All News

Volcano Watch — Caldera clues: tephra deposits from Kīlauea’s past

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 9 Apr 2026 16:01:13 EDT

Past “Volcano Watch” articles have summarized the episodic lava fountaining eruptions in Kīlauea’s recent history—within the past couple hundred years. A look further back in the geologic record reveals that several lava fountaining eruptions similar to the ongoing one in Halemaʻumaʻu occurred within Kīlauea caldera within the past 500 years.

New open access articles on Mauna Loa 2022 eruption

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 17:58:23 EDT

Recent publications in a special Bulletin of Volcanology volume, titled, "Mauna Loa 2022 – Unrest, Eruption, and Outreach at the World’s Largest Volcano," present multidisciplinary studies of Mauna Loa investigating magma storage and ascent, summit and rift zone dynamics, and fissure and lava flow processes and hazard assessments. Several of these papers are open access and available online.

Alaska Park Science: USGS and National Park Service Partners in Research

lmcduffie@usgs.gov — Wed, 8 Apr 2026 11:42:33 EDT

The latest issue of Alaska Park Science features articles on collaborative research between USGS and NPS scientists in park units across Alaska, building a body of science that informs a variety of disciplines as well as park management.

USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day: Implications of highly pathogenic avian influenza to ecosystem health

sally_house@ios.doi.gov — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 10:50:54 EDT

We are proud to celebrate the 2nd Annual USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day on Friday, April 24, 2026. As the lead federal agency for wildlife disease research and surveillance, USGS connects the dots between animal health, human health, and the outdoor traditions that communities across the country hold dear. Join us on Friday, April 24th for a wildlife health-focused Friday's Findings webinar!

Can't make it to the Moon? Try California's volcanoes!

jlball@usgs.gov — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 09:00:00 EDT

If you listened to astronauts describing the surface of the Moon during the NASA Artemis II flyby yesterday, you might be interested to learn about the roles California's volcanoes - and the USGS - have played in the history of lunar exploration!

Western Fisheries Research Center Institutional Animal Care and Use Meeting - April 20, 2026

nandita_kohli@ios.doi.gov — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 14:53:51 EDT

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for oversight of the animal care and use program and the components as described in the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

SAWSC Scientists Share Latest Research Results at North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (NC WRRI) Conference

richard_young@ios.doi.gov — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 11:07:52 EDT

Scientists Will Hamilton, Charlie Stillwell, and Rosemary Fanelli presented their latest research at the 2026 annual North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (NC WRRI) conference.

Landsat 9 Products Impacted by 2025 Safehold Now Available

lowen@contractor.usgs.gov — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 10:10:05 EDT

Landsat 9 data acquired following an October 2025 safehold event were recently processed into Landsat Level-1 and Level-2 products for the first time and are now available for download.

Additionally, a small number of Landsat products processed just prior and just after the safehold were also reprocessed.

The path of least resistance: Investigating hot spring plumbing systems in Yellowstone using electrical measurements

mpoland@usgs.gov — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 00:30:00 EDT

Have you ever wondered what it looks like underneath a Yellowstone hot spring? Clues about those hot water plumbing systems can be learned by using electricity to probe the subsurface!

Volcano Watch — Adapting to an evolving eruption: revising Kīlauea’s Alert Level and Aviation Color Code Notifications

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 22:56:54 EDT

The USGS Volcano Alert Level (ground-based hazards) and Aviation Color Code (airborne hazards) communicate Kīlauea status and activity. After episode 44, which is forecast to begin between April 6–14, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) will change how it applies the Alert Level and Aviation Color Code to better convey hazards between and during eruptive episodes at Kīlauea summit.

New England WSC Products in the First Quarter of 2026

smieszek@usgs.gov — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 10:43:24 EDT

List of products from the New England Water Science Center released in the first quarter of 2026.

Land Treatment Exploration Tool 3.0 Launch

lisa_hoaks@ios.doi.gov — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 19:00:09 EDT

The U.S. Geological Survey launched an updated version of the Land Treatment Exploration Tool that includes many new features for a better user experience.

Land Treatment Digital Library Version 2.0 Launch

lisa_hoaks@ios.doi.gov — Wed, 1 Apr 2026 18:28:52 EDT

The U.S. Geological Survey launched an updated version (2.0) of the Land Treatment Digital Library to improve user experience, include additional data, and enhance Bureau of Land Management access.

Photo & Video Chronology — March 31, 2026 — Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:40:08 EDT

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists completed a helicopter overflight of the Kīlauea summit on March 31, 2026, during which they captured photos of the eruptive vents in Halemaʻumaʻu, along with the tephra deposit from the ongoing episodic lava fountaining eruption.

Predicting Harmful Algal Blooms and Toxicity in the San Francisco Estuary

harry_ackley@ios.doi.gov — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:37:36 EDT

In fall 2023, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a five‑year, $3 million Monitoring and Event Response Research Program (MERHAB) grant to improve Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) detection in the San Francisco Estuary.

New AI Tool Forecasts Drought 90 Days Ahead Nationwide

jlavista@usgs.gov — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:00:00 EDT

RESTON, Va. — The U.S. Geological Survey released a new machine learning tool that forecasts droughts up to 90 days ahead nationwide. The tool may provide communities extra time to prepare for water shortages that could impact agriculture, municipal supplies, recreation and ecosystems.

Powell Center Seminar: Beyond waves and shifting sand: considering ecosystem processes in forecasts of coastal landscape change

lhsu@usgs.gov — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:17:32 EDT

Join us for a Powell Center seminar on Monday, April 13 from 1-2 pm MT / 3-4 pm ET.

Landsat Bulk Metadata Now Accessible in New Format

lowen@contractor.usgs.gov — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:36:02 EDT

Landsat product metadata are now available in the Apache Parquet file format, in addition to existing CSV and XML files. Parquet files help users access metadata information more efficiently and provide faster, customized results.

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center at the 2026 Northeast Fish & Wildlife Conference

kknotts@usgs.gov — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:25:00 EDT

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) researchers are presenting findings of scientific studies at the 81st Annual Northeast Fish & Wildlife Conference in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia from April 7-10, 2026.

Volcanism on the other side of the world from the Yellowstone Caldera

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

The location on the other side of the world from the Yellowstone Caldera is in the southern Indian Ocean—a site near the Kerguelen Plateau, which formed about 130 million years ago and still hosts a few very remote and active volcanoes.

Volcano Watch — Taking Kīlauea’s Temperature

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:40:03 EDT

Geochemical analysis of erupted tephra samples over the past decade help scientists understand the temperature of Kīlauea’s shallow magma system under the summit—and things have been “heating up!”

Which bees need help? Assessing Southeast species before the buzz fades

sally_house@ios.doi.gov — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:17:37 EDT

Discover which Southeast bee species may be at risk and how USGS research is helping protect them. Join our April 10th Friday’s Findings webinar exploring conservation status and climate vulnerability insights for overlooked native bees.

Art of Inquiry: Celebrating a semester of Art & Science at the Flagstaff Stemmy Awards

ametcalfe@usgs.gov — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:09:36 EDT

USGS celebrates the designation of Jessina Clasen and John Compton from Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy (FALA) as finalists for "Teacher of the Year" at the 2026 Flagstaff STEMMY Awards for their collaboration with the Flagstaff Science Campus.

Photo & Video Chronology — March 25, 2026 — Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 21:55:06 EDT

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted a monitoring, surveying, and sampling overflight of Kīlauea summit region on March 25, 2026, following episode 43 of the ongoing episodic lava fountaining eruption on March 10, 2026.

When it comes to analyzing rocks, only the freshest samples will do!

jlball@usgs.gov — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:00:00 EDT

Why are geologists so picky about rock samples? If you've ever watched one at work, you might notice that some rocks pass inspection, but others get discarded. Obviously a rock can't spoil like a piece a fruit, so what's going on?

Mapping snow- and ice-free zones to monitor thermal activity in Yellowstone using high-resolution commercial satellite imagery

mpoland@usgs.gov — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:30:00 EDT

Yellowstone’s thermal areas can have subtle regions of heated ground. High-resolution commercial satellite images provide a new way of accurately mapping these details.

New Kīlauea and Mauna Loa USGS Data Releases

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 22:45:36 EDT

The USGS has recently published several Data Release products associated with eruptions of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. If you have questions about these data sets, please contact askHVO@usgs.gov.

USGS National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program Announces 2026 EDMAP Funding Opportunity

blopezhetland@usgs.gov — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 19:35:39 EDT

Calling all U.S. geoscience faculty interested in geologic mapping! The USGS EDMAP program is now accepting proposals to support graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in mentor-guided geologic mapping projects.

Spring 2026 Highlights from EESC’s Disease Decision Analysis and Research Group

kknotts@usgs.gov — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 11:45:00 EDT

The Disease Decision Analysis and Research (DDAR) group is a multi-disciplinary team based out of the Eastern Ecological Science Center whose strengths are in ecology, decision science, quantitative modeling, social science, and informing natural resource management. Learn more about the recent activities of this team below.

EESC in the News: From Alewives to Bass: Discovering the Viruses Lurking in North America’s Fish

meganevans@usgs.gov — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:07:38 EDT

By Clay Raines

SciPod

March 20, 2026

A summary of several of Dr. Raines’ and colleagues’ fascinating findings and their implications for fish management, conservation, and the health of freshwater species.