U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

In observance of Veterans Day, let's thank and honor the country's 18 million veterans and their families for their service and sacrifices to our great Nation. Salute to the 933 veterans who make up roughly 11% of the USGS workforce. #VeteransDay #USGS #Science

A new U.S. Geological Survey coastal change forecast predicts sandy beaches and dunes in #Florida, #Georgia and #SouthCarolina are likely to see significant impacts from #TropicalStormNicole. To learn more, visit: http://ow.ly/Mx6U50Lz8Ay Photo: A satellite image of Tropical Storm Nicole off the coast of Florida. NOAA image.

Na na na na na na Batman! Sorry, we couldn’t resist. But did you know that we have real life batpeople at USGS? Well, sort of. We’ve got people who study bats, known as chiropterologists (say that three times fast), and they’re superheroes in their own right. Sampling guano and collecting fungal DNA? Hey, someone’s gotta do it. There are more than 47 species of bats in North America and USGS scientists help monitor bat populations and study some of their biggest threats, like white-nose syndrome, caused by a deadly fungus. So, what’s it really like to be a chiropterologist? Check out this video to see their tools of the trade! #USGS #science #BatWeek #Bats #CareersInScience Video produced by: Steven Sobieszczyk, USGS Video description: A whiteboard animation video about a chiropterologist, someone who studies bats. Audio-described video available at: http://ow.ly/ZE0850LkR9w

Ian’s second U.S. landfall caused significant coastal flooding along the Georgia and South Carolina coasts, and rain continues to fall in North Carolina and Virginia. Our inland streamgages are providing up-to-date water conditions in as many places as they can. Get all of our most current information here: https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/response-and-recovery-preparation-and-prediction Crews in Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia are out making sure that streamgages are working properly, taking streamflow measurements, and providing accurate, on-the-ground information that can be used by first responders and their communities. In addition, we’ve begun the process of retrieving all of the storm-tide sensors we placed along the coast to measure the storm tide that Ian brought ashore. In Florida, where there is still significant inland flooding, our crews are also out repairing streamgages, taking streamflow measurements, and keeping first responders informed on local stream conditions. In addition, we’ve begun the process of collecting high-water marks throughout the areas flooded by Ian. Since high-water marks are fragile and rarely last longer than a few days, it is important the work to find and survey them be completed as soon as possible. The data serve not only to document the surge event from Ian, but also provides data to scientists and forecasters so they can improve storm surge and coastal change models used to protect life and property in storm events. Image shows an animated gif of Hurricane Ian making its second landfall. Image credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) #HurricaneIan #USGS #Science #Hurricanes #Florida #SouthCarolina #Georgia #NorthCarolina #Virginia

USGS scientists are using helicopter flights to map features below Earth’s surface and better understand how saltwater is impacting groundwater resources in the Delaware Bay region. Rising sea level, increasing frequency and intensity of coastal storms and growing demand for groundwater have increased the likelihood for higher salinity levels in the region’s water supplies. Data gathered during these flights will provide insight on the underground geology and current extent of saltwater in the groundwater system. This information will help water resource managers make decisions considering water quality and availability for agriculture, drinking, ecosystem health and other needs. The flights, which are being flown by contractors, began earlier this month and are now finishing up. Data are collected using a large sensor that resembles a large hula-hoop towed beneath the helicopter to measure tiny electromagnetic signals that can be used for mapping. The flights are taking place in both Delaware and New Jersey. This project is part of the USGS Next Generation Water Observing System project in the Delaware River Basin. USGS scientists are working in collaboration with researchers from the University of Delaware. Learn more at http://ow.ly/PkmX50K5G3U. #NGWOS #NewJersey #Delaware #DelawareBay #WaterQuality #DrinkingWater #Agriculture #Groundwater #Water #DelawareRiverBasin #Environment #EarthScience #ScientificResearch #Mapping #Helicopters #CoastalStorms

Mapping Challenge Update: editing continues to Law Enforcement Entities in Kentucky and Tennessee. Editing to U.S. Pacific Territories is now complete! We again want to express our appreciation of the time and talents of our volunteer citizen scientists. What is a “Mapping Challenge”? The National Map Corps is a recognized citizen science program that leverages crowd sourcing techniques and volunteers to update structure data on USGS map products. For the past several months, TNMCorps has increased its use of “Mapping Challenges” to collect data on specific structures within focused areas. •FINISHED: U.S. Pacific Territories (summary stats available: http://ow.ly/8TTG50JGNJp) •Ongoing: Law Enforcement Entities in Kentucky and Tennessee (over 100 points edits contributed since last update) Mapping Challenge News Release: http://ow.ly/8jC150JGNJq

Check out part one of a six-part series highlighting USGS hurricane science. This week we discuss storm tide, why it’s dangerous, and how USGS science provides valuable data regarding this devastating force. http://ow.ly/jn4z50JsAXc #StormTide #CoastalChange #Flooding. Photo: This GIF shows the devastating effects Hurricane Michael's storm tide and strong winds had on Mexico Beach, Florida, when Michael made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane October 10, 2018. Images courtesy of NOAA.

Mapping Challenge Update: editing continues to U.S. Pacific Territories. Editing to Post Offices in Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland is now complete! We again want to express our appreciation of the time and talents of our volunteer citizen scientists. What is a “Mapping Challenge”? The National Map Corps is a recognized citizen science program that leverages crowd sourcing techniques and volunteers to update structure data on USGS map products. For the past several months, TNMCorps has increased its use of “Mapping Challenges” to collect data on specific structures within focused areas. •Ongoing: U.S. Pacific Territories (most pre-existing seed data is now verified since last update) •FINISHED: Post Offices in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland (summary stats report: http://ow.ly/2bcT50JopvM) Mapping Challenge News Release: http://ow.ly/Eact50JopvN

The 2022 #Atlantic Hurricane Season runs June 1 - November 30. Checkout the introduction to a six-part series that will highlight USGS #hurricane science and how it can be used to help guide efforts to protect lives and property if a storm threatens the U.S. http://ow.ly/VxHS50JngPx #2022AtlanticHurricaneSeason #Hurricanes #Hurricane #Weather #Flood #Flooding #Science Photo: Hurricane Henri on August 21, 2021, moving northward toward New England where it made landfall as a tropical storm August 22, 2021, in Rhode Island.

Mapping Challenge Update: Editing to Post Offices in Tennessee is now complete and the summary stats are now available: http://ow.ly/c7zU50Jcpbh . We again want to express our appreciation of the time and talents of our volunteer citizen scientists. What is a “Mapping Challenge”? The National Map Corps is a recognized citizen science program that leverages crowd sourcing techniques and volunteers to update structure data on USGS map products. For the past several months, TNMCorps has increased its use of “Mapping Challenges” to collect data on specific structures within focused areas. Mapping Challenge News Release: http://ow.ly/Nk9y50Jcpbi

Hawai'i Island_ Voices From the Front Lines of Community-Based Climate Adaptation.mp4

The Ocean physically and culturally connects Pacific Island communities. Although Pacific Islander communities carry a deep understanding of resilience, the ocean and the diverse Pacific Island communities and ecosystems connected by it face unprecedented challenges related to climate change adaptation. USGS scientists research how a changing climate is affecting communities and ecosystems across the globe. Through USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC), we are working with local resource managers and communities to co-develop science that helps nature and people adapt to climate change. The Pacific Islands CASC, or PI-CASC, maintains a rich network of regional expertise able to convene around and build synergistic connections to address the unique climate challenges faced by island communities and ecosystems. We serve communities on Hawaiʻi and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands in support of sustainable and place-based adaptation in the face of climate change. PI-CASC is committed to partnering with Pacific communities, coupling indigenous and local knowledge with emerging science, and co-developing science-based adaptation strategies informed by appropriate climate science, local leadership structures, and effective solutions. PI-CASC supports local and regional capacity in climate change adaptation, building resilience while conserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage for generations to come. PI-CASC is always open to building new and meaningful relationships with local communities, resource managers, researchers, and others committed to developing strategies to address climate change challenges. Learn more about PI-CASC and the important work we do: http://ow.ly/zjrQ50J1b8F Find captioned and audio-described versions of the video here: http://ow.ly/s89K50J1bEf #AANHPIMonth

Mapping Challenge Update: Editing to City/Town Halls in Arkansas is now complete and the summary stats are now available: http://ow.ly/gmO250J4xuw . We again want to express our appreciation of the time and talents of our volunteer citizen scientists. What is a “Mapping Challenge”? The National Map Corps is a recognized citizen science program that leverages crowd sourcing techniques and volunteers to update structure data on USGS map products. For the past several months, TNMCorps has increased its use of “Mapping Challenges” to collect data on specific structures within focused areas. Updates to current Challenges: Mapping Challenge News Release: http://ow.ly/a38T50J4xux

Climate Adaptation Fellowship Teaser

This #EarthDay2022, the USGS is asking people to "Think Global, Act Local." Our newest postdoctoral fellowship opportunity does just that! The one-of-a-kind Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellowship allows #postdocs to unite under a key #ClimateChange issue, such as the #FutureOfFire. Fellows in each cohort conduct their own research project to explore the unique impacts of the issue on different regions of the country. They also work together to combine their expertise into a nation-wide synthesis. The 2-year fellowship allows scholars to build a national network of peers, to develop both regional and national scale research products, and to participate in professional development activities. The fellowship is part of the USGS Climate Adaptation Science Centers’ commitment to conducting management-driven research to help natural places survive and thrive under climate change. For eligibility and details, visit: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/casc-network-climate-adaptation-postdoctoral-fellows For an audio-described version of the video, visit: http://ow.ly/NETe50IPa2M #CASCAdapt #ClimateAdaptation #ClimateScience #USGS #science #postdoc #ClimateChange #ActionableScience #ScienceThatMatters #FutureOfAquaticFlows #FutureofFire #UsgsClimate #ClimateHope #ClimateSolutions #STEMJobs

How can we live with or fix climate change? Together! One idea, one experiment, one story at a time. USGS scientists around the country are working to find the answers to the problems that climate change creates. The scientists are as diverse in their backgrounds as the things they study. This #Earthday2022, watch and learn about 8 of these #climatechampions and their work to solve the climate crisis. You can access the new series through this link: http://ow.ly/XznQ50ILWbB

Mapping Challenge Update: summary stats now available for City/Town Halls in Georgia and South Carolina. What is a “Mapping Challenge”? The National Map Corps is a recognized citizen science program that leverages crowd sourcing techniques and volunteers to update structure data on USGS map products. For the past several months, TNMCorps has increased its use of “Mapping Challenges” to collect data on specific structures within focused areas. Updates to current Challenges: City/Town Halls in Georgia and South Carolina (http://ow.ly/R0bn50IGIlb) Mapping Challenge News Release: http://ow.ly/Hh2K50IGIla

Northern Spotted Owl Still Fights for Survival. USGS and partner scientists in recent months published the results of three studies about the current status of the threatened northern spotted owl populations, and the effects of barred owls and barred owl removal on northern spotted owl populations. The combined results show that even while forest management policies and practices maintained northern spotted owl habitat across their range, barred owls pose a very serious threat to remaining populations of northern spotted owl. Read our Featured Story for more details: http://ow.ly/yEAa50GnKnH #PNW, #Oregon, #Washington, #California, #Owls, #SpottedOwl #Science

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory lowered Kīlauea’s volcano alert level to WATCH and its aviation color code to ORANGE, reflecting the less-hazardous nature of the ongoing eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, in Kīlauea’s summit caldera and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Resources Kīlauea Volcano Updates: http://ow.ly/GKDH50GmjaO Photo and video chronology: http://ow.ly/xwdQ50GmjaL Maps: http://ow.ly/1EDz50GmjaN USGS video taken October 1, 2021 by M. Patrick. #USGS #HVO #HawaiianVolcanoObservatory #KilaueaErupts

At 11:11 AM PDT today, the #Landsat9 satellite will blast into space from the California coast! @NASA_Landsat is launching the satellite and @USGSLandsat will operate it once it’s in orbit 400 miles away from Earth. You can watch the launch live here: https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive Did you know that the Landsat mission started 50 years ago with Landsat 1? Right now, Landsat 7 and 8 are in orbit, collectively sending back 30-meter resolution images every 8 days. Once Landsat 9 joins the 400 mile club, it will take over Landsat 7’s orbit. The latter will lower its orbit, ending its 22-year sojourn of capturing images around Earth. The Landsat mission is especially useful for teasing out land changes that could contribute to #climatechange, like deforestation, and that are caused by climate change, like intense wildfire burn scars. The satellites even helped a USGS scientist track a tiny endangered vole in the California desert! He used Landsat’s vegetation moisture data to see how the vole’s bulrush habitat has been getting drier. https://www.usgs.gov/news/Landsat9Launch?qt-news_science_products=1#qt-news_science_products Here’s to another 50 years!

Launch of the Landsat 9 Earth-Observing Satellite

🚀 Watch the newest #Landsat satellite lift off! This joint NASA-U.S. Geological Survey mission will contribute to the longest data record of Earth’s landscapes taken from space. Landsat 9 continues the nearly 50-year legacy of the Landsat Program: observing our changing home planet, monitoring its land and coastal regions, helping us manage its essential resources, and providing free, publicly available images and data. Landsat 9 will launch Mon., Sept. 27 at 2:11 p.m. EDT (18:11 UTC) aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Landsat 9 will join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in orbit in collecting images from across the planet every eight days.

Watch a U.S. Geological Survey time lapse video of flooding in Buras, Louisiana, as #HurricaneIda made landfall August 29. When USGS field crews deployed storm-tide sensors in advance of Hurricane Ida last month to measure the storm’s coastal surge, they also installed a camera at a field site in southeastern #Louisiana to record the storm as it passed over the #GulfCoast. As the video demonstrates, Ida brought significant flooding to parts of coastal Louisiana when it made landfall. Even though this site was not among the hardest hit areas in the state, USGS storm-tide sensors recorded a provisional water level of approximately five feet above land surface, which is high enough to potentially cause structural damage to homes, buildings, and other infrastructure. The time-lapse video visually captures information that USGS scientists can pair with the water data collected by storm-tide sensors at this field site to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Ida’s coastal impacts. USGS storm-tide sensors provide essential water level and wave data that local, state and federal officials can use to inform decisions that help protect lives and property. Scientists use the information gathered by the sensors to fine-tune future storm surge and coastal change forecasts. The sensor data can also be used to guide recovery efforts, plan evacuation routes, identify areas hardest hit by storm tide flooding, inform building code decisions and improve structure designs to increase public safety. To learn more about USGS’s role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Ida, visit https://www.usgs.gov/Ida

Healthy coral reefs are more than just hotspots of marine biodiversity—they’re also invaluable to long-term resilience against coastal storms. A new series of reports from researchers at the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, the University of California, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration demonstrates how the restoration of coral reefs along the coasts of Florida and Puerto Rico can save hundreds of millions of dollars in storm-related damages every year. USGS Coastal and Ocean Science NOAA Coast Survey UC Santa Cruz Science #coralreefs #floodrisk #florida #puertorico #hurricane http://ow.ly/o4k050G6qB4

Many parts of the Upper Midwest’s prairie pothole region have seen expansions in cropland and wetlands since 2001. GIS mapping information from the @USGeologicalSurvey National Land Cover Database (NLCD) can tell the story of the tug-of-war between the two in Day County, SD. Learn more about the just-released NLCD 2019 product suite: http://ow.ly/B1um50FRWbG Click here to listen to a podcast on NLCD 2019: http://ow.ly/g6PB50FRWbH Follow this link to see a county-by-county breakdown of change: http://ow.ly/19FV50FRWbI

Wind energy makes up a larger portion of the Nation’s power supply each year. That’s why the @USGeologicalSurvey National Land Cover Database added a wind energy category to its impervious descriptor layer for 2019. The impervious descriptor layer zeroes in on the types of impervious surfaces found across the conterminous United States—primary, secondary, and tertiary roads and the like—which allows researchers to study urban growth and land change with greater precision. This animation highlights growth in the wind energy footprint southeast of Bakersfield, CA between 2001 and 2019. Note how new turbines fan out in curved patterns northeast and southwest of existing clusters as the years pass, and how those early clusters grow larger and more concentrated. Follow this link to learn more about NLCD 2019: http://ow.ly/NQCZ50FJAJr. Download NLCD 2019 here: http://ow.ly/Tn7O50FJAJs Click this link to hear a podcast on NLCD 2019 that explains the project history, as well as the importance of NLCD’s impervious surface mapping products: http://ow.ly/HIXp50FJAJq

Mapping Challenge Update: As summer rolls along, so does the progress of our two current Mapping Challenges. Editing to all City/Town Halls in Alaska is now complete! We again want to express our appreciation of the time and talents of our volunteer citizen scientists. What is a “Mapping Challenge”? The National Map Corps is a recognized citizen science program that leverages crowd sourcing techniques and volunteers to update structure data on USGS map products. For the past several months, TNMCorps has increased its use of “Mapping Challenges” to collect data on specific structures within focused areas. Updates to current Challenges: • FINISHED: City/Town Halls in Alaska Mapping Challenge News Release: http://ow.ly/7fRd50FJH4Z

Mapping Challenge Update: As summer rolls along, so does the progress of our two current Mapping Challenges. Editing to all Fire Stations in Mississippi is now complete! We again want to express our appreciation of the time and talents of our volunteer citizen scientists. What is a “Mapping Challenge”? The National Map Corps is a recognized citizen science program that leverages crowd sourcing techniques and volunteers to update structure data on USGS map products. For the past several months, TNMCorps has increased its use of “Mapping Challenges” to collect data on specific structures within focused areas. Updates to current Challenges: • FINISHED: Fire Stations in Mississippi Mapping Challenge News Release: http://ow.ly/3d5q50FJH77

The @USGeologicalSurvey National Land Cover Database (NLCD) informs the study of land change from natural or man-made disasters. Note the huge swath of shrubland that gave way to grass between 2011 and 2013 after large wildfires burned through Nevada's northern border. By 2019, small patches of shrubland begin to reappear. Follow this link to learn about the just-released NLCD 2019 mapping products: http://ow.ly/TpWG50FFAhW Follow this link to download the data at no cost: http://ow.ly/e5D050FFAhX Follow this link to see county-by-county change: http://ow.ly/jLli50FFAhY

Join USGS researchers Jason Chaytor and Kira Mizell as they participate virtually in a @NOAAOceanExploration to the depths of the North Atlantic. This video highlights the collaboration between USGS and NOAA scientists as they explore the largely unmapped seafloor during the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones: New England and Corner Rise Seamounts expedition. Researchers use remotely operated vehicles to explore seamounts (steep underwater mountains) all without getting wet! As the expedition's geology leads, USGS scientists Jason Chaytor and Kira Mizell work from shore to help develop dive plans, lead and narrate the dives for a world-wide audience, and coordinate science outcomes. @usinterior @noaaocean @noaa #USGS #science #NOAA #NOAAOceanExploration #ocean #seamounts #ROV #seafloormapping #science #deepsea

Timelapse_CityTownHalls_IN.mp4

Mapping Challenge Update: Hoping everyone enjoyed their 4th of July holiday! As summer rolls along, so does the progress of our three current Mapping Challenges. Editing to the City/Town Halls in Indiana is now complete! Editing to all City/Town Halls in Alaska and Fire Stations in Mississippi begins at a good pace. We again want to express our appreciation of the time and talents of our volunteer citizen scientists. What is a “Mapping Challenge”? The National Map Corps is a recognized citizen science program that leverages crowd sourcing techniques and volunteers to update structure data on USGS map products. For the past several months, TNMCorps has increased its use of “Mapping Challenges” to collect data on specific structures within focused areas. Updates to current Challenges: • Ongoing: City/Town Halls in Alaska • Ongoing: Fire Stations in Mississippi (almost 150 edits since last week) • FINISHED: City/Town Halls in Indiana (summary stats available: http://ow.ly/LsBN50Fs1u2) Mapping Challenge News Release: http://ow.ly/nNl650Fs1u1

Challenge accepted! We are pleased to announce the Mapping Challenge completion and results of the recent challenge to edit all Law Enforcement in Arkansas. A total of 10 volunteers participated and edited 241 unique points throughout the challenge. Many thanks to our volunteers who contributed to this quick opportunity. Volunteers: 1. Elise Woolsey 2. fconley 3. genovt 4. geo163 5. ktomansager 6. LuisLujano2021 7. Moeed B 8. Mr Ballwin 9. superlemur 10. taheralfayad (*This list only includes participants who have given consent to publish their username. Did you participate but don't see your username? Check your profile dashboard to make sure you've given consent for us to list your username). Summary of edits by user role: • Standard Editor: 16 • Peer Reviewer: 0 • Advanced Editor: 250 For more information on Mapping Challenges: http://ow.ly/aBXo50Fqlud

It’s the 1-year anniversary of the M5.8 Lone Pine CA earthquake – the last of four moderate-sized quakes (M5.7 – Magna UT, M6.5 – Stanley ID, M6.5 – Monte Cristo NV) that struck the conterminous U.S. in 2020, and we have a special surprise for you! An interactive #geonarrative aka #storymap about the four Intermountain West earthquakes is now live and available for viewing at: http://ow.ly/BKQh50FhK9E Learn more about these quakes and the historic earthquakes in this part of the western U.S. This immersive experience (best viewed on a computer) includes maps, photos from the field and links to journal papers, earthquake event pages, data and more. #earthquake #earthquakes #arcgisstorymap #arcgis #fault #faults #geology #usgs