Images

Researchers taking aquatic insect samples in a high-elevation Glacier National Park stream as part of ecohydrological monitoring efforts to study the effects of climate change on aquatic species and ecosystems. 

USGS coastal change experts predict that storm waves kicked up by the Category 1 hurricane are likely to cause some erosion at the base of the dunes along about 11 percent of coastal beaches between Florida and Virginia.

This rapid deployment gauge was installed August 1 in Swansboro, North Carolina on the White Oak River to monitor water levels in order track potential flooding caused by Tropical Storm Isaias. Photo by Bryce McClenney, USGS. 

Thin section image of a lava sample from Yellowstone using a polarizing microscope. The mineral assemblage is representative of many of Yellowstone’s basaltic rocks. The three large and colored crystals (known as phenocrysts) in the center of the image are the mineral olivine.

This USGS storm tide sensor was installed August 1 in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to measure the coastal impacts of Hurricane Isaias. Photo by Joshua Lee, USGS.

This timelapse video at Kīlauea's summit covers approximately 30 minutes and shows the dynamic nature of the water lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater. Steam from the hot water surface is constantly shifting in the winds, while the migrating color boundaries on the water surface appear to show circulation in the lake. USGS video by M. Patrick.

Plot showing rise of Kīlauea's summit crater lake over the past year, during which laser rangefinder measurements of lake level were made 2–3 times per week. Photos compare the lake on August 27, 2019, when it was ~22 ft (7 m) deep, to July 7, 2020, when it was ~130 ft (40 m) deep. USGS photos.

Groundwater piezometers used to monitor vertical hydraulic gradients, Little Pine Lake, Browns Mills, New Jersey.

Visitors at Winnewissa Falls in Pipestone National Monument

Kīlauea's summit water lake, in Halema‘uma‘u, continues to slowly rise. Today, the lake colors were vibrant, with a zone of aquamarine water in the west end (lower right in photo). These greenish zones tend to be slightly hotter, and appear to be zones of water influx. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Description: This is a high-resolution oblique view of the northeastern edge of the delta deposit in Jezero crater, the landing site for the Perseverance Mars rover. In the foreground, buttes of delta material stand above the crater floor. On the left and in the middle of this image, the layered rocks of the delta deposit are visible.

Description: This is a high-resolution oblique view of the southern edge of the delta deposit in Jezero crater, the landing site for the Perseverance Mars rover. In the foreground, a butte of delta material stands above the crater floor.

Description: This oblique view looks to the west from above the Jezero crater floor, over the fan-shaped delta deposit, and into the valley that cuts through the crater rim. The Perseverance Mars rover will land near this delta to search for evidence of past life and collect samples that could be returned to Earth by a later mission.

This oblique view looking toward the northwest shows the location where a river valley cuts through the rim of Jezero crater and ends in a fan-shaped delta deposit. The Perseverance Mars rover will land near this delta to search for evidence of past life and collect samples that could be returned to Earth by a later mission.

Description: This oblique view looking toward the northwest shows the western rim and floor of Jezero crater, Mars. A river valley cuts through the rim and ends in a fan-shaped delta deposit. The Perseverance Mars rover will land near this delta to search for evidence of past life and collect samples that could be returned to Earth by a later mission.

When you’re planning to explore someplace new, it’s always a good idea to bring a map so you can avoid dangerous terrain. This is true whether you’re heading out for a hike on Earth or you’re landing a rover on Mars!

Comparison of images showing growth of Kīlauea's summit water lake over the past year. The left image, taken on August 2, 2019, shows a small green pond that was approximately 6 ft (2 m) deep. The right image, taken on July 21, 2020, shows a lake more than 130 ft (40 m) deep with shades of tan to brown and a sharp color boundary often cutting across the lake.

View looks southwest along the eastern flank of the Elwha River delta and back towards the mouth of the river. USGS conducts regular surveys along this stretch of coastline, to monitor the evolving coastline following removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dams, completed in 2014.

ANIMATED GIF: Saturday, July 25, marks the one year anniversary since water was first spotted at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u, at the summit of Kīlauea. Over the past year, the summit water lake has grown to more than 270 m (885 ft) long and 131 m (430 ft) wide, with a surface area over 2.5 hectares (6 acres).

Kīlauea

Summit crater lake growth

July 25, 2019 to July 25, 2020

Photographs from two mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) found dead within a warm-water retention pond in Minnesota, US. (A) Jejunum with superficial pseudomembranes and deep mucosal granulomatous inflammation (clear arrow). Small degenerated metazoan parasites are present rarely within the inflamed areas (black arrow). H&E stain. (B).