“Fall into Winter Savings and Comfort”
By Doug AndersonIt’s October and here comes the cold weather and the high winter energy bills. I am in the middle of raking leaves and cleaning the gutters at my house and wanted to remind my fellow homeowners about other important projects to do in the fall to help keep your home comfortable and…
Why aren't we drilling in the Bakken Formation?
Oil has been produced from the Bakken Formation since the 1950’s. However, drilling has increased significantly in the last several years. The USGS does not maintain statistics on oil production, however, this information can be obtained from publicly available sources like the North Dakota…
Does "stage" tell you how much water is flowing in a stream?
Not directly. You cannot say that because a stream rises (doubles) from a 10-foot stage to a 20-foot stage that the amount of water flowing also doubles. Think of a cereal bowl with a rounded bottom. Pour one inch of milk in it. It doesn't take much milk to make it up to the one inch level…
How Hot Is A Volcano?
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…
How are floods predicted?
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…
What do I need to know to get my GPS into correct operation?
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…
Why are we having so many earthquakes? Has earthquake activity been increasing? Does this mean a big one is going to hit? OR We haven't had any earthquakes in a long time; does this mean that the pressure is building up and there will be a big one?
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…
What is an earthquake and what causes them to happen?
An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault . The tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth's crust…
What was the extent of ash deposition from the largest Yellowstone eruptions?
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…
Can you predict earthquakes?
No. Neither the USGS nor Caltech nor any other scientists have ever predicted a major earthquake. They do not know how, and they do not expect to know how any time in the foreseeable future. However, based on scientific data, probabilities can be calculated for potential future earthquakes. For…
What is spectral acceleration?
PGA (peak acceleration) is what is experienced by a particle on the ground. SA (spectral acceleration) is approximately what is experienced by a building, as modeled by a particle on a massless vertical rod having the same natural frequency of vibration as the building. For further information see:…
Is measuring water in a well like measuring a stream?
No. In groundwater work the USGS puts a lot of effort in measuring the water levels in observation wells. Since water levels in aquifers can change (for a variety of reasons) we need to keep accurate records of these changes, and what factors affect them. Water levels in wells can definitely be…