Celebrate International Walk to School Day, Wednesday, October 5, 2011!
By Matthew Dalbey A few years ago, my son Noah, then in first grade, received a stopwatch from his grandmother. That day we passed by the apartment where I lived when I was his age. Seeing a potential moment for father-son bonding, Noah and I used his stopwatch to see how long it took us to [...]
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 is Gas Hydrate?
Gas hydrate is a crystalline solid formed of water and gas. It looks and acts much like ice, but it contains huge amounts of methane; it is known to occur on every continent; and it exists in huge quantities in marine sediments in a layer several hundred meters thick directly below the sea floor and…
Are earthquake probabilities or forecasts the same as prediction?
No. Probabilities are estimated from the rate of aftershocks and these are sometimes confused with the prediction of a particular event.
What is a magnetic field?
Fields fill the space between matter and they determine how it is that bits of matter can exert forces on other bits of matter at a distance. There are several different fields in nature, and their reality is demonstrated by our observation of the forces with which they are associated. So, for…
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 the USGS monitor global warming?
Not specifically. Our charge is to understand characteristics of the earth, especially the earth's surface, that affect our Nation's land, water, and biological resources. That includes quite a bit of environmental monitoring. Other agencies, especially NOAA and NASA, are specifically funded…
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…
How are earthquakes recorded? How are earthquakes measured? How is the magnitude of an earthquake determined?
Earthquakes are recorded by a seismographic network. Each seismic station in the network measures the movement of the ground at the site. The slip of one block of rock over another in an earthquake releases energy that makes the ground vibrate. That vibration pushes the adjoining piece of ground and…
Is there water under the ground?
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…
Could you provide me with information on the problems in the Salton Sea?
Birds : Information on Salton Sea bird die-offs can be found through the USGS National Wildlife Health Center Web site at http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/ . Information has been issued by the center through their Quarterly Wildlife Mortality Report . Fish : There are several species of Tilapia in the…