USGS documents how Wildfires and Weather Are Changing Erosion Patterns
USGS scientists have determined that sediment runoff from California's increasingly severe wildfires and heavy rain events may affect ecosystems and water resources downstream.
USGS scientists have determined that sediment runoff from California's increasingly severe wildfires and heavy rain events may affect ecosystems and water resources downstream.
Coastal Impacts in Florida and Puerto Rico
Summary of Activities Related to Additional Supplemental Appropriations
Summary of Activities Related to Additional Supplemental Appropriations
Landslide and Debris-Flow Impacts from California Wildfires
A Summary of Activities Related to Additional Supplemental Appropriations
A Summary of Activities Related to Additional Supplemental Appropriations
Alaska Earthquake: Equipment Replacement and Geologic Investigations
A Summary of Activities Related to Additional Supplemental Appropriations
A Summary of Activities Related to Additional Supplemental Appropriations
Response Activities, Equipment Repair, and Hardening from the Kīlauea eruption
A Summary of Activities Related to Additional Supplemental Appropriations
A Summary of Activities Related to Additional Supplemental Appropriations
Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities
USGS supports recovery efforts in declared natural disaster areas through supplemental appropriations. This site describes the USGS activities related to recovery and rebuilding after natural disasters.
When natural disasters strike our nation, Congress can appropriate funding under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and supplemental funding acts for Federal disaster relief activities. In 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023 Congress funded USGS under these Acts to aid recovery efforts from widespread wildfires, devastating hurricanes, prolonged volcanic eruptions, and damaging earthquakes. This enables USGS to repair and replace equipment and facilities, collect high-resolution elevation data, and conduct scientific studies and assessments to support recovery and rebuilding decisions.
News
Volcano Watch — First light (and flight) for HVO’s new airborne lidar system
Volcano Watch — First light (and flight) for HVO’s new airborne lidar system
SPCMSC Team deploys instruments on Breton Island Louisiana
SPCMSC Team deploys instruments on Breton Island Louisiana
Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior joined staff from the USGS and Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources for roundtable discussion and press event on climate adaptation science and partnerships at the University of Puerto Rico
Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior joined staff from the USGS and Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources for roundtable discussion and press event on climate adaptation science and partnerships at the University of Puerto Rico
Publications
Postfire sediment mobilization and its downstream implications across California, 1984 – 2021
Fire facilitates erosion through changes in vegetation and soil, with major postfire erosion commonly occurring even with moderate rainfall. As climate warms, the western United States (U.S.) is experiencing an intensifying fire regime and increasing frequency of extreme rain. We evaluated whether these hydroclimatic changes are evident in patterns of postfire erosion by modeling hillslope erosion
A robust quantitative method to distinguish runoff-generated debris flows from floods
Debris flows and floods generated by rainfall runoff occur in rocky mountainous landscapes and burned steeplands. Flow type is commonly identified post-event through interpretation of depositional structures, but these may be poorly preserved or misinterpreted. Prior research indicates that discharge magnitude is commonly amplified in debris flows relative to floods due to volumetric bulking and i
Coastal Science Navigator companion guide—Discover the U.S. Geological Survey coastal science products you need
The Coastal Science Navigator is an online gateway to a wide variety of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) coastal change hazards-related information, data, and tools relevant to stakeholders’ scientific and decision-making needs. The products within the Coastal Science Navigator provide data related to past, present, and future threats to our coastlines. The filter search allows users to see all avail
Science
Alaska Flood Staffs
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) uses observations of flooding in communities to monitor hazard conditions and support research by the USGS and its partners into a variety of hazard processes in Alaska. Local observations of flooding at a flood staffs are used to document flood elevations, improve flood models, and support floodplain management decisions.
Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS)
Software for calculating positional boundary change over time The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 6 is a standalone application that calculates shoreline or boundary change over time. The GIS of a user’s choice is used to prepare the data for DSAS. Like previous versions, DSAS v.6 enables a user to calculate rate-of-change statistics from multiple historical shoreline positions...
Typhoon Merbok Disaster Emergency Recovery Efforts
Extreme storm events, such as Extratropical-Typhoon Merbok that hit the coast of Western Alaska in September 2022, are stark reminders of the devastating impacts coastal storms can have on Alaska Native community’s livelihoods and infrastructure. A chronic lack of environmental monitoring and technical assistance in rural Alaska present major barriers to communities affected by Typhoon Merbok...