USGS Newsroom

U.S. Mineral Values Up in 2011

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:55:58 EDT

The value of mineral production in the United States increased by 12 percent in 2011 from that of 2010, suggesting that the nonfuel minerals industries, particularly metals, continued to recover from the economic recession that began in December 2007 and lasted well into 2009

Severe Declines in Everglades Mammals Linked to Pythons

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:52:18 EDT

Precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park have been linked to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons, according to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Airborne Geophysical Survey Offers New Insight Into Permafrost in Alaska

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:44:10 EDT

A pioneering airborne electromagnetic survey in the Yukon Flats near Fort Yukon, Alaska, by the U.S. Geological Survey has yielded unprecedented images of the presence and absence of permafrost to depths of roughly 328 feet

Acid Rain Study Show Substantial Decreases, But More Progress Is Needed

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:23:54 EDT

Measurable improvements in air quality and visibility, human health, and water quality in many acid-sensitive lakes and streams, have been achieved through emissions reductions from electric generating power plants and resulting decreases in acid rain

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Marks a Century of Research and Monitoring

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:02:45 EDT

HAWAI`I ISLAND, Hawaii — In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory celebrates its 100th anniversary of studying the volcanoes’ workings and disseminating cutting-edge volcano science throughout the world. Many public events are planned to celebrate the centennial of HVO, the first volcano observatory in the United States.

Dramatic Links Found Between Climate Change, Elk, Plants, and Birds

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Mon, 9 Jan 2012 11:30:00 EDT

Missoula, MT – Climate change in the form of reduced snowfall in mountains is causing powerful and cascading shifts in mountainous plant and bird communities through the increased ability of elk to stay at high elevations over winter and consume plants, according to a groundbreaking study in Nature Climate Change.

Satellite Tracking Helps Russian Tanker Navigate Critical Sea Duck Habitat

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Fri, 6 Jan 2012 13:01:22 EDT

On its way to deliver emergency fuel to Nome, Alaska, the Russian tanker Renda will move through an area used by wintering spectacled eiders, a federally threatened sea duck. But, to protect the ducks and their wintering habitat, resource managers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and navigators from the U.S. Coast Guard are using satellite telemetry information from the U.S. Geological Survey to plot a route for the tanker that minimizes impacts to this species and its habitat

Salt Water Alone Unlikely to Halt Burmese Python Invasion

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Wed, 4 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EDT

Invasive Burmese python hatchlings from the Florida Everglades can withstand exposure to salt water long enough to potentially expand their range through ocean and estuarine environments, according to research in the latest issue of the Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology

Citizen Scientists Key to Success for National Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Tue, 3 Jan 2012 18:56:17 EDT

A key annual event in the recovery of Bald Eagle populations takes place January 4-18, when hundreds of citizen scientists take to the field for the 34th annual Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey

New Research Shows How Much Food is Needed by Seabirds

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:00:00 EDT

An international group of scientists, including one from the U.S. Geological Survey, has shown that many seabirds begin to suffer when the food available for them in the ocean declines below a critical level

Mercury Deposition Greater near Major U.S. Cities

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 9:03:43 EDT

Atmospheric deposition of mercury is about four-times higher in lakes near several major U.S. cities compared to lakes in remote areas, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey.

U.S.-Canada Arctic Ocean Survey Partnership Saved Costs, Increased Data

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:41:47 EDT

A recent mission marked the completion of a five-year collaboration between the United States and Canada to survey the Arctic Ocean.

Baron Named President-Elect of Ecological Society of America

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 8:04:59 EDT

U.S. Geological Survey research ecologist Dr. Jill Baron has just been named President-Elect of the Ecological Society of America.

Scientific Literature Review Finds Opportunities for More Research on Solar Energy Development and Impacts to Wildlife

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Fri, 9 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EDT

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – More peer-reviewed scientific studies of the effects on wildlife of large-scale solar energy developments and operations are needed to adequately assess their impact, especially in the desert Southwest, according to a scientific literature review conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and published in the journal BioScience.

Prestigious Honor Given to USGS Scientist for Work on Aquifer Contamination

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) — Wed, 7 Dec 2011 7:00:00 EDT

Mary Jo Baedecker, USGS scientist emerita and former USGS Chief Scientist for Hydrology, has been named a 2011 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fellow for her pioneering research on aquifer contamination