Images

A section of the Upper Green River Valley in western Wyoming, just south of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, showing different ecosystems (such as forests, wetlands, and aquatic habitats) whose capacities for carbon storage and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be assessed by the USGS.

USGS scientists have worked closely with Afghan geologists, both to verify old Soviet and Afghan mineral research and to expand and enhance the total knowledge of Afghanistan's mineral wealth.

Researchers from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center examine a duck as part of part of efforts to identify, track, and prevent wildlife disease.

A prairie dog stands on alert. The USGS National Wildlife Health Center works to identify, track, and prevent wildlife disease. Better protection of prairie dogs against plague would minimize the risk of disease transfer to endangered black-footed ferrets, aid in prairie dog conservation, and protect public health.

To present the most information in a single view of Jupiter's moon, Io, a global color mosaic, derived from Galileo color images, was superposed on a higher resolution image mosaic, derived from merging the best resolution images from spacecrafts Galileo and Voyager 1.

USGS scientist Peter Van Metre examines a parking lot where coal-tar sealcoat has been applied.

Creosote bush shrublands are one of the driest Sonoran Desert plant communities; the creosote bush and white ratany are the dominant plants; a USGS study showed that their coverage is likely to decrease with forecasted climate change because of less winter precipitation and more aridity.

In the semiarid mesquite savanna community, pictured here, perennial grasses and forbs both are likely to decline as annual and winter precipitation decline with forecasted climate change.

Blood samples from pallid sturgeon are taken to assess hormone levels and reproductive condition. 

A blood sample is collected from every pallid sturgeon that is implanted with a telemetry transmitter. 

Plasma separated from the blood by centrifuge of a pallid sturgeon is carefully divided into 3 vials.  The plasma samples are immediately frozen for laboratory analysis. 

Red Buds blooming along the banks of the Missouri River in April 2011.

Red River of the North at Halstad, Minnesota, on April 1, 2011, just prior to ice breaking up.

The Secretary learns about Ball's Landsat technology from Program Manager of the NPOESS Prep Project Scott Tennant.

Castle, McNutt, Salazar, and Taylor meet inside the Ball Aerospace facility.

"As our future scientists, it is important that these students understand the Department's role in space-based science and how they can make a positive impact on the Colorado economy by pursuing high tech jobs," said Secretary Salazar. "I applaud schools like Skyline for providing the resources and training needed to create an innovative workforce."

USGS scientists Joel Galloway and Dan Thomas prepare to take streamflow and water level measurements of the flooded Red River in downtown Fargo, ND. The USGS Red River of the North at Fargo streamgage can be seen in the background.

Upon making an incision in PLS11-008 in which to implant a telemetry transmitter, black eggs pushed to the surface.  A few of the eggs were collected for analysis on how close she is to spawning.  

Biologists with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission release a 3 kilogram non-reproductive male pallid sturgeon.

Researchers are deploying an underwater microscope (or "sand-cam") from the R/V Theodore H. Schmudde.

Researchers are viewing imagery obtained via the underwater microscope.