Videos

The Impact of Science on U.S. Climate-Change Policy

By Judy Layzer, MIT Political Scientist, and Herman Karl, USGS Earth Scientist

Grizzly bear goes under barbed wire into a hair snag station, sniffs scent lure pile, and leaves. DNA analysis of hair deposited on the barbs identifies the bear for a study of bear population size.

Grizzly bear climbs over barbed wire at a hair snag station near Glacier NP, Montana. DNA analysis of bear hair is used to identify individuals as part of study to determine the size of the bear population.

Fragile Land of Extremes
A video presentation and discussion

Research Ecologists Cecil Schwalbe and Todd Esque will introduce the 2003 USGS video Sonoran Desert: Fragile Land of Extremes, present an update on recent research, and answer your questions. 

(May 10, 2005, 16:20:29 to 18:30:29) After the collapse of the main spatter cone at the MLK vent (see movies "Spatter cone collapse at the MLK vent"), a small lava pond was visible within the new pit. At times, the level of the lava pond rose abruptly, overflowing the rim of the pit.

After the collapse of the main spatter cone at the Martin Luther King (MLK) vent on May 2, 2005, a small lava pond was visible within the new pit. Over the following weeks, the level of the lava pond often changed abruptly, resulting in overflows and spattering along the edge of the pond.

(May 2, 2005, 05:30:04 to 07:30:02) During spring 2005, activity at the MLK vent, on the southwestern flank of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone, changed from a period of construction to one of destruction. This was highlighted by the collapse of the main MLK spatter cone.

(May 2, 2005, 02:30:28 to 07:30:37) The spatter cone collapse described in the movie below was also recorded by a time-lapse camera on the west flank of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone. This camera was located about 70 meters from the MLK vent and recorded two pulses of lava effusion from the vent before collapse.

During Spring 2005, activity at the Martin Luther King (MLK) vent, an eruptive vent on the southwestern flank of the Pu'u 'O'o cone, changed from a period of construction to one of destruction. This was highlighted by the collapse of the main MLK spatter cone.

Lava spines continue to emerge onto the crater floor of Mount St. Helens in 2005. By April 2005, spine 4 is broken and pushed away by spine 5.  The nearly vertical spine 5 has a smooth, gouge-covered surface, growing at an average rate of 4.3 meters per day.

Blowing the Lid off Seismic Science for 40 Years

Ross Stein, representing the USGS Earthquake Hazards Team 

USGS Shipboard Research Sparked Scientific Advances

By William R. Normark, and

David W. Scholl, Marine Geologists

Growth and disintegration of lava spines continued at Mount St. Helens through the first 8 months of 2005. Rather than building a single dome-shaped structure, the new dome grew initially as a series of recumbent, smoothly surfaced spines that extruded to lengths of almost 500 m.

Hear why California makes an ideal environment for landslides North face

By Gerald F. Wieczorek, Geological Engineer, and

Raymond C. Wilson, Landslide Geologist

(February 9, 2005, 18:00:30 to February 10, 2005, 08:00:31) On February 9, 2005, an increase in lava discharge from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, part of a longer term increase in effusion rate (Miklius and others, 2006), resulted in vigorous spattering and low fountaining from the MLK vent.

Within the crater of Mount St. Helens, the 2004–2008 lava dome grew by continuous extrusion of degassed lava spines. To track growth and anticipate what the volcano might do next, scientists installed monitoring equipment, including a camera and gas sensing instruments, and made helicopter overflights to collect the temperature (FLIR) of the growing dome.

35 Years of San Francisco Bay Studies

By John Conomos, Scientist Emeritus

A video on USGS EROS monitoring of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
 

Compilation video of significant events from the dome-building eruption at Mount St. Helens, from October 1, 2004 to March 15, 2005, including steam and ash eruptions, growth of lava spines, helicopter deployment of monitoring equipment, collection of lava samples, and FLIR thermal imaging of rock collapse on lava dome.

By late October 2004, a whaleback-shaped extrusion of solid lava (called a spine) emerged from Mount St. Helens' crater floor. The 2004–2008 lava dome grew by continuous extrusion of degassed lava spines that had mostly solidified at less than 1 km (0.62 mi) beneath the surface.

The rockslide occurred about nine miles east of Glenwood Springs in Glenwood Canyon (Colorado) at 7:42 am, November 25, 2004, according officials from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).