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This is cross-posted from The White House BlogBy Al ArmendarizGrowing up in the tightly knit community of El Paso, Texas, I was always sure of a few things.One was that family was of the utmost importance. It’s the kind of place where several generations might live within a few blocks of each…
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…
Tsunamis are ocean waves caused by large earthquakes and landslides that occur near or under the ocean. Scientists do not use the term 'tidal wave' because these waves are not caused by tides. Tsunami waves are unlike typical ocean waves generated by wind and storms. When tsunamis approach…
Floods are a dangerous hazard throughout the world, and most people underestimate the power of flood waters. On average, in the United States, about 165 people are killed and about $2 billion of damage occurs each year. Several types of data can be collected to assist hydrologists predict when and…
Minerals must be mined from the ground, either by surface, underground, or drilling methods. Sand and gravel is usually mined in surface pits or rock is crushed to size, gold is mined in surface pits, underground mines, and in streams and rivers.
It was an earthquake drill based on a potential magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault. At 10 a.m. on November 13, millions of southern Californians will drop to the ground, take cover under a table or desk, and hold on. It's not a matter of if an earthquake of this size will…
Historical USGS topographic maps are important map resources that are not readily available. Therefore, the USGS has begun a project to convert all these historical printed topographic quadrangles to digital formats (initially GeoPDF). Learn more at http://nationalmap.gov/historical/ . …
Earthquakes occur on faults - strike-slip earthquakes occur on strike-slip faults , normal earthquakes occur on normal faults , and thrust earthquakes occur on thrust or reverse faults. When an earthquake occurs on one of these faults, the rock on one side of the fault slips with respect to the…
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…
Volcanoes that produced exceedingly voluminous pyroclastic eruptions and formed large calderas in the past 2 million years would include Yellowstone, Long Valley in eastern California, Toba in Indonesia, and Taupo in New Zealand. Other 'supervolcanoes' would likely include the large caldera…
The USGS Publications Warehouse ( http://pubs.usgs.gov/ ) has released a new interface and a variety of new content and features. The new version of this tool now includes citations for USGS-authored content including journal articles, books, book chapters, proceedings, and other research…
A good source of information on home drinking-water treatment technology and performance of specific products is NSF International , which offers a listings database for products on their Consumer Information page.