USGS Newsroom

Secretary Kempthorne Announces Decision to Protect Polar Bears under Endangered Species Act
Released: 5/14/2008 3:09:27 PM (Share)
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that he is accepting the recommendation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

May Science Picks—Leads, Feeds, and Story Seeds
Released: 5/12/2008 (Share)
In this edition of Science Picks, find out how much technically recoverable oil was recently assessed in North Dakota and Montana's Bakken Formation, discover new data that will help Afghanistan's reconstruction efforts, and view new maps that show how the nation shakes with earthquakes.

Notice of Product Availability: Mount St. Helens Action Footage Available
Released: 5/10/2008 2:53:38 PM (Share)
B-roll footage documenting the continuous eruption of Mount St. Helens from September 2006 through February 2008 is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Water Demand Likely to Increase Substantially in New Hampshire's Seacoast Region by 2025
Released: 5/9/2008 1:08:58 PM (Share)
By 2025, demand for water in the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire is expected to grow by more than 50 percent.

Dying Bats in the Northeast Remain a Mystery
Released: 5/9/2008 7:35:32 AM (Share)
Investigations continue into the cause of a mysterious illness that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of bats since March 2008.

George Gryc —USGS Geologist, Leader, and Alaska Expert, 1919 - 2008
Released: 5/8/2008 8:45:22 AM (Share)
After a long and distinguished career with the U. S. Geological Survey, George Gryc, 88, passed away on April 27 in Sunnyvale, California. Well known from the smallest bush settlement on the Yukon to Capital Hill in Washington, Gryc was the preeminent Alaskan geologist of his day. His work bore directly on the outcome of all the major issues of consequence to Alaska in the 20th century.

Boldly Going Where No Man (or Woman) Goes: USGS Unmanned Aircraft
Released: 5/8/2008 8:09:48 AM (Share)
In dangerous and remote areas, such as polar regions, volcanic islands, and expansive deserts, remote-controlled unmanned aircraft can provide more detailed, more timely data about the status of natural resources and environmental conditions than would be feasible by any other means.

Landsat Satellite Imagery Used to Assess the Impact of Myanmar's Cyclone Nargis
Released: 5/8/2008 8:09:00 AM (Share)
USGS is providing Landsat satellite imagery to aid rescue and recovery efforts in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis's landfall on May 3.

Earthquake Shakes Northern Virginia
Released: 5/6/2008 3:50:31 PM (Share)
A magnitude 1.8 earthquake occurred in northern Virginia at 1:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time. The epicenter was about 1 mile west-southwest of Annandale, VA and 13 miles west-south-west of Washington, DC. The USGS has received no reports of damage at this time.

USGS Awards Satellite Imagery Contracts: Enhancing Access to Users
Released: 5/2/2008 4:21:57 PM (Share)
RESTON, VA -The United States Geological Survey (USGS) announced the award of three multi-year acquisition contracts for high and moderate-resolution satellite imagery to GeoEye of Dulles, VA, DigitalGlobe of Longmont, CO and SPOT Image Corporation of Chantilly, VA.

Web Tool Puts Wildlife Disease News on the Map
Released: 5/2/2008 3:46:13 PM (Share)
A new on-line map makes it possible, for the first time, to track news articles about disease outbreaks around the world that threaten the health of wildlife, domestic animals, and people.

Highest Flood Recorded on Lower Mississippi River Since 1973
Released: 5/1/2008 2:09:19 PM (Share)
The largest flood on the lower Mississippi River since 1973 was measured on April 22 in Vicksburg, Mississippi by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Scientists Collect Data to Aid Afghanistan Reconstruction
Released: 4/30/2008 1:48:21 PM (Share)
Policymakers, potential private investors, and the public received valuable new information today to help identify fault lines and the potential location of undiscovered water, oil and gas, and non-fuel mineral resources in Afghanistan.

Media Advisory: New Data to Help with Afghanistan's Natural Resources and Hazards Assessments
Released: 4/22/2008 1:57:14 PM (Share)
The U.S. Geological Survey recently collected new data to help identify fault lines and the potential location of undiscovered water, oil and gas, and non-fuel mineral resources in Afghanistan.

Earthquake Hazard Maps Show How the Nation Shakes with Quakes
Released: 4/21/2008 3:20:24 PM (Share)
Friday's magnitude-5.2 earthquake in southern Illinois is a reminder that earthquakes are a national hazard.

Upper San Pedro Partnership Wins Cooperative Conservation Award
Released: 4/21/2008 3:06:30 PM (Share)
The Upper San Pedro Partnership was recognized with the Department of the Interior's Cooperative Conservation Award today.

Award Recognizes Animas Watershed Improvements
Released: 4/21/2008 2:59:27 PM (Share)
The Animas River Stakeholders Group was recognized with the Department of the Interior's Cooperative Conservation Award today for significant improvements to water quality and aquatic habitat in Colorado's Animas River watershed.

Sparta Aquifer Recovery Partnership Wins Cooperative Conservation Award
Released: 4/21/2008 2:54:08 PM (Share)
Partners in the Sparta Aquifer Recovery Initiative in southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana were recognized with the Department of the Interior's Cooperative Conservation Award today.

Illinois Earthquake is a Wake-Up Call
Released: 4/18/2008 2:07:11 PM (Share)
Today's early morning earthquake that jolted many in the central U.S. is a reminder that seismic events do occur in areas not normally thought of as "earthquake country."

USGS to Host Congressional Briefing on Climate Change Impacts on Coastal Communities
Released: 4/18/2008 11:53:38 AM (Share)
The USGS will host a congressional briefing on how science can be used to anticipate and address the impacts of climate change on our vulnerable coasts.

Earthquake, Tsunami Experts Gather in Seattle
Released: 4/16/2008 7:08:18 AM (Share)
The National Earthquake Conference will be held in Seattle from April 22 - 26. Earthquake experts from around the nation will convene to discuss the latest research on earthquakes and the generation of tsunamis.

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