Videos

Well look at this mess! What’s going on? 

We’re just south of Mammoth Hot Springs at a place informally known as the Hoodoos. The official designation for the area is Silver Gate, named by an early Yellowstone National Park visitor because of the way the road wound between the closely spaced white and gray boulders. 

The effects of deglaciation on the slope stability of glacial valleys have increasing importance in the context of climate change, with a role on the susceptibility to large-volume rock slides or rock avalanches and catastrophic cascading geohazards.

Is it true roads in Yellowstone National Park are melting? Whatever you might have heard, it's nothing new and it's not due to increased volcanic activity. Get up-to-speed in this month's update from the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (March 2025).

The global ocean is a significant carbon sink, absorbing about a third of all atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO²) emissions (Gruber et al., 2019).

The global ocean is a significant carbon sink, absorbing about a third of all atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO²) emissions (Gruber et al., 2019).

Most of the world’s beaches have regular cycles of erosion and recovery, but new USGS research is showing that these cycles may be considerably different from common perceptions. 

You've probably seen videos of black smokers on the ocean floor, where hydrothermal fluids vent from chimneys. In Yellowstone’s Monument Geyser Basin, you can see similar features right at the surface, and they likely formed in much the same way. Watch to learn more.

This presentation by Dr. Jake Lowenstern was prepared for the AGU 2024-2025 Distinguished Lecture Series. It discusses the challenges of volcano monitoring, eruption forecasting, and protecting vulnerable populations.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

Coral reef restoration can protect hundreds of millions of dollars of coastal property and business activity annually from storm-driven flooding.

It can protect thousands of people, especially children, the elderly, minorities, and those below the poverty line. Thus, coral reef restoration is a mechanism to provide environmental equity.

In addition to the December 2024 update, Mike Poland, scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, presents YVO’s top five geologic stories from Yellowstone National Park in 2024. 

USGS Scientist, Bob deGroot, briefly explains what happened during the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred offshore of Mendocino, CA, on December 5, 2024.

The event occurred in an area called the Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Juan de Fruca, and North American tectonic plates meet.

USGS Scientist, Bob deGroot, briefly explains what happened during the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that occurred offshore of Mendocino, CA, on December 5, 2024.

The event occurred in an area called the Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Juan de Fruca, and North American tectonic plates meet.

The hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin stole all the headlines. But did you know there was a smaller hydrothermal explosion in Norris Geyser Basin on April 15, 2024? That explosion was detected by a new infrasound sensor installed this past September. Watch to learn more.

Volcanoes tend to have seismicity that waxes and wanes over time. That’s considered normal and not necessarily a cause for concern. Let’s check on Mount Adams to see what USGS scientists are doing to learn more about its recent earthquake activity and what it could mean for this Cascade Range volcano.

Obsidian: It’s not just a valuable commodity in Minecraft. Obsidian was an important resource for Indigenous peoples across western North America. Learn more in this month's update.

Did you feel that? 

The annual Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is coming on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, at 10:17 a.m. (local time, wherever you are). We never know where or when an earthquake may happen, but preparing is easier than assembling a piece of Scandinavian furniture. 

Don’t believe us? Take a look at this step-by-step guide. 

Let’s get you caught up on what we’ve learned about the July 23, 2024, hydrothermal explosion in Biscuit Basin, in this Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Monthly Update for October 2024. 

Read Caldera Chronicles

Natural hazards like earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and floods impact millions of Americans every year. The U.S. Geological Survey monitors these hazards in realtime, giving communities early warnings and critical information. In some cases, forecasting where the threat is greatest and helping reduce the risk to people, homes, and infrastructure.

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, measuring magnitude 6.9, was the strongest to hit the San Francisco Bay Area since the Great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Although it provided extensive data on ground shaking, the available observations don’t fully capture all the quake's important features.