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By Administrator Lisa P. JacksonHispanic Heritage Month is a time to reflect on the important role the environment plays in every community, and the important role every community should play in protecting our environment. The EPA has taken considerable steps to make sure all Americans have a voice…
Wetlands are among the most productive habitats on earth providing shelter and nursery areas for commercially and recreationally important animals like fish and shellfish, as well as wintering grounds for migrating birds. Coastal marshes are particularly valuable for preventing loss of life and…
Stream stage is an important concept when analyzing how much water is moving in a stream at any given moment . Stage is the water level above some arbitrary point in the river and is commonly measured in feet. For example, on a normal day when no rain has fallen for a while, a river might have…
No. Probabilities are estimated from the rate of aftershocks and these are sometimes confused with the prediction of a particular event.
Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years. There are several reasons for the perception that the number of…
You can purchase topographic maps several ways: Download or online from the USGS Store at http://store.usgs.gov Click on Maps in the left margin or click on the Map Locator near the center of the screen. Topographic maps in GeoPDF format are available for free download by using the Map…
The USGS does not make forecasts about the future potential of a particular resource to resolve national energy needs. It is difficult to determine if oil from the Bakken Formation, or any of the formations we have done assessments on, could offset other sources of oil. A number of logistical and…
During the three giant caldera-forming eruptions that occurred between 2.1 million and 640,000 years ago, tiny particles of volcanic debris ( volcanic ash ) covered much of the western half of North America, likely a third of a meter deep several hundred kilometers from Yellowstone and several…
Lava and Lava Flows The temperature of basalt lava at Kilauea reaches 1,160 degrees Celsius (2,120 degrees Fahrenheit). -- USGS/VHP Website, 1998 The tube system (lava tubes) of episode 53 (Pu'u O'o eruption, Hawaii) carried lava for 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the vent to the sea. So…
Sockeye salmon from the Snake River system probably are the most endangered salmon. But Coho salmon in the lower Columbia River may already be extinct. Salmon are not endangered world-wide. For example, most populations in Alaska are healthy. Some populations in the Pacific Northwest are much…
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lists several ways to purify water for human consumption on their Community and Family Preparedness Web page. Also, the EPA fact sheet Emergency disinfection of drinking water is available in English and Spanish.
Yes. The main body of subsurface water is found in the saturated zone of aquifers. Aquifers can be only a few feet below the surface or more than a thousand feet deep. Aquifers are the primary source of drinking water in arid and semi-arid parts of the United States where the amount of surface water…