Images

Photo Contest Winner | June 2021 | USGS at Work
Ashley Ryan and Jeff Kvech using ADCP for recon of lower Anacostia River, 20210520

Map and plot showing earthquakes at 20-40 km (12-25 miles) depth beneath the Island of Hawai‘i over the past week. Most of the earthquakes at this depth were clustered beneath the southern edge of the island near the town of Pāhala (blue dots).  USGS graphic.

No active surface lava was visible within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, during a field visit yesterday morning. F1cam thermal images from yesterday afternoon show hot surface crust, but no active lava. F1cam thermal images from the morning of May 21 showed at least one small resurfacing event.

A close-up view of the western fissure vent complex and gas plume within Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Gas emissions remain slightly elevated, with the most recent measurements on May 18 at 100 tonnes per day. The lava inlet from the base of the west vent, which no longer appears to be active, is visible on the right.

A close-up view of the northeastern rim of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake, at the summit of Kīlauea. This area of the lava lake has been degassing persistently for the past few months. Several large boulders, which fell from the crater walls, are visible near the perimeter of the northern lava lake crust (center).

Oceanographer RC Mickey in front of a USGS UTV (utility task vehicle) carrying GPS equipment. He is collecting GPS data for location and elevation of sea turtle crawls and associated beach profiles along Jupiter Beach and Juno Beach, FL.

The Region 1, May 2021 "USGS at Work" Winner (by Aaron Stephens)

USGS scientists Gregory D'Agostino and Katherine Wares collecting soil and worms at a site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, that was contaminated by PFAS from fire-fighting foam.  

This comparison of thermal images taken from the south rim of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea, show the diminishing area of active lava on the surface over the past month. Today, active lava was limited to a small pond, about 20 meters (yards) long, near the western fissure. USGS images by M. Patrick.

A groin at Seven Mile Island, New Jersey traps sand and contributes to widening of the barrier beach. This illustrates how human modification and wave processes shape the beach. In May 2021, Andrew Farmer, Chelsea Stalk, and Emily Wei conducted a multibeam bathymetry survey offshore of Seven Mile Island, along the southern coast of New Jersey.

Invertebrate being collected at a site on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, that was contaminated by PFAS from fire-fighting foam used at the site. 

A UTV (utility task vehicle) parked in front of a beach scarp used to collect data that is used in cooperation with FWC, FWS, USGS, and USFSP to understand sea turtle nesting behavior in response to beach renourishment with the goal of advising engineers on how to develop more turtle friendly nourishment desig

This close-up view of the of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake at the summit of Kīlauea was captured on Tuesday, May 18. During an approximately one-hour visit to the crater rim, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists' only observation of active lava was the crustal foundering event captured here, which lasted approximately five minutes.

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Surveying at USGS 04273996 W BR AUSABLE R TRIB 1 ABV ST HW 86 NR LK PLACID NY (Credit: Isabella Lucia, USGS NY WSC, Public domain.)

Learn About Water!

Photographs from a raccoon (Procyon lotor) from Arizona, US.  (A) Large tan nematodes (arrowheads) are present within the subcutaneous tissue and muscle fascia in the distal right forelimb. (B) Closer view of the distal right forelimb showing the large tan nematodes (arrowheads).

On May 15, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists did a routine hike to the summit of Mauna Loa and inspected summit monitoring equipment. Clear weather provided good views across the floor of Moku‘āweoweo, Mauna Loa's summit caldera, and nothing unusual was observed.

A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist inspects the thermal camera at the summit of Mauna Loa on May 15, 2021.

Science crew from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center work on deployment of seismic streamer on deck of R/V Robert Gordon Sproul. Green cable is the hydrophone streamer and a "bird" is being attached to control depth in the water.

Can you find something around you that reminds you of a rock arch? www.usgs.gov/findafeature

The Menindee Lakes in the Far West of New South Wales, Australia, are seen in this Landsat 8 Collection 2 image from May 14, 2021, and is shown as a natural color composite using the red, green, and blue bands (Bands 4,3,2).