virtually no flood monitoring... until now. The new “Water Information from Space” web application, or WISP, uses NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration satellites to track water levels across 467,000+ lakes and 93,000 miles of rivers, finally giving isolated communities critical flood data. "For projects in remote areas, water data useful to hydraulic design tasks is often limited,” said Michael Knapp, Statewide Hydraulic Engineer at the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities. “With the USGS WISP application, we're gaining insights into river systems never before monitored in Alaska's history.” The system tracks ice-jam floods, sudden water level changes, and other dangerous conditions that traditional ground-based sensors miss. While currently focused on U.S. waterways, this technology represents a breakthrough for global water monitoring. In developing nations where monitoring infrastructure is limited, satellite observation could provide crucial data for flood warnings and water resource management. Want to see what's happening with water levels in your area? The tool is free and easy to use—just search by location or water body name. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eZxdxMNj #FloodSafety #SatelliteTechnology #DisasterPreparedness #WaterManagement
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One of the most powerful earthquakes in over a decade struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. On July 30, 2025 (local time), a magnitude 8.8 earthquake rocked the seafloor east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, making it the largest earthquake since Japan’s 2011 Tohoku disaster and among the top ten largest earthquakes ever instrumentally recorded. This wasn’t just a single point on a map—USGS modeling shows the quake ruptured a fault zone roughly 500 km long and 150 km wide, caused by the massive Pacific plate diving beneath the North American plate in one of the fastest subduction zones on Earth. The region had been shaking for 10 days, with over 50 magnitude 5.0+ quakes leading up to the mainshock—including a magnitude 7.4. And it didn’t stop there: dozens of aftershocks followed, including magnitude 6.9 and 6.3 events. This area, part of the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone, has a long history of megaquakes—including an Mw 9.0 in 1952 that occurred just 30 kilometers away. Seismic history matters. At 80 mm/year of tectonic movement, this region has built up over 6 meters of strain since 1952—now partially released. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gCybNKY2 📷 Image: USGS map showing past earthquakes along the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North America Plate. A red star marks the epicenter of the July 30, 2025, M8.8 earthquake near the Kamchatka Peninsula. Circles of different sizes and colors represent past earthquakes, with larger circles for larger earthquakes.
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At 11:24am local time (7/30/2025), a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck offshore of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, due to shallow thrust faulting along the Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone. Tsunami alerts were issued around the Pacific Basin. This event followed a magnitude 7.4 foreshock on July 20 and occurred just 45 kilometers southeast of the epicenter of the 1952 magnitude 9.0 quake. The rupture likely spanned an area roughly 390 kilometers long and 140 kilometers wide. Earthquakes of this magnitude are not points, but large areas of slip along faults. This region is seismically active, with 31 other M6.5+ events recorded within 250 kilometers over the last century. For up-to-date information visit: https://lnkd.in/gCybNKY2
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The U.S. Geological Survey and the American Geosciences Institute are hosting a free virtual workshop to introduce new geoheritage education resources for Grades 3–8. What is geoheritage? Geoheritage highlights the scientific, cultural, and educational significance of geologic sites across the U.S.—and now there are tools to help bring these sites into your classroom. 📅 Workshop Details: Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025 Time: 2:00–3:30 PM ET Who can attend: Teachers of Grades 3–8 (all subject areas welcome!) What to Expect: 🔹Introduction to geoheritage and mining heritage 🔹Live demo of the USGS Geoheritage Sites of the Nation Explorer 🔹Interactive activities about critical minerals 🔹Ready-to-use teaching resources This is a great opportunity for educators in science, social studies, art, and more. 🔗 Register here: https://ow.ly/QKyP50WuLrz
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