All News

USGS Launches Interactive Streamflow Map Tools

krossos@usgs.gov — Sat, 1 Aug 2026 06:06:51 EDT

The U.S. Geological Survey New England Water Science Center launched two new web applications that use color to indicate the status of certain water conditions at USGS streamgages. Both web tools are colorful, interactive maps that visually depict whether a gage is above or below typical water levels or within certain state-required baseflow limits.

Volcano Minute — Aloha to Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:09:35 EDT

After nearly a decade as the Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator, Talmadge Magno will retire on August 1, 2026.

Volcano Watch — A decade of disaster response: Mahalo to Talmadge Magno, Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 19:28:34 EDT

Talmadge Magno, Administrator of Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency (CD), who navigated the Island of Hawaiʻi response to volcanic eruptions from multiple volcanoes, the COVID-19 pandemic, fires, earthquakes, tsunami warnings, hurricanes, and historic Kona low storms, retires effective on August 1, 2026.

Photo & Video Chronology — Full moon and lava fountain: Kīlauea summit episode 52

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:42:30 EDT

Lava fountaining episode 52 at the summit of Kīlauea took place over about 7.5 hours on July 28-29, 2026, coinciding with a full moon.

Don't try to have a pillow fight with these pillows!

jlball@usgs.gov — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 16:53:01 EDT

Geology can be a very descriptive science, and sometimes the terms they use are both informative and playful. When lava is extruded underwater, or flows into water, a diagnostic shape called “pillow lava” can form.

Hydrologic Technician Job Opening in Richmond, VA

ckandel@usgs.gov — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:53:56 EDT

Love to work outdoors? Ready for a job involving opportunities for independence and teamwork maintaining and troubleshooting at the front line of USGS water data collection? We have a current job opening for a hydrologic technician in our Richmond office.

Media Alert: Low-level Flights to Image Geology over Eastern Kansas

jolene_gittens@ios.doi.gov — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:44:20 EDT

RESTON, Va. – Low-level airplane flights will begin as soon as late July over eastern Kansas to image geology using airborne geophysical technology.

Saving imperiled native Hawaiian birds: Leveraging avian malaria and mosquito ecology research to support effective mosquito control in Hawaiʻi

kkovacs@usgs.gov — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:02:33 EDT

August 8 marks Hawaiian Honeycreeper Celebration Day, which recognizes Hawai'i's unique native forest birds. This Friday's Findings will showcase how USGS scientists are helping support native bird conservation in Hawai'i.

Morphodynamics of dune-based coastal flood mitigation under sea-level rise

ppearsall@usgs.gov — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:32:29 EDT

Natural and engineered sand dunes serve as barriers to protect against storms. Engineered sand dunes, called "Nature-based Solutions", are increasingly being used for coastal protection, yet their effectiveness remains understudied. New research finds that dunes' flood protection benefits depend not only on the size of the storm, but also on how the dunes themselves change during the event.

Landsat Illustrates the Life Cycle of a Mine

jlawson@contractor.usgs.gov — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:00:00 EDT

Any number of satellites can show us what the Earth’s surface looks like now—but only the Landsat Program can reveal more than 50 years of change. We can watch cities grow, farmland shrink, and forests and lakes fluctuate.

New 3D Elevation Program Fact Sheet for Wisconsin

jmbaker@usgs.gov — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 07:39:07 EDT

Learn about 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) lidar data for Wisconsin in the new fact sheet -
The 3D Elevation Program - Supporting Wisconsin's Economy

Are those volcanoes…or a volcanic field?

mpoland@usgs.gov — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:30:00 EDT

Although not as dramatic as past explosive eruptions at Yellowstone, Idaho is home to several young volcanic eruptions. Geologists are currently evaluating whether many of these young eruptions should be considered individual volcanoes or lumped together as a volcanic field.

Humpback chub rebound: USGS science uncovers population increase and range expansion for threatened fish

meredith_hartwell@ios.doi.gov — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 18:49:26 EDT

A new USGS study estimates that adult humpback chub in western Grand Canyon increased roughly 160-fold between 2010 and 2024, a large population increase within this river segment, even as the long-term resilience of the population overall remains unknown.

Low-Flow Statistics Flow Report Available in StreamStats

richard_young@ios.doi.gov — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:18:20 EDT

The South Atlantic Water Science Center has integrated regionalization models for estimating Low-Flow Frequency Statistics at ungaged locations into the USGS StreamStats web application. This new functionality allows users to generate reports on basin characteristics, low-flow statistics, and mean annual flow, for Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Texas LiDAR-derived StreamStats application now available

tara_gross@ios.doi.gov — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 11:10:42 EDT

Texas StreamStats with new LiDAR-derived data provides an opportunity for improved accuracy of watershed delineations and streamlines.

Volcano Minute — Mauna Loa on the move

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 18:27:26 EDT

Today, we’re taking a look at how scientists track movement at Earth’s largest active volcano—Mauna Loa.

Volcano Watch — Watching volcanoes move, one survey at a time

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:48:55 EDT

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) relies heavily on Global Positioning System (GPS) data to monitor volcanic activity in Hawaii. Data are collected by a combination of permanent stations and annual surveys, which give scientists a picture of Mauna Loa’s changing shape over time.

A mid-ocean ridge revealed by 3D magnetic modeling: New geologic map of Escanaba Trough

ppearsall@usgs.gov — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 16:43:48 EDT

Nearly two hundred miles offshore of the Oregon/California border lies Escanaba Trough, a unique mid-ocean ridge covered in deep sediment up to 500 meters thick, dotted with active hydrothermal vent systems. Detailed study of its geologic structure has long been hindered by those thick layers of sediment—until now.

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

lcolasuonno@usgs.gov — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:17:14 EDT

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

EESC in the News: Sturgeon Genetics

kknotts@usgs.gov — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:40:22 EDT

By Karl Blankenship

Bay Journal, July 20, 2026

Last fall on Marshyhope Creek, which flows into the Nanticoke River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, biologists found something they thought they might never see: six adult female sturgeon that appeared ready to spawn.

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

aaarcher@usgs.gov — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 08:01:05 EDT

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.

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

mpoland@usgs.gov — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:30:00 EDT

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?

Happy International Moon Day!

jrichie@usgs.gov — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 18:26:00 EDT

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.

NASA Releases Landsat 10 Spacecraft Request for Proposal

lowen@contractor.usgs.gov — Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:33:38 EDT

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.

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

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:18:39 EDT

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

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

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 21:05:48 EDT

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!

Volcano Watch — When will Halemaʻumaʻu fill with lava?

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 19:44:15 EDT

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...

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

twojtowicz@usgs.gov — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 15:14:21 EDT

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.

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

aaarcher@usgs.gov — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:58:51 EDT

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.

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

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:37:28 EDT

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.