Audio

The Johnson Creek watershed is an important resource in Portland, Oregon. It forms a wildlife and recreational corridor through densely populated areas of the Portland metropolitan area, as well as rural and agricultural land in Multnomah and Clackamas Counties.

To increase to increase public awareness during Native American Indian National Heritage Month, we will be discussing the anthropology of indigenous peoples in the Aleutian Islands and how continued scientific research can help future forecasting of mega-earthquake and transoceanic tsunami probabilities.

When a 40-foot tsunami wave hit the shores of American Samoa on Sept. 29, 2009, thousands of locals made it safely to higher ground, thanks to education efforts and research.

Right now in Florida, non-native, giant constrictor snakes—pythons, anacondas, and the boa constrictor—are being found in the wild, and two species have established several breeding populations. The snakes pose a considerable resource management challenge for agencies charged with preserving native ecosystems and species.

Increasing nitrogen emissions from motor vehicles, energy production, and agriculture are being deposited in lakes throughout the world, directly affecting lake biology and associated food webs. Alpine lake ecosystems are especially vulnerable to this deposition.

The United States is using less water than during the peak years of 1975 and 1980, according to USGS water use estimates for 2005. Despite a 30 percent population increase during the past 25 years, overall water use has remained fairly stable.

Tsunamis are devastating. Usually associated with earthquakes in the Pacific, these giant surges of oceanic water can kill thousands and do billions of dollars of damage in minutes. Surprisingly, most people in Oregon are not aware of the tsunami history and hazard along our very own coast.

USGS Menlo Park Science Center, Bldg. 3, Conference Room A, 7:00PM

Several USGS scientists are investigating the problem of fatal bat and bird collisions with wind turbines. USGS scientist and bat specialist Dr. Paul Cryan at the Fort Collins Science Center chats with Juliette Wilson about whether we can have our wind turbines and healthy populations of bats and birds too.

USGS Scientists Jim Cannia and Jared Abraham discuss the use of geophysics, a powerful new tool, in water resources studies in Nebraska

USGS South Carolina Water Science Center Research Ecologist Dr. Paul Bradley discusses USGS Toxic Substances Research on emerging contaminants in rivers and streams.

USGS North Carolina Water Quality Specialist Mary Georgino discusses The Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project.

Host Leslie Gordon interviews three USGS earthquake scientists, David Oppenheimer, Carol Prentice, and Tom Holzer about the scientific advances made in the last 20 years since the Loma Prieta earthquake struck northern California.

Two large earthquakes have hit the Pacific. Harley Benz, Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, talks about the quakes' damage, their relationship to one another, and what USGS scientists are doing in the aftermath.

Interview with USGS scientist Dr. Roger Clark about his Sept. 24 Science article that suggests water exists on the moon. Imaging spectroscopy led Clark and others to this discovery which opens the possibilities into further moon exploration.

Better late than never, here's a proper introduction to the USGS Oregon Science Podcast. Learn about who we are, what we do, and what you can expect from us in the future. Plus, as an added bonus, get a teaser for what's coming next month.

USGS North Carolina Water Science Center Director Jerad Bales discusses Hurricane Floyd and flood impacts on North Carolina in 1999.

Did you know that natural resources like coal can have impacts on human health?

Geologic maps record the distribution of rock and soil materials at Earth's surface and help decision makers identify and protect valuable resources, avoid risks from natural hazards, and make wise land use choices.

South Carolina Water Science Center Surface Water Specialist Paul Conrads discusses USGS storm-surge monitoring techniques changes since Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

SGS hydrologist Dr. Claudia Faunt discusses her new study about Calfornia's vast central valley groundwater system and the new study findings.