Current Events

CDI projects highlighted at the Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) July Meeting

A poster about the Community for Data Integration (CDI) at the 2026 Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Meeting highlights CDI projects and products.

Published: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:17:14 EDT

From source to streams: New national models estimate seasonal nutrients over 21 years in rivers across the U.S.

Excess nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in streams can lead to the need for costly water treatment and ecosystem management. New USGS nutrient models examine how nutrients move from landscape to streams, including how past pollution affects water quality today. These models quantify nutrient loads (by source), yields, delivery, and concentrations seasonally over time.

Published: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 08:01:05 EDT

Fire and ice: were Yellowstone’s past volcanic eruptions and glaciations related?

At least 28 rhyolitic lava flows, domes, and tuffs erupted since the formation of Yellowstone Caldera 631,000 years ago. Yellowstone’s past also includes multiple glacial periods. Are the eruptions and glaciations related?

Published: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:30:00 EDT

Happy International Moon Day!

Join us in celebration of International Moon Day held on July 20, marking the anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon during Apollo 11 in 1969. Our nearest neighbor has made headlines for over 50 years, and still serves as an analog for our present and future pursuit of new knowledge of our Solar System. 

Published: Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:26:00 EDT

NASA Releases Landsat 10 Spacecraft Request for Proposal

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has published a new Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Landsat 10 Spacecraft. Proposals are due August 13, 2026.

Published: Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:33:38 EDT

Volcano Minute — Will lava flow out of the caldera and, if so, when?

A question we hear often is Will the lava erupting in Halemaʻumaʻu eventually flow out of Kīlauea summit caldera?  

Published: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:18:39 EDT

Got a minute? HVO launches weekly “Volcano Minute” audio update

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) has been publishing weekly “Volcano Watch” articles for over 30 years. Now, we are launching another weekly feature, the “Volcano Minute,” a brief audio update for radio stations and available online! 

Published: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:05:48 EDT

Volcano Watch — When will Halemaʻumaʻu fill with lava?

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) staff are often asked, “Will lava erupted during the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu eventually flow out of the caldera? And if so, when?” The answer is complicated... 

Published: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:44:15 EDT

USGS Research Informs Big Game Management—Mule Deer Sensitive to Temperature Extremes and Habitat Quality

To help inform big game-related restoration priorities, the USGS and their collaborators assessed the drivers of change in mule deer fawn-to-doe ratios over 20 years in Wyoming in summer and winter use areas.

Published: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:14:21 EDT

The Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) launches national research and development program

Researchers, students, and partners from across organizations came together at the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility (HIF) to conduct the facility's first coordinated research, development, and innovation activities, demonstrating the HIF’s role as a national platform for water science and technology development. 

Published: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:58:51 EDT

Photo & Video Chronology — Kīlauea summit post-episode 51 fieldwork

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists completed a helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u on July 16, following Kīlauea summit eruption episode 51 the day before.

Published: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:37:28 EDT

Photo & Video Chronology — Kīlauea summit episode 51

Episode 51 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu began at the summit of Kīlauea began at 8:30 a.m. HST on July 15, 2026.

Published: Wed, 15 Jul 2026 18:18:29 EDT

IGBST Public Notifications and Resources

As part of ongoing efforts required under the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) captures and monitors grizzly bears for research and monitoring purposes. Here you will find capture notifications for the current field season.

Published: Wed, 15 Jul 2026 06:15:00 EDT

Photo & Video Chronology — Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight

On Tuesday, July 14, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists completed a brief monitoring helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. 

Published: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 20:49:49 EDT

Waves, not just runoff, drive sediment buildup on American Samoa coral reefs

Sediment washing into coral reefs from land has long been viewed as one of the biggest threats to reef health. But new research from USGS and collaborators indicates that what happens after sediment reaches the reef may be just as important as where it comes from.

Published: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:45:52 EDT

Rattlesnakes shed in groups

Prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) may gather to shed skin - a newly documented behavior observed by researchers at the Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. Dr. Courtney Conway, and graduate student Emily Martin, initially set out to document Prairie rattlesnake movement but ended up observing a unique behavior. 

Published: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:45:10 EDT

USGS Scientists at the 2026 Long Island Sound Research Conference

The 2026 Long Island Sound Research Conference brings together researchers, managers, academia, and community partners to share the latest science and strengthen collaborations focused on the future of Long Island Sound. This year, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) highlighted a range of ocean, coastal, and watershed science needed to better understand the Sound today and prepare for tomorrow. 

Published: Tue, 14 Jul 2026 10:24:17 EDT

New Kīlauea summit eruption maps

New eruption maps depict the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024.

Published: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:52:42 EDT

Magnitude-4.5 Earthquake Information Statement

On Thursday, July 9, 8:17 p.m. HST, a magnitude-4.5 earthquake occurred 34 mi (54 km) west-southwest of Captain Cook on the Island of Hawaiʻi at a depth of 24 mi (39 km) below sea level.

Published: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 17:20:35 EDT

The USGS Library Celebrates 250 Years of Discovery and Exploration

The Library is proud to showcase these examples of the USGS’s role in our nation’s history – from first steps in cartography, to advances in mapping and printing, and into the future with our characteristic scientific excellence.

Published: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:16:58 EDT

Media Alert: Low-level flights to image geology of northeast Nevada

RESTON, Va. – The U.S. Geological Survey plans low-level helicopter flights over northeastern Nevada to image geology using airborne geophysical technology. The flights are scheduled to begin in July and continue until next October, weather and other flight restrictions permitting.

Published: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:28:00 EDT

What’s that smell? Tracking Yellowstone’s hydrocarbon history

Hydrocarbons in Yellowstone?  Yes indeed, there are oil seeps in the northeastern part of the park! These seeps are a consequence of the region’s long and complex geological history.

Published: Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:30:00 EDT

Volcano Minute — Hawaii’s deep earthquakes explained

If you’ve felt earthquake shaking lately, you’re not alone. Over the past several months, a handful of large, deep earthquakes have rattled the Island of Hawaiʻi—including the magnitude‑6.0 that was felt state-wide on May 22nd, followed by magnitude‑4.6 and 4.7 earthquakes in early June. 

Published: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 19:58:47 EDT

Volcano Watch — A deep dive into Hawaii’s deep earthquakes

Island of Hawaiʻi residents may have felt shaking recently from large, deep earthquakes. Deep earthquakes like this have been recorded since the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) first started monitoring Hawaii’s volcanoes in 1912. 

Published: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 16:30:13 EDT

Hazard Ready Nation—Actionable Science for Risk Reduction

The USGS Strategy for a Hazard Ready Nation provides an approach that our researchers and staff can use to deliver actionable, user-focused science that supports risk-informed decision making aimed at reducing risk and losses across the Nation. The Strategy builds upon successful efforts within the USGS and seeks to promote and prioritize similar work in the future under an organized framework.

Published: Thu, 9 Jul 2026 11:05:09 EDT

Environmental DNA Monitoring Protects Fish Hatchery from Invasive Species

USGS NOROCK scientists, in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, used environmental DNA monitoring in the early detection of invasive New Zealand mudsnails in a fish hatchery, enabling a rapid and successful eradication response. This effort prevented a mudsnail infestation that could have led to long-term operational disruption or permanent facility closure.

Published: Wed, 8 Jul 2026 16:50:15 EDT

New publications on livestreaming cameras and Mauna Loa

Two articles recently published by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff highlight livestreaming cameras and Mauna Loa's 1868 eruption. 

Published: Wed, 8 Jul 2026 15:15:28 EDT

Great Salt Lake sediments record thousands of years of earthquake history

As the largest lake west of the Mississippi River with an average depth of around five meters (~16 feet), the Great Salt Lake offers an opportunity to explore acoustic and sedimentary archives of earthquake ruptures in a shallow terminal basin. A new USGS study addresses questions related to how Great Salt Lake sediments respond to surface rupture and earthquake shaking.

Published: Wed, 8 Jul 2026 13:20:42 EDT

Photo & Video Chronology — Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight

On Tuesday, July 7, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists completed a brief monitoring helicopter overflight of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. 

Published: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 17:17:46 EDT

Voyage into the Past: Stories from the California Current

USGS scientists are using geochemical proxies to reconstruct past ocean conditions and better understand long-term changes to Earth's marine ecosystems. Join Friday's Findings as USGS researcher Jason Addison shares how paleoceanographic tools are shedding light on past conditions and offering insight to how marine systems respond to environmental change.

Published: Tue, 7 Jul 2026 16:31:38 EDT