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By Karen MarkI am usually known as the “environmentalist” in many of my graduate classes. Recently, a classmate invited me to attend an informational meeting about becoming a “C3.” My immediate reaction was “Sure, but what does C3 mean?” Turns out this is a group of dedicated Chicago…
The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. For a summary go to water cycle . Learn more at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html .
We generally emphasize the following four points: a) Select a coordinate system (also called a "position format") you feel comforatble using. We suggest using Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) or latitude/longitude. Most users find UTM coordinates easier to locate on USGS…
Go to the Natural Hazards Gateway , which includes: Earthquakes Floods Geomagnetism (solar flares, etc.) Hurricanes Landslides Seismic Zone Mapping Sinkholes Tsunamis Volcanoes Wildfires
Detailed locations of areas susceptible to landslides are given on "Preliminary Soil-Slip Susceptibility Maps, Southwestern California": published as a U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report (available on-line at http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of03-17/ ). In addition, areas that…
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…
A map is a representation of the Earth, or part of it. The distinctive characteristic of a topographic map is the use of contour lines to show the shape of the Earth's surface. USGS topographic maps also show many other kinds of geographic features, including roads and railroads, rivers and…
Earthquakes can strike any location at any time. But history shows they occur in the same general patterns year after year, principally in three large zones of the earth. The world's greatest earthquake belt, the circum-Pacific seismic belt , is found along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, where…
Sometimes, yes. A few historic large regional earthquakes (>M 6) are considered by scientists to be related to a subsequent eruption or to some type of unrest at a nearby volcano. The exact triggering mechanism for these historic examples is not well understood, but the volcanic activity probably…
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…
The best way to learn about your local drinking water quality is to read the annual drinking water quality report/consumer confidence report that water suppliers now send out by July 1 of each year. The reports often are sent out with water bills, but they may be sent separately. The reports tell…