Current Events

Media Alert: Low-level Flights to Image Geology over Northeastern Iowa and Southeastern Minnesota

RESTON, Va. – Low-level airplane flights will begin as soon as early November over northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota to image geology using airborne geophysical technology. 

Published: Fri, 6 Nov 2026 12:33:08 EST

Volcano Watch — Such great heights: measuring Kīlauea’s lava fountains

“How tall is the fountain?”  

This is the question that volcano watchers keep coming back to once the lava fountains start at Kīlauea.  And there have been plenty of opportunities to ask this, as we’ve now had 56 lava fountains over the past two years at the summit of Kīlauea.   

Published: Thu, 5 Nov 2026 18:30:20 EST

Volcano Minute — How tall is that fountain?

When lava fountains have erupted at the summit of Kīlauea, one question always quickly follows: How tall is that fountain? 

Published: Thu, 5 Nov 2026 18:02:21 EST

Mercury exposure to northern elephant seal pups in utero is high and affected by the oceanic foraging behavior of their moms

USGS researchers led a 10-year collaborative research effort to see how maternal foraging strategies affect the transfer of mercury to their offspring.

Published: Wed, 4 Nov 2026 20:16:29 EST

Wildfires Increased Feather River Water Flow

A new study led by U.S. Geological Survey scientists estimates that the 2020 and 2021 wildfires in northern California increased the amount of water moving through the upper Feather River watershed. With fewer plants using water after the fires, more water stayed in the soil or flowed into streams. The watershed feeds Lake Oroville, which helps supply water to more than 27 million people.

Published: Wed, 4 Nov 2026 14:29:44 EST

Mercury contamination interacts with stress hormones to influence the immune and endocrine systems of adult northern elephant seals

A 10-year USGS collaborative study explores the interactive effects of mercury contamination and stress on northern elephant seals.

Published: Tue, 3 Nov 2026 19:11:47 EST

Media Alert: Low-level Flights to Image Geology over Central Texas

RESTON, Va. – Low-level airplane flights will begin in early November over central Texas to image geology using airborne geophysical technology.

Published: Tue, 3 Nov 2026 13:55:41 EST

Picturing the Unimaginable: Two Artists’ Early Journey into Yellowstone's Untamed Wonders

How can a landscape of vividly colored hot springs and erupting geysers be conveyed when it defies imagination? As part of Ferdinand Hayden’s 1871 survey of Yellowstone, artist Thomas Moran and photographer William Jackson brought Yellowstone’s unimaginable wonder to the world through their paintings and photographs.

Published: Mon, 2 Nov 2026 00:30:00 EST

New USGS data release on Kīlauea lava fountain heights

A new Data Release by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory provides measurements of lava fountain heights during episodes 1–50 of the ongoing episodic eruption in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea, which began December 23, 2024.

Published: Fri, 30 Oct 2026 15:02:15 EDT

Webinar Series - Fueling Discovery with USGS Wildland Fire Science

Fueling Discovery with USGS Wildland Fire Science is a public webinar series hosted by USGS Wildland Fire Science and the Ecosystems Mission Area. These webinars are meant to provide information on the breadth of USGS fire science used by stakeholders to make decisions before, during, and after wildfires in ecosystems across the U.S.

Published: Fri, 30 Oct 2026 10:54:03 EDT

A True Halloween Story Treat: The dirt on Oppy’s demise!

On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Delta II Heavy launch vehicle jetted toward Mars on 7 July 2003 at 11:18:15 PM, Eastern daylight time. A robotic rover formally named Opportunity, and dearly nick-named “Oppy” was a passenger on the rocket. Oppy’s profession was a robot geologist on assignment for NASA to find water and evidence for past life on Mars.

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:38:13 EDT

Towards Continental Conservation: A Metapopulation Strategy to Support Collaborative Bison Restoration and Management

Join us for a bison-centric Friday's Findings in honor of National Bison Day (November 7)! Tune in to learn how USGS scientists are helping to inform bison restoration and management. 

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:27:22 EDT

Volcano Minute — A Quiet Eruption Beneath the Pacific

Beneath the ocean’s surface, submarine volcanoes carry out about 75 percent of Earth’s volcanic activity, but much of what they do remains hidden from view. 

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:08:07 EDT

Modernizing Landsat Notifications: SNS Topics Replace RSS Feeds

The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center uses Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) topics to notify users when new Landsat Collection 2 data and science products are added to the archive’s cloud-based inventory.

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:37:56 EDT

Podcast Explores the Links Between Storms and Invasive Species in the Pacific Region

A new podcast episode examines how storms increase the risks posed by invasive species on islands and highlights efforts by the Pacific Islands CASC and the Pacific RISCC Management Network to strengthen regional preparedness and response capacity.

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:54:25 EDT

Volcano Watch — Ruby seamount: A glimpse into the secret life of a submarine volcano

Submarine volcanoes are enigmatic and mysterious because they are cloaked by the overlying ocean, yet their activity represents 75% of earth’s volcanism.

Published: Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:50:53 EDT

Branching out: New study reveals when invasive pythons take to the trees

Effective management of invasive species often depends on not only understanding where the species lives, but how it behaves. In Big Cypress National Preserve, USGS scientists are uncovering new insights into the behavior of one of Florida’s most prolific invasive snakes – the Burmese python. A new study provides important context for understanding and managing this formidable snake. 

Published: Wed, 28 Oct 2026 11:32:30 EDT

USGS Study Outlines Scope and Severity of Bat Fatalities at US Wind Energy Facilities

A new USGS study reveals that an estimated 18.7 million bats have been killed at U.S. onshore wind energy facilities since 1981, far more than previously understood. By analyzing data from hundreds of wind projects, researchers identified the species most vulnerable to turbine collisions and uncovered patterns that could help reduce future bat fatalities.

Published: Tue, 27 Oct 2026 10:34:23 EDT

SAWSC Hydrologist Presents at the Biennial Okefenokee Science Symposium

SAWSC Hydrologist Greg Cherry was invited to speak at the Biennial Okefenokee Science Symposium. Cherry presented on the Floridan aquifer system in Coastal Georgia and issues with saltwater intrusion in the Savannah/Hilton Head area and near downtown Brunswick, Georgia.

Published: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:28:02 EDT

Crystal clues: The case of the Lava Creek Tuff’s missing members

Recent studies are changing the way geologists think about the Lava Creek Tuff—the deposit that was created during the formation of Yellowstone Caldera 631,000 years ago. That eruption seems to have been even more complex than originally thought.

Published: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:30:00 EDT

Photo & Video Chronology — Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff conducted a lava sampling mission and monitoring overflight of Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea the morning of October 22, 2026, following episode 55 which occurred on October 17, 2026.

Published: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 18:31:49 EDT

Media Alert: Low-level Flights to Image Geology over Western Idaho

RESTON, Va. – The U.S. Geological Survey plans low-level helicopter flights over western Idaho in October and early November to image geology using airborne geophysical technology.

Published: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:30:21 EDT

Volcano Watch — A look back at recent Kīlauea eruptions and intrusions

A caldera intrusion from September 30-October 1, amidst the ongoing episodic lava fountaining eruption at Kīlauea summit, has a lot of people wondering what will come next. Eruptions and magmatic intrusions are not unusual, and Kīlauea has experienced many of these in the summit region and along the rift zones over the past few years.

Published: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:18:35 EDT

Volcano Minute — Patterns of eruptions and intrusions at Kīlauea

If you've been wondering what Kīlauea's recent caldera intrusion means, you're not alone. 

Published: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:05:58 EDT

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center at the 2026 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America Meeting

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) scientists and collaborators are presenting findings from hazard and risk studies at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America 47th Annual Meeting in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from November 2-5, 2026.

Published: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:03:25 EDT

Summer Drought May Increase Human-Bear Interactions in Maryland

By mapping where human-bear interactions are most likely to occur under normal and drought conditions in Maryland, National CASC research can help wildlife managers support coexistence.

Published: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:27:55 EDT

The Global Food-and-Water Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Project held its 5th Workshop

Summary of the Global Food-and-Water Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Project Workshop held on October 15th-16th, 2026 at the U. S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Flagstaff Science Center

Published: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:04:30 EDT

USGS Releases Assessment of Undiscovered Natural Gas Resources in Alaska’s North Slope

RESTON, Va. — The U.S. Geological Survey released an assessment estimating 96 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable, undiscovered natural gas resources on Alaska’s North Slope.

Published: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:06:27 EDT

New Improvements to Burn Severity Portal Announced

Recent improvements to the Burn Severity Portal have streamlined data access for wildfire response and analysis.  

Published: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:39:00 EDT

2026 Best Student Geologic Map Competition Winners

The U.S. Geological Survey National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Best Student Geologic Map Competition, which took place at the annual Geological Society of America (GSA) Connects meeting in Denver, CO this past October.

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:55:32 EDT