All News

The Oregon Water Science Center receives Portland State University’s 2026 Public Impact Partner Award

lisa_hoaks@ios.doi.gov — Thu, 28 May 2026 17:49:08 EDT

Learn more about the award and the UPP!

Released: NASA Goddard Issues Draft Request for Proposal for the Landsat 10 Spacecraft

michelle_bouchard@ios.doi.gov — Thu, 28 May 2026 09:04:15 EDT

The Landsat 10 Spacecraft Draft Request for Proposal (DRFP) is available for review via SAM.gov as of May 18, 2026. This solicitation marks a major milestone in continuing the decades-long partnership between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to acquire, archive, and distribute multispectral imagery of Earth’s global landmasses and coastal regions.

Volcano Minute — Magnitude-6.0 earthquake on May 22, 2026

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Wed, 27 May 2026 17:54:20 EDT

This week, we’re talking about what’s shaking in the Hawaiian Islands. And last Friday night… it was a lot. More than seven thousand people across the State of Hawaii reported feeling the magnitude‑6 earthquake that struck at 9:46 p.m. on May 22, from the Island of Hawaiʻi to as far away as Niʻihau.

Message from the Director - Oregon Water Science Center, Summer 2026

lisa_hoaks@ios.doi.gov — Wed, 27 May 2026 16:43:46 EDT

Updates from the Center Director, Joanna Thamke.

Earth MRI case studies highlight benefit and use of data

emalakoff@usgs.gov — Wed, 27 May 2026 09:00:00 EDT

New case studies highlight how stakeholders use and benefit from data and products generated by USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI).

Summer 2026 Student Research Opportunities at the Upper Midwest Water Science Center

jvelkoverh@usgs.gov — Wed, 27 May 2026 09:00:00 EDT

Students! Are you interested in joining USGS scientists this summer to survey America's water resources?

A Path to National-Scale Coastal Change Projections

sernst@usgs.gov — Tue, 26 May 2026 15:09:57 EDT

A new USGS-led study reviews the current information and products available to inform what, when, and where coastal change may occur in the future and provides recommendations for improving predictions on a national scale.

USGS Investigates PFAS in Groundwater Near New Hampshire Superfund Site

krossos@usgs.gov — Tue, 26 May 2026 12:33:54 EDT

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigated the movement of groundwater around the Coakley Landfill Superfund Site in southeastern New Hampshire after high concentrations of per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) were found in areas where residents use wells for drinking water.

Beyond the bathroom: Top visitor questions in Yellowstone’s thermal areas

mpoland@usgs.gov — Mon, 25 May 2026 06:00:00 EDT

With the arrival of Memorial Day and the unofficial start of the summer travel season, we take a look at the most common questions that visitors to Yellowstone’s thermal basins ask the park’s interpretive rangers.

Earthquake Information Statement

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Fri, 22 May 2026 23:08:29 EDT

Magnitude-6.0 earthquake near Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo, Island of Hawaiʻi; widely felt through Hawaiian island chain and potentially damaging.

Photo & Video Chronology — Kīlauea summit overflight

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Fri, 22 May 2026 21:31:00 EDT

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists conducted a monitoring overflight of Kīlauea summit on May 22, 2026. Forecast models suggest that episode 48 will occur sometime between Sunday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 27.

Volcano Watch — Kīlauea is all tied up at 47 episodes

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 21 May 2026 15:50:41 EDT

The lava fountains that erupted a week ago, on Thursday May 14, marked the 47th episode of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption. This episode tied the 1983-1986 initial phase of the Pu‘u‘ō‘ō eruption, which had a total of 47 events, for the most fountaining episodes ever recorded at Kīlauea. Now that we’ve reached this milestone, let’s dig a bit deeper into how these historic eruptions compare.

Volcano Minute — Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption reaches a historic milestone

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 21 May 2026 13:30:40 EDT

Today, we’re celebrating a milestone at Kīlauea: the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption had its 47th fountaining episode on May 14—tying the number of fountaining episodes in this eruption to that of the opening years of the Puʻuʻōʻō eruption from 1983-1986.

10k Years of Climate Data Retrieved from Minnesota Lake

kmalpeli@usgs.gov — Wed, 20 May 2026 15:19:31 EDT

USGS scientist Dr. Jessica Rodysill was interviewed in a Northern News Now story highlighting how sediment layers collected from Minnesota’s Lake LaSalle reveal what climate conditions looked like thousands of years ago.

PCMSC’s Andy O’Neill Receives CSBPA’s Joe Johnson Outstanding Service Award

ppearsall@usgs.gov — Wed, 20 May 2026 11:11:09 EDT

This annual award honors coastal scientists, planners, engineers, and innovators who advance the knowledge and understanding of coastal science and coastal processes, with special focus on California and the West Coast.

Photo & Video Chronology — May 19, 2026 — Kīlauea summit fieldwork

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Tue, 19 May 2026 22:07:25 EDT

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, scientists at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory conducted a GPS survey to measure the elevation along a transect across the tephra cone formed by lava fountaining episodes at the summit of Kīlauea. Repeat measurements across the same set of points have been done after episodes to track the hill growth and changes over time.

As Wildfires Burn, Rainfall Can Strip Oxygen From Rivers, Killing Fish

jason_burton@ios.doi.gov — Tue, 19 May 2026 16:22:52 EDT

Runoff from a high-intensity storm during the 2022 McKinney Fire depleted oxygen in the Klamath River to levels lethal to fish, killing aquatic life along nearly 60 miles of one of California's most culturally significant waterways, according to a U.S. Geological Survey study.

Causal Analysis of Fire Regime Drivers

sally_house@ios.doi.gov — Tue, 19 May 2026 15:12:04 EDT

Join us for a co-hosted USGS Friday's Findings / Fueling Discovery webinar that takes a closer look at how climate and human factors influence wildfire activity.

Genetic Diversity is a Key Factor in Climate-Driven Range Shifts

cduzet@contractor.usgs.gov — Tue, 19 May 2026 13:32:49 EDT

A new global study of nearly 1,900 species, co-authored by National CASC scientists, shows that species with higher genetic diversity are better able to persist in changing conditions and expand their ranges as the climate warms.

Webinar Series - Fueling Discovery with USGS Wildland Fire Science

ssoileau@usgs.gov — Tue, 19 May 2026 10:54:03 EDT

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.

Celebrating American Wetlands Month with USGS Wetland Science

kkovacs@usgs.gov — Tue, 19 May 2026 08:45:00 EDT

This month we’re recognizing American Wetlands Month by sharing the important wetland science the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center (WARC) provides to partners along the Gulf Coast, throughout America, and around the world.

Repeated Marine Heatwaves Have Dramatically Reshaped Coral Reefs in Hawaiʻi National Parks

ppearsall@usgs.gov — Mon, 18 May 2026 15:14:25 EDT

Coral reefs along Hawaiʻi’s Kona Coast have undergone major declines over the past two decades, according to a new report from USGS and the National Park Service (NPS).

Acadia National Park Stream Crossings Assessed for Erosion Potential, Flood Vulnerability

krossos@usgs.gov — Mon, 18 May 2026 11:24:49 EDT

Acadia National Park has had stronger and more frequent precipitation events in recent years, leading to a rise in high, infrastructure-damaging streamflows (flood flows), stream erosion, and costly impairments to historic carriage roads and trails.

Happy 25th Birthday YVO!

mpoland@usgs.gov — Mon, 18 May 2026 06:00:00 EDT

The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory is turning 25 years old! Surprisingly, the seeds for the observatory were planted at Lassen Volcanic National Park, almost 1,000 miles to the southwest.

Photo & Video Chronology — May 14, 2026 — Kīlauea episode 47

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Fri, 15 May 2026 22:54:43 EDT

Episode 47 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at the summit of Kīlauea lasted for 9 hours, from 3:27 p.m. HST on May 14, 2026, until 12:27 a.m. HST on May 15, 2026. Lava fountained from the north vent; sparse tephra fell in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Fine ash and Peleʻs hair fell outside Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in communities to the northeast.

The U.S. Geological Survey Library Celebrates Our Nation's 250th Anniversary

rlgarcia@usgs.gov — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:42:05 EDT

June – August 2026

In celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the USGS Library will host a special art installation in the National Center Art Hallway throughout the months of June, July, and August.

Volcano Watch — A “window” into forecasting fountaining episodes at Kīlauea’s summit

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:19:16 EDT

Over the past month, the frequency of fountaining events at the summit of Kīlauea has increased to nearly one per week. This is reminiscent of the early days of the current episodic eruption that began on December 23, 2024. Nonetheless in 2026, we started to get used to longer pauses between episodes, which allowed for more time to clean up fallout if necessary and to prepare for the next episode.

Volcano Minute — Forecasting fountaining episodes at Kīlauea's summit

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Thu, 14 May 2026 09:24:38 EDT

Over the past month, Kīlauea’s summit has seen fountaining episodes nearly every week—much faster than earlier in this eruption, which began in December 2024. These quick turnarounds happen because recent episodes have erupted less lava, allowing the volcano’s magma system to recover more quickly.

Photo & Video Chronology — May 12, 2026 — Kīlauea summit overflight

kmulliken@usgs.gov — Wed, 13 May 2026 21:34:36 EDT

On May 12, 2026, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory conducted a helicopter overflight around Halema‘uma‘u crater and the eruptive vents at Kīlauea summit.

Geoscience Australia Leaders Visit USGS to Advance Collaboration

smieszek@usgs.gov — Tue, 12 May 2026 16:26:32 EDT

The U.S. Geological Survey welcomed senior leaders from Geoscience Australia (GA) to Reston, Virginia, on April 15–16 for strategic discussions, technical exchanges, and visits with USGS program teams. The delegation included Melissa Harris (Chief Executive Officer), Alison Rose (Chief of the Space Division), and Andrew Heap (Chief of Minerals, Energy, and Groundwater).