USGS Newsroom

Wanted: Host Homes for Important Quake Instruments

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 23 May 2013 8:00:00 EDT

Urban Seismic Studies to Begin in East San Francisco Bay Area

About 30 seismic sensors are seeking a place to hang out for up to three years in the greater Pleasanton/Dublin/San Ramon, Calif., area.

These sensors will help U.S. Geological Survey scientists conduct the next step in vital research to better understand how earthquakes behave in and around the East San Francisco Bay.

USGS scientists have been operating a number of urban seismic arrays in the East San Francisco Bay area since 1999. The sensors in these surveys are strong motion instruments, designed to trigger when signals from a nearby earthquake are detected. Arrays are currently operating in private homes and businesses in San Lorenzo, San Leandro, Niles and Pleasanton.

Bay Area residents may be acquainted with USGS NetQuakes – a program to increase the number of seismic stations to augment permanent regional seismograph networks in major cities such as San Francisco. In contrast to NetQuakes stations, the instrumentation in the urban arrays for this current study are not designed to connect to a communication system in order to transmit to the USGS National Earthquake Information Center for real-time earthquake monitoring; rather, triggered data is collected and stored on a local disk and retrieved by scientists during maintenance visits twice a year.

The placement of stations in the urban arrays are carefully planned to answer specific seismic hazards research questions. The distance between stations 'tunes' the array to detect particular seismic waves in a manner similar to the way radios detect different stations by changing the frequency of the signal receiver. The pattern or distribution of stations is designed to capture the spatial variability in ground motion or site response.

The urban array sensors are set to trigger at specific sensitivities that increase the likelihood that acquired data will be earthquake signals rather than other noise sources. Like the NetQuakes stations, scientists hope to capture earthquake data for events as small as magnitude 2.0. Site response observed from small events can help predict ground motion behavior in larger events.

USGS scientists will be in the area during the month of June 2013 to meet with interested hosts and answer any questions they may have prior to deployment of the instruments in August.

Interested parties may visit the Volunteer Monitoring website for more detailed information and images about the project as well as contacts.

USGS Study Confirms U.S. Amphibian Populations Declining at Precipitous Rates

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:59:00 EDT

CORVALLIS, Ore. — The first-ever estimate of how fast frogs, toads and salamanders in the United States are disappearing from their habitats reveals they are vanishing at an alarming and rapid rate.

According to the study released today in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, even the species of amphibians presumed to be relatively stable and widespread are declining. And these declines are occurring in amphibian populations everywhere, from the swamps in Louisiana and Florida to the high mountains of the Sierras and the Rockies.

The study by USGS scientists and collaborators concluded that U.S. amphibian declines may be more widespread and severe than previously realized, and that significant declines are notably occurring even in protected national parks and wildlife refuges.

"Amphibians have been a constant presence in our planet's ponds, streams, lakes and rivers for 350 million years or so, surviving countless changes that caused many other groups of animals to go extinct," said USGS Director Suzette Kimball. "This is why the findings of this study are so noteworthy; they demonstrate that the pressures amphibians now face exceed the ability of many of these survivors to cope."

On average, populations of all amphibians examined vanished from habitats at a rate of 3.7 percent each year. If the rate observed is representative and remains unchanged, these species would disappear from half of the habitats they currently occupy in about 20 years. The more threatened species, considered "Red-Listed" in an assessment by the global organization International Union for Conservation of Nature, disappeared from their studied habitats at a rate of 11.6 percent each year. If the rate observed is representative and remains unchanged, these Red-Listed species would disappear from half of the habitats they currently occupy in about six years.

"Even though these declines seem small on the surface, they are not," said USGS ecologist Michael Adams, the lead author of the study. "Small numbers build up to dramatic declines with time. We knew there was a big problem with amphibians, but these numbers are both surprising and of significant concern."

For nine years, researchers looked at the rate of change in the number of ponds, lakes and other habitat features that amphibians occupied. In lay terms, this means that scientists documented how fast clusters of amphibians are disappearing across the landscape.

In all, scientists analyzed nine years of data from 34 sites spanning 48 species. The analysis did not evaluate causes of declines.

The research was done under the auspices of the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative, which studies amphibian trends and causes of decline. This unique program, known as ARMI, conducts research to address local information needs in a way that can be compared across studies to provide analyses of regional and national trends.

Brian Gratwicke, amphibian conservation biologist with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, said, "This is the culmination of an incredible sampling effort and cutting-edge analysis pioneered by the USGS, but it is very bad news for amphibians. Now, more than ever, we need to confront amphibian declines in the U.S. and take actions to conserve our incredible frog and salamander biodiversity."

The study offered other surprising insights. For example, declines occurred even in lands managed for conservation of natural resources, such as national parks and national wildlife refuges.

"The declines of amphibians in these protected areas are particularly worrisome because they suggest that some stressors – such as diseases, contaminants and drought – transcend landscapes," Adams said. "The fact that amphibian declines are occurring in our most protected areas adds weight to the hypothesis that this is a global phenomenon with implications for managers of all kinds of landscapes, even protected ones."

Amphibians seem to be experiencing the worst declines documented among vertebrates, but all major groups of animals associated with freshwater are having problems, according to Adams. While habitat loss is a factor in some areas, other research suggests that things like disease, invasive species, contaminants and perhaps other unknown factors are related to declines in protected areas.

"This study," said Adams, "gives us a point of reference that will enable us to track what's happening in a way that wasn’t possible before."

Read FAQs about this research

The publication, Trends in amphibian occupancy in the United States, is authored by Adams, M.J., Miller, D.A., Muths, E., Corn, P.S., Campbell Grant, E.H., Bailey, L., Fellers, G.M., Fisher, R.N., Sadinski, W.J., Waddle, H., and Walls, S.C., and is available to the public.

Read a USGS blog, Front-row seats to climate change, about 3 other recent USGS amphibian studies. For more information about USGS amphibian research, visit http://armi.usgs.gov/

How Was That Valley Formed?

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:36:14 EDT

Measuring the Forces Generated by Erosive Debris Flows

Diving deep into the mechanics of bedrock incision caused by debris flows, scientists now have a better understanding of the erosive forces responsible for cutting valleys into mountainous terrain, according to recently published research in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface.

"Our field-based measurements shed new light on what is happening beneath fast-moving debris flows," said U.S. Geological Survey scientist Jeff Coe. "Debris flows carry large rocks and impacts from those rocks make the flows very efficient at carving bedrock from valleys bottoms."

Debris flows are fast-moving landslides that occur in a wide variety of environments throughout the world. They are particularly dangerous to life and property because they move quickly, destroy objects in their paths, and often strike without warning.

The new research provides an improved understanding of how mountain valleys are formed and a better idea of the rate of formation given the frequency of debris flows in the current climate.

"A possible extension of this work would be to incorporate the results into quantitative landscape evolution models that predict how landforms evolve through time given static, or changing climatic conditions. Improved knowledge of how landforms evolve is useful for hazard assessments and possibly for long-term, land use planning," said Coe.

For four years, scientists from the University of Colorado and USGS used specialized instruments installed at the Chalk Cliffs Natural Debris Flow Laboratory near Buena Vista, Colo. to monitor 11 naturally-occurring debris flows. During that time, they found that downward-directed impact forces beneath the flows caused about 30-60 millimeters (1.2 to 2.4 inches) of bedrock erosion.

The group observed the mechanisms by which the bedrock was removed by passing debris flows and determined the statistical distribution that best characterized the impact forces.

"We also found that a thin layer of sediment shielded the bedrock surface from debris-flow impacts and erosion," said Scott McCoy, lead author from the University of Colorado, now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Our measurements and statistical analyses provide a foundation for linking impact forces that cause erosion to easily measured debris flow properties."

The National Map Corps - Volunteers Receive Recognition

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 22 May 2013 8:00:00 EDT

Citizen volunteers are making significant additions to the U.S. Geological Survey's ability to provide accurate information to the public. Using crowd sourcing techniques, the USGS project known as The National Map Corps (TNMC) encourages citizen volunteers to collect manmade structure data in an effort to provide accurate and authoritative spatial map data for the National Geospatial Program’s web-based The National Map.

These structures can include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations and other important public places along with data from other sources, the data currently being collected by volunteers become part of TNM Structures dataset which is made available to users free of charge.

In an effort to recognize the important work being done by volunteers, TNMC has created a recognition program based on the number of points a volunteer contributes. Levels of recognition are displayed in the form of icons or badges of antique catalog drawings of different and increasingly sophisticated pieces of surveying equipment. Each badge comes with a description of the item and encouragement to achieve the next level. As a volunteer attains each level, a congratulations email is sent, and the accomplishments are recognized via The National Map Twitter site (#TNMCorps) and the USGS Facebook page.

Recognition Categories:

Recognition Category	Number of points
Order of the Surveyor’s Chain	25 – 49
Society of the Steel Tape	50 – 99
Pedometer Posse	100 – 199
Circle of the Surveyor’s Compass	200 – 499
Stadia Board Society	500 – 999
Alidade Alliance	1000 – 1999
Theodolite Assemblage	2000+


Order of the Surveyor’s Chain award. (Larger image)	Theodolite Assemblage award. (Larger image)

Becoming a volunteer for TNMC is easy; go to The National Map Corps project site to learn more and to sign up as a volunteer. If you have access to the Internet and are willing to dedicate some time editing map data, we hope you will consider participating.

While some familiarity with the area that a volunteer chooses is helpful, you do not have to live near a particular place to contribute. The tools on TNMC website, along with ancillary information available on the Internet, are generally sufficient to edit a distant area. There are presently nineteen states available for volunteers to choose to update structures in.

See for yourself how much fun participating can be. Go to The National Map Corps home page, give it a try and before you know it you’ll be hanging out with the Pedometer Posse!

Deficit in Nation's Aquifers Accelerating

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 20 May 2013 8:00:00 EDT

A new U.S. Geological Survey study documents that the Nation's aquifers are being drawn down at an accelerating rate.

Groundwater Depletion in the United States (1900-2008) comprehensively evaluates long-term cumulative depletion volumes in 40 separate aquifers (distinct underground water storage areas) in the United States, bringing together reliable information from previous references and from new analyses.

"Groundwater is one of the Nation's most important natural resources. It provides drinking water in both rural and urban communities. It supports irrigation and industry, sustains the flow of streams and rivers, and maintains ecosystems," said Suzette Kimball, acting USGS Director. "Because groundwater systems typically respond slowly to human actions, a long-term perspective is vital to manage this valuable resource in sustainable ways."

To outline the scale of groundwater depletion across the country, here are two startling facts drawn from the study's wealth of statistics. First, from 1900 to 2008, the Nation's aquifers, the natural stocks of water found under the land, decreased (were depleted) by more than twice the volume of water found in Lake Erie. Second, groundwater depletion in the U.S. in the years 2000-2008 can explain more than 2 percent of the observed global sea-level rise during that period.

Since 1950, the use of groundwater resources for agricultural, industrial, and municipal purposes has greatly expanded in the United States. When groundwater is withdrawn from subsurface storage faster than it is recharged by precipitation or other water sources, the result is groundwater depletion. The depletion of groundwater has many negative consequences, including land subsidence, reduced well yields, and diminished spring and stream flows.

While the rate of groundwater depletion across the country has increased markedly since about 1950, the maximum rates have occurred during the most recent period of the study (2000–2008), when the depletion rate averaged almost 25 cubic kilometers per year. For comparison, 9.2 cubic kilometers per year is the historical average calculated over the 1900–2008 timespan of the study.

One of the best known and most investigated aquifers in the U.S. is the High Plains (or Ogallala) aquifer. It underlies more than 170,000 square miles of the Nation's midsection and represents the principal source of water for irrigation and drinking in this major agricultural area. Substantial pumping of the High Plains aquifer for irrigation since the 1940s has resulted in large water-table declines that exceed 160 feet in places.

The study shows that, since 2000, depletion of the High Plains aquifer appears to be continuing at a high rate. The depletion during the last 8 years of record (2001–2008, inclusive) is about 32 percent of the cumulative depletion in this aquifer during the entire 20th century. The annual rate of depletion during this recent period averaged about 10.2 cubic kilometers, roughly 2 percent of the volume of water in Lake Erie.

Learn more

New Publication Tells Western Fisheries Research Center's History of Innovation

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:00:00 EDT

SEATTLE — The U.S. Geological Survey's Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC), headquartered in Seattle, has led cutting-edge research on fish and aquatic environments for nearly 80 years – first in the Pacific Northwest, then nationwide and throughout the world. WFRC’s history of research and innovation is captured in a new publication, "Seventy-Five Years of Science: The Story of the Western Fisheries Research Center 1935-2010," by WFRC emeritus scientist Gary A. Wedemeyer.

The WFRC began in the Great Depression as an effort to understand and control the fish diseases that limited the success of hatcheries founded to mitigate the Grand Coulee Dam's destruction of salmon runs in the Columbia River basin. As environmental issues grew more complex and the effects of terrestrial ecology on marine ecology became better understood, the WFRC expanded with a multidisciplinary approach that now draws on the expertise of ecologists, microbiologists, and geneticists as well as fisheries biologists and other scientists. Its six laboratories – in Seattle; on Marrowstone Island and in the Columbia River Gorge, Wash., in Klamath Falls and Newport, Ore., and in Reno, Nev. – provide the technical information that natural resource managers need to ensure the continued survival of fish and fish populations in the western United States. Because food webs, aquatic communities, and ecosystems know no borders, WFRC research is relevant worldwide.

"The WFRC has a proud tradition of solving problems that negatively impact aquatic ecosystems," said WFRC Center Director Jill Rolland. "Working here is both an honor and a responsibility that our employees take seriously."

But it all started in 1935, when the appropriately named biologist Frederic F. Fish was tapped by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries to found a dedicated lab in the basement of their Seattle laboratory – a "hospital for fish," as an article in a 1939 issue of Newsweek dubbed the novel project. Important discoveries emerged from Fish’s lab from the start.

"These discoveries became the basis for the hatchery operations needed to ensure the continued survival of economically important fish and fish populations both in the United States and abroad," Wedemeyer said.

WFRC research toward recovery plans for endangered species has led to the successful establishment of self-sustaining fish populations in U.S. desert aquatic ecosystems. Other projects have proven critical to the continued survival of Pacific salmon and sturgeon populations throughout the U.S. portion of the Columbia River basin in five Western states. The Center was part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service until 1996, when it came under the aegis of the USGS.

WFRC's history of innovation continues. Since 2008, the Coast Salish Nation and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community have partnered with WFRC on the Coast Salish Tribal Water Quality Project, which blends science and Coast Salish cultural practices to study water quality and its effects on an ecosystem that supports orcas, salmon and other culturally important species. WFRC scientists are studying fish populations and ecosystems within the Elwha River Restoration Project, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. Others are developing acoustic imaging techniques to safely monitor the endangered Delta smelt, whose status is an ecological bellwether for a region critical to California's economy. Still others are developing strategies to fight the ecological and economic damage wrought by invasive aquatic species introduced into U.S. waters in the ballast tanks of ocean-going ships. WFRC is an International Reference Laboratory for the World Organization of Animal Health in Paris, and its scientists assist more than 170 WOAH member countries to establish effective fish disease control programs.

The publication "Seventy-Five Years of Science: The Story of the Western Fisheries Research Center 1935-2010" is available online. Video of Wedemeyer talking about WFRC is available here.

National Assessment Shows Geographic Distributions and Trends of Pesticide Use, 1992-2009

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:35:02 EDT

For the first time, national maps and trend graphs show the distribution of the agricultural use of 459 pesticides for each year during 1992-2009 for the entire conterminous U.S. The maps and supporting national database of county-level use estimates for each pesticide were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for use in national and regional water-quality assessments.

The national use analysis is based on methods developed by USGS to estimate annual county-level pesticide use for agricultural crops grown throughout the conterminous United States. Pesticide-use data compiled from proprietary surveys of farm operations were used in conjunction with annual harvested-crop acreage reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to calculate use rates for each crop and year. For California, use estimates were obtained directly from annual California Department of Pesticide Regulation Pesticide Use Reports.

"These nationally complete and consistent, county-level use estimates are vital for USGS water-quality models that estimate pesticide concentrations in streams and rivers. In addition, long-term annual data is essential for interpreting water-quality trends," said Wes Stone, an author of the reports.

The new pesticide-use estimates were tested and found to be consistent with national use estimates by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and with comparable statewide estimates for selected years and crops by the USDA. The USDA data on pesticide use, which are based on systematic regional surveys for selected years and crops, enabled vital quality assurance of the new estimates.

Gail Thelin, senior author of the report on estimation methods, noted, "When evaluated statistically, USGS estimates agree with estimates from other sources for comparable years, pesticides, and states. That consistency supports the reliability of the comprehensive and long-term assessment of use patterns and trends that is now available through this study."

Complete results of the USGS analysis of pesticide use are provided in three products:

Documentation of Methods: "Estimation of annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 1992–2009": U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5009

National County-Level Data for 459 Pesticides: "Estimated annual agricultural pesticide use for counties of the conterminous United States, 1992–2009": U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 752

National Maps and Trend Graphs

Low-Flying Airplane Mapping Spokane Area

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:00:00 EDT

Editor: In the public interest and in accordance with FAA regulations, the USGS is announcing this low-level airborne project. Your assistance in informing the local communities is appreciated.

For about one month, an airplane operated under contract to the U.S. Geological Survey will be making low-level flights over a 1000-square-mile area centered over Spokane and including parts of eastern Washington and western Idaho.

Starting around May 18, anyone observing the low-flying plane should not be alarmed if they see it fly over or pass below the horizon. The airplane is operated by experienced pilots who are specially trained for low-level flying.

The survey is designed to measure the magnetic field of the earth, which is related to geologic and hydrologic units that lie below the land surface. It is part of an ongoing USGS program to identify hidden geologic features, such as changes in rock types, ultimately providing a better understanding of the geology and hydrology of the area. For example, the survey may help map shallow faults responsible for a sequence of small earthquakes that occurred during the summer and fall of 2001 inside Spokane city limits.

The airplane is operated by EDCON-PRJ of Lakewood, Colorado, which is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure flights are safe and in accordance with U.S. law.

Spring 2012 Earliest on Record

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:25:26 EDT

March 2012 set records for warm temperatures that promoted early leafing and flowering across large areas of the United States. A team of scientists at the USA National Phenology Network, which is sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey, have published a study which shows that 2012 was the earliest spring over the 48 U.S. states since 1900 when systematic weather data began to be available for the entire area.

Phenology is the study of recurring plant and animal life cycle stages, especially their timing and relationships with weather and climate. Assessing the severity and impacts of such extreme climatic events, either in the past or as they happen, requires consistent indicators of variability and change that can be mapped both nationally and historically.

The USA National Phenology Network provides a suite of "spring indices" based on the accumulated warmth needed to end dormancy and initiate growth in many native and cultivated plants. These complex, evidence-based algorithms can be calculated for any weather station that records daily maximum and minimum temperatures. Spring indices are independently validated using historical observations of leafing and flowering in lilac and honeysuckle nationwide.

The historical trend of spring indices suggests that the 2012 growing season advanced as much as 20-30 days in the East and Midwest from the 1900-2012 long-term mean.

"The results of this study clearly demonstrate the great importance of long-term monitoring of natural processes. A long record allows us to identify patterns of change that we might otherwise miss," said Suzette Kimball, acting USGS Director.

Today the response of vegetation to temperature and precipitation can be readily observed across wide areas by Earth-observing satellites at intervals of only a few days. USGS scientist Julio Betancourt, a co-author of the study, noted, "Indicators such as spring indices and satellite-based evaluations of vegetation growth will become essential tools for assessing climate variability and change and their impacts."

Satellite data show that the cumulative effects of the unusually early 2012 spring were most pronounced across the Corn Belt, the western Great Lakes region, and the northeastern U.S.

The beneficial effects of spring's quick start in 2012 were subsequently offset by a late spring frost and summer drought. In fact, the unusually early spring combined with late frosts in April to produce a so-called "false spring" that damaged fruit trees across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions.

The study appears in EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union.

Learn more

Three Iowa Streamgages Shutting Down on Friday

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:21:27 EDT

Three U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in Iowa, which measure streamflow and water level, will be shut down on Friday, May 17, due to the federal budget sequestration.

The affected Iowa streamgages will be discontinued beginning this Friday because of a five-percent sequestration-related budget cut to the USGS National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP). Of the 35 NSIP-funded streamgages in Iowa, 22 of which are fully funded by NSIP, the USGS Iowa Water Science Center selected the following three for shutdown:

West Fork Cedar River at Finchford, Iowa (66 years of record)
Des Moines River at Humboldt, Iowa (47 years of record)
East Fork 102 River at Bedford, Iowa (29 years of record)

"It was difficult to make a selection that minimized all concerns, but these three Iowa streamgages will be shut down because they have comparatively short records, limited impacts on partner organizations, and their discontinuation is least likely to affect public safety," said USGS hydrologist Jon Nania.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), local communities may receive less accurate river flood forecasts and less advanced notice of flooding due to the shutdown of these streamgages. Communities that may be impacted include Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Fort Dodge, Finchford, and Bedford, Iowa, and Maryville, Mo.

"Streamgages like these help communities understand how and when to prepare for floods," said Jeff Zogg, a NWS Senior Hydrologist in Des Moines. "In some past floods, the peak streamflows measured by these gages have contributed several feet to the downstream crests."

Streamgages collect critical streamflow and water availability data that are used by organizations nationwide to predict and address drought and flood conditions. The USGS and over 850 federal, state, and local agencies cooperatively fund the USGS streamgaging network, which consists of over 8,000 streamgages.

The USGS will discontinue operation of no more than 200 streamgages nationwide due to budget cuts as a result of sequestration. Additional streamgages may be affected if partners reduce their funding to support USGS streamgages. The USGS is working to identify which streamgages will be impacted and will post this information online as it becomes available.

More information about streamgaging in Iowa is available on the USGS Iowa Water Science Center website.

More information about NWS flood forecasts and warnings is available on the NWS Des Moines website, and on Facebook and Twitter @NWSDesMoines.

Revised Kentucky and Tennessee Maps Reveal New Design

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:00:00 EDT

Newly designed maps covering Kentucky and Tennessee are now available online for free download

US Topo maps now have a crisper, cleaner design - enhancing readability of maps for online and printed use. Map symbols are easier to read over the digital aerial photograph layer whether the imagery is turned on or off. Improvements to symbol definitions (color, line thickness, line symbols, area fills), layer order, and annotation fonts are additional features of this supplemental release. Users can now adjust the transparency for some features and layers to increase visibility of multiple competing layers.

This new design is launched on new US Topo quadrangles for Kentucky (671 maps) and Tennessee (694 maps), which replace the first edition US Topo maps for those states. The replaced maps will be added to the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection and are also available for free download from The National Map and the USGS Map Store website.

"The new Kentucky and Tennessee US Topo maps demonstrate our commitment to improving the product design to meet our users’ needs", said Mark DeMulder, Director of the USGS National Geospatial Program. "I encourage you to download these maps, compare them against the previous US Topo map and drop us your comments on the US Topo map product. Your input is important to us."

US Topo maps are updated every three years, with the initial round completed last September. Maps for Hawaii are currently in production with Alaska production starting later this year.

Re-design enhancements and new features:

Crisper, cleaner design improves online and printed readability while retaining the look and feel of traditional USGS topographic maps
New functional road classification schema has been applied
A slight screening (transparency) has been applied to some features to enhance visibility of multiple competing layers
Updated free fonts that support diacritics
New PDF Legend attachment
Metadata formatted to support multiple browsers
New shaded relief layer for enhanced view of the terrain
Military installation boundaries, post offices and cemeteries

US Topo maps are created from geographic datasets in The National Map, and deliver visible content such as high-resolution aerial photography, which was not available on older paper-based topographic maps. The new US Topo maps provide modern technical advantages that support wider and faster public distribution and on-screen geographic analysis tools for users.

The new digital electronic topographic maps are delivered in GeoPDF image software format and may be viewed using Adobe Reader, available as a no cost download.

For more information, go to: http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/

New Insight on Gas Hydrates in Gulf of Mexico

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:00:00 EDT

Research is Part of a Long-Standing, Interagency Collaboration

Scientists have returned from a 15‑day research expedition in the northern Gulf of Mexico with the best high-resolution seismic data and imagery ever obtained of sediments with high gas hydrate saturations.

The expedition and the data and imagery collected resulted from long-standing cooperation between the U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This collaboration aims to advance scientific understanding of gas hydrates, an important potential future energy resource.

Gas hydrates are ice-like substances formed when certain gases combine with water at specific pressures and temperatures. Deposits of gas hydrates are widespread in marine sediments beneath the ocean floor and in sediments within and beneath permafrost areas, where pressure-temperature conditions keep the gas trapped in the hydrate structure. Methane is the gas most often trapped in these deposits, making gas hydrates a potentially significant source for natural gas around the world.

"This expedition represents a significant milestone," said USGS Energy Resources Program Coordinator Brenda Pierce. "The data and imagery provide insight into the entire petroleum system at each location, including the source of gas, the migration pathways for the gas, the distribution of hydrate-bearing sediments, and the traps that hold the hydrate and free gas in place. The USGS has a globally recognized research effort studying gas hydrates in settings around the world, and this project combines our unique expertise with that of other agencies to advance research on this potential future energy resource."

The recently completed expedition was planned jointly by USGS, DOE, and BOEM, and was executed by USGS. Using low-energy seismic sources, USGS scientists collected details about the nature of the gas hydrate reservoirs and about geologic features of the sediment between the reservoirs and the seafloor. The new data also provide information about how much gas hydrate exists in a much broader area than can be determined from using standard industry seismic data, which is typically designed to image much deeper geologic units.

"Understanding the nature and setting of deepwater gas hydrates is central to the National Methane Hydrates R&D Program, which is led by DOE and managed by Fossil Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory," said Christopher Smith, DOE’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy. "Over the past 8 years, research carried out under this program has resulted in significant advances in our understanding of methane hydrates, their role in nature, and their potential as a future energy resource. This success is largely due to an unprecedented level of cooperation among federal agencies, industry, national laboratories, and academic institutions."

"The high-resolution nature of the data acquired through this interagency project will uniquely inform the BOEM effort to assess the resource potential of gas hydrates on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf," said Renee Orr, Chief, Strategic Resources Office, BOEM.

The data were collected at two locations in the Gulf of Mexico where the three federal agencies partnered with an industry consortium to conduct a drilling expedition in 2009. That expedition discovered gas hydrate filling between 50 and 90 percent of the available pore space between sediment grains in sandy layers in the subsurface. These reservoirs are expected to be representative of the 6,700 trillion cubic feet of gas that BOEM estimates is housed in gas hydrates in sand-rich reservoirs in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The new data are being used to refine estimates of the nature, distribution, and concentration of gas hydrate in the vicinity of the 2009 drill sites. This will help assess how useful specialized seismic data may be to estimating hydrate saturations in deepwater sediments.

In coming years, the three agencies will continue their collaborative investigation of gas hydrates in the northern Gulf of Mexico and other locations across the world.

Learn more about USGS research on gas hydrates and energy at locations around the world.

Stars show the locations of seismic surveys conducted to image previously-identified deepwater gas hydrate deposits in the northern Gulf of Mexico on the research ship Pelican during a cruise in April and May 2013. (Larger image)

This high-resolution image was collected during a seismic cruise to study locations with high concentrations of gas hydrate in the northern Gulf of Mexico in April and May 2013. The data were collected at the Walker Ridge location, where 2009 drilling at the site of the well (shown in red revealed) the distribution of gas hydrates and methane gas in the sediments. The water depth at the well is 6562 feet, and the red and blue colors shown within the image correspond to sediment layers, which mostly dip westward. Sand layers with high concentrations of gas hydrate are marked, but hydrate also occurs elsewhere in this sedimentary section. (Larger image)

Warmer Springs Causing Loss of Snow Cover throughout the Rocky Mountains

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:00:00 EDT

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Warmer spring temperatures since 1980 are causing an estimated 20 percent loss of snow cover across the Rocky Mountains of western North America, according to new research from the U.S. Geological Survey.

The new study builds upon a previous USGS snowpack investigation which showed that, until the 1980s, the northern Rocky Mountains experienced large snowpacks when the central and southern Rockies experienced meager ones, and vice versa. Yet, since the 1980s, there have been simultaneous snowpack declines along the entire length of the Rocky Mountains, and unusually severe declines in the north.

The new study has teased apart and quantified the different influences of winter temperature, spring temperature, and precipitation on historic snowpack variations and trends in the region. To distinguish those varying influences, the researchers implemented a regional snow model that uses inputs of monthly temperature and precipitation data from 1895 to 2011.

"Each year we looked at temperature and precipitation variations and the amount of water contained within the snowpack as of April," said USGS scientist Greg Pederson, the lead author of the study. "Snow deficits were consistent throughout the Rockies due to the lack of precipitation during the cool seasons during the 1930s – coinciding with the Dust Bowl era. From 1980 on, warmer spring temperatures melted snowpack throughout the Rockies early, regardless of winter precipitation. The model in turn shows temperature as the major driving factor in snowpack declines over the past thirty years."

Runoff from Rocky Mountain winter snowpack accounts for 60 to 80 percent of the annual water supply for more than 70 million people living in the western U.S., and is influenced by factors such as the snowpack’s water content, known as snow water equivalent, and the timing of snowmelt.

The timing of snowmelt affects not only when water is available for crop irrigation and energy production from hydroelectric dams, but also the risk of regional floods and wildfires. Earlier and faster snowmelt could have repercussions for water supply, risk management, and ecosystem health in western watersheds.

Regional snowpack accumulation is highly sensitive to variations in both temperature and precipitation over time. Patterns and sources of these variations are difficult to discern due to complex mountain topography, the different influence of Pacific Ocean climate, like La Niña and El Niño, on winter precipitation in the northern versus southern and central Rockies, and the brevity and patchiness of detailed snow records.

In the study, the regional snow model used by Pederson and his USGS colleagues Julio Betancourt and Greg McCabe allows estimation of snow water and cover variability at different latitudes and elevations during the last century regardless of the absence of direct and long-term observations everywhere. Recent snowpack variations also were evaluated in the context of snowpack evidence from tree-rings, allowing the scientists to compare recent observations to measurements from the past 800 years.

McCabe, co-author of the study, explains that "recent springtime warming also reduced the extent of snow cover at low to middle elevations where temperature has had the greatest impact."

"Both natural variability in temperature and anthropogenic warming have contributed to the recent snowpack decline, though disentangling their influences exactly remains elusive." Betancourt said,

"Regardless of the ultimate causes, continuation of present snowpack trends in the Rocky Mountains will pose difficult challenges for watershed management and conventional water planning in the American West."

The study, "Regional patterns and proximal causes of the recent snowpack decline in the Rocky Mountains," is available from Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

Landsat Images Provide the Gold Standard for New Earth Applications

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Thu, 9 May 2013 12:29:39 EDT

WASHINGTON — Images from Landsat satellites provided free to the public by the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey were the starting points for "a new breakthrough" reported today by Time and announced on the Official Google Blog. Using its Earth Engine technology, Google has compiled decades of Landsat images into a new, interactive time-lapse experience.

"This news is the latest example of how the Department of the Interior's policy of unrestricted access and free distribution of Landsat satellite imagery to the public fosters innovation and mutual awareness of environmental conditions around the globe," said Anne Castle, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science. "The 40-year archive of Landsat images of every spot on earth is a treasure trove of scientific information that can form the basis for a myriad of useful applications by commercial enterprises, government scientists and managers, the academic community, and the public at large."

Other commercial products, such as ESRI's Change Matters, also utilize Landsat imagery, providing data for a deeper geographic understanding of the changing world.

Landsat data can assist a broad range of specialists in managing the world's food, water, forests, and other natural resources for a growing world population. The Landsat images contain many layers of data collected at different points along the visible and invisible light spectrum. Consequently, they can show where vegetation is thriving and where it is stressed, where droughts are occurring, where wildland fire is a danger, and where erosion has altered coastlines or river courses.

Landsat satellites provide a view as broad as 12,000 square miles per scene while describing land cover in pixels the size of a baseball diamond. From a distance of more than 400 miles above the earth surface, a single Landsat scene can record the condition of hundreds of thousands of acres of grassland, agricultural crops, or forests.

"With its long-term historical record of the entire globe and widely recognized high quality of data, Landsat is valued all over the world as the gold standard of land observation," said Castle.

Ready access to authoritative Landsat images provides a reliable common record of Earth conditions that advances the mutual understanding of environmental challenges by citizens, researchers, and decision makers around the globe.

USGS and NASA have distinct roles in the Landsat program. NASA develops remote-sensing instruments and spacecraft, launches satellites, and validates their performance. The USGS then assumes ownership and operation. For example, USGS will operate the newest satellite in the Landsat series – Landsat 8 – starting on May 30, 2013, following a successful launch from the Vandenberg AFB on February 11, 2013.

For More Information

See the USGS website for more information on Landsat and to view the entire image gallery
See today's Google Blog to learn about Google's announcement, the Google Earth Engine and how to explore the new global, zoomable time-lapse map as part of TIME Magazine's new TIMElapse project
Read the Time Magazine article TIME and Space
For another example of the application of Landsat imagery, go to ESRI's Change Matters
Learn more about NASA and the Landsat Program

Disclaimer: Any use of trade, firm or product names does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the Department of the Interior or the U.S. Government as to the accuracy and functioning of the commercial software programs cited in this news release, and the U.S. Government shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the Landsat satellite imagery and data employing these software programs.

Interior Appoints New Climate Change Advisory Committee

OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications and Publishing) — Wed, 8 May 2013 12:31:13 EDT

Members to Provide Guidance on Adaptation Science Initiatives

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced the members of a newly created federal advisory committee who will provide guidance about the Interior Department's climate change adaptation science initiatives.