Kīlauea volcano is erupting. At approximately 4:44 a.m. HST on June 7, 2023, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected glow in Kīlauea summit webcam images indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is elevating Kīlauea’s volcano alert level from WATCH to WARNING and its aviation […]
USGS
Posted inLife
Spooky Science: Thirteen Fearful Field Sites, Creepy Creatures and Terrifying Topics
October 27, 2021 – USGS researchers frequently brave potentially haunted field sites and study spooky-looking creatures. Here’s a list of 13, right in time for Halloween. Equipped with maps, water and sunscreen, Kate Scharer was studying the active Simi-Santa Rosa Fault just outside of Los Angeles this past summer. While looking for the best place to park the field truck for the day, she opened her phone to […]
Posted inRegional
Magnitude 6.5 earthquake near Tonopah
May 15, 2020 – The May 15, 2020 M 6.5 earthquake 56 km west of Tonopah, Nevada, occurred as the result of strike slip faulting in the shallow crust of the North America plate. Preliminary focal mechanism solutions for the event, which describe the style of faulting in an earthquake, indicate slip likely occurred on […]
Posted inCalifornia
M 5.3 earthquake 30km SE of Bodie
April 11, 2020 – The earthquake happened in United States, State of California (population 30,971,320). The nearest places are Pizona (18km), Mono Mills (26km), Bodie (29km), Del Monte (31km), Benton Hot Springs (33km), and 46 more. This earthquake is expected to have a low humanitarian impact based on the magnitude and the affected population and […]
Posted inCalifornia
Aftershock Forecast by USGS for M 7.1 earthquake NNE of Ridgecrest, CA
July 6, 2019 – Aftershock Forecast Contributed by US last updated 2019-07-06 04:37:56 (UTC) The data below are the most preferred data available The data below have been reviewed by a scientist Be ready for more earthquakes More earthquakes than usual (called aftershocks) will continue to occur near the mainshock. When there are more earthquakes, the […]
Posted inCalifornia
USGS-led Research Helps CA Coastal Managers Prioritize Planning, Mitigation Efforts Due to Rising Seas and Storms
March 13, 2019 – New U.S. Geological Survey-led coastal modeling research presents state, federal, and commercial entities with varying storm and sea level-rise scenarios to assist with planning for future infrastructure and mitigation needs along the California coast. The research was published today in the journal Scientific Reports. While most vulnerability analyses only look at […]
Posted inSci/Tech
Magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Hawaii near Leilani Estates and ongoing Kīlauea eruptions
May 4, 2018 – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred 16km SW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii. Hawaii County police, fire, and county agencies, along with the National Guard and partners, continue to assist with an evacuation of the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions in the face of a volcanic eruption in the area. All Leilani […]
Posted inEnviro
Increases in Wildfire-Caused Erosion Could Impact Water Supply and Quality in the West
Potential sediment erosion from a burned slope over the Los Padres reservoir, California. (Photo credit: USDA Forest Service) September 8, 2017 – A growing number of wildfire-burned areas throughout the western United States are expected to increase soil erosion rates within watersheds, causing more sediment to be present in downstream rivers and reservoirs, according to a […]
Posted inWorld
M 8.1 and Tsunami (3.36m) in Mexico
September 7, 2017 at 11:33 PM The event has been upgraded to a M8.1. https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us2000ahv0#executive Tectonic Summary The September 8th, 2017, M 8.1 earthquake offshore Chiapas, Mexico, occurred as the result of normal faulting at an intermediate depth. Focal mechanism solutions for the earthquake indicate slip occurred on either a fault dipping very shallowly towards […]
Posted inCalifornia
Turtles Die in Southern California Lake Following Drought and Fire
Salt-encrusted remains of a southwestern pond turtle (Actinemys pallida) as found in the dry lake bed of Elizabeth Lake, Los Angeles County, California. Note the heavy coating of evaporites on the carcass. Most living turtles collected in 2014 had similar but varying degrees of coatings on the head, limbs and shell.Almost all of the turtles […]
Posted inCalifornia
Disappearing Beaches: Modeling Shoreline Change in Southern California
March 29, 2017 – Using a newly-developed computer model called “CoSMoS-COAST” (Coastal Storm Modeling System – Coastal One-line Assimilated Simulation Tool) scientists predict that with limited human intervention, 31 to 67 percent of Southern California beaches may become completely eroded (up to existing coastal infrastructure or sea-cliffs) by the year 2100 under scenarios of sea-level […]
Posted inLife
USGS: Just how early is spring arriving in your neighborhood? Find out …
Feb. 27, 2017 – Get your flip-flops and shorts out because spring is arriving very early this year . . . at least 2-3 weeks early across almost the entire Southeast, from San Antonio to Atlanta to Washington, D.C. This unusually early spring is likely to keep rolling north, already bringing surprising signs of spring to portions of […]
Posted inSci/Tech
USGS: Predicting Postfire Debris Flows Saves Lives
February 21, 2017 – When wildfires spread and scorch the earth, people like Penny Luehring have to act fast. Secondary impacts such as debris flows can be devastating to nearby communities. As program leader for the National Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team for the U.S. Forest Service, it’s her job—along with her team—to manage […]
Posted inCalifornia
USGS: Flooding expected for CA this week as ARs bring more rain
February 11, 2017 – Flooding continues from multiple atmospheric rivers that brought rainfall and snow to parts of California. Today, light showers are expected for southern and central California with precipitation tapering off later tonight. Although no rainfall is expected for northern California, many north central counties remain under flood warning today. Currently, 62 percent […]
Posted inLife
Hazard a Guess? How much do landslides cost the nation per year? — USGS Pop Quiz
January 31, 2017 – On average, how much are landslides estimated to cost the nation per year? $38 million $1 billion $3.5 billion To see the answer, scroll down below the image. The correct answer is about $3.5 billion. In the United States, it is estimated that landslides cost the nation $3.5 billion per year. […]
Posted inWorld
Magnitude 7.3 earthquake near Japan
November 21, 2016 – This earthquake is expected to have a medium humanitarian impact based on the magnitude and the affected population and their vulnerability. [source GDACS] Earthquake Magnitude 7.3M, Depth:10km 21 Nov 2016 20:59:46 UTC 392929 people within 100km The main impact is projected in the Fukushima province. Tsunami Information Statement Number 1 NWS […]
Posted inWorld
M7.8 earthquake 58 mi NNE of Christchurch, New Zealand
November 13, 2016 – The earthquake happened in New Zealand , County of Canterbury. The nearest places are Waiau, Rotherham, Phoebe, Ethelton, Mina, Spotswood, Domett, Cheviot, Culverden, Parnassus, and Christchurch. The November 13, 2016 M 7.8 earthquake in North Canterbury, New Zealand, occurred as the result of shallow oblique-reverse faulting on or near the boundary between the […]
Posted inEnviro
Pikas Disappearing from Parts of the West Due to Climate Change
Aug. 26, 2016 – American pikas – small herbivores that typically live in rocky slopes, known as talus, across many mountain ranges in the American West – are disappearing from some locations across the West due to climate change, according to a study by the U.S. Geological Survey and some of its partners. Researchers found […]
Posted inWorld
Magnitude 6.2 earthquake southeast of Norcia, Italy
August 23, 2016 – The August 24, 2016 M 6.2 earthquake southeast of Norcia, Italy, occurred as the result of shallow normal faulting on a NW-SE oriented fault in the Central Apennines. The Apennines is a mountain range that runs from the Gulf of Taranto in the south to the southern edge of the Po […]
Posted inEnviro
Ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S. Are Vulnerable to Climate Change
August 15, 2016 – At least several southeastern U.S. ecosystems are highly vulnerable to the impacts of present and future climate change, according to two new USGS reports on research conducted by scientists with Interior Department’s Southeast Climate Science Center. At-risk ecosystems occur in states ranging from Texas to Florida, Virginia to Georgia as well […]