Earthquakes Pose Risk to Global Mineral Supplies
USGS scientists study how seismicity could impact mineral commodity supplies like copper and rhenium.
USGS scientists study how seismicity could impact mineral commodity supplies like copper and rhenium.
Monitoring Kīlauea Volcano's Current Eruption
Eruptions within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park have been intermittent since December 23, 2024.
Eruptions within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park have been intermittent since December 23, 2024.
Alarming Future for California's Coastline
Computer modeling and new research predict significant erosion by 2100.
Computer modeling and new research predict significant erosion by 2100.
Postfire Debris-Flow Hazard Assessments Help Manage Further Loss
This interactive dashboard shows the likelihood and potential severity for debris-flows.
This interactive dashboard shows the likelihood and potential severity for debris-flows.
Understanding Earth's Electrical Conductivity Helps Protect from Space Weather
The study can also help support mineral and geothermal resource assessment.
The study can also help support mineral and geothermal resource assessment.
Rapid Response Seismometers Help Scientists Assess Hazards
Seafloor seismographs were quickly deployed following a major earthquake offshore Northern California.
Seafloor seismographs were quickly deployed following a major earthquake offshore Northern California.
New USGS-FEMA study highlights economic earthquake risk in the United States
Natural Hazards Mission Area
Every year in the United States, natural hazards threaten lives and livelihoods and result in billions of dollars in damage. We work with many partners to monitor, assess, and conduct targeted research on a wide range of natural hazards so that policymakers and the public have the understanding they need to enhance preparedness, response, and resilience.
Office of Risk and Resilience
Office of Risk and Resilience
Working to ensure that relevant and actionable USGS hazards and risk information is developed and delivered in user-friendly ways to support risk-reduction efforts at a national scale.
Subduction Zone Science
Subduction Zone Science
The most powerful earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, and volcanic eruptions occur in subduction zones, where two plates collide and one is thrust beneath another.
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News
Interior Highlights Critical Mineral Prospectivity on the Seafloor
Interior Highlights Critical Mineral Prospectivity on the Seafloor
Multibeam bathymetric data offer high-resolution imagery of the entire Cascadia Subduction Zone
Multibeam bathymetric data offer high-resolution imagery of the entire Cascadia Subduction Zone
Linking tidal-creek sediment fluxes to vertical sediment accretion in a restored salt marsh
Linking tidal-creek sediment fluxes to vertical sediment accretion in a restored salt marsh
Publications
U.S. Geological Survey 2024 Rocky Mountain Region Science Exchange—Showcasing cutting-edge science to adapt to extreme weather events and stakeholder needs
IntroductionThe Rocky Mountains and the Colorado River Basin in the Western United States are complex, interconnected systems that sustain a large variety of species, including tens of millions of humans. These regions face risks from drought, wildfires, invasive plant and animal species, and habitat reduction. Working with many stakeholders, scientists can help to characterize these...
Comparative properties of saponitic fault gouge and serpentinite muds cored from mud volcanoes of the Mariana subduction zone
We obtained 12 core samples for physical and chemical characterization from three serpentinite mud volcanoes (Yinazao, Asùt Tesoru, and Fantangisña) located on the forearc of the Mariana subduction system, that were drilled during International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 366. Two samples from the Fantangisña mud volcano are interpreted to be clay-rich fault gouges derived from...
From hydrated silica to quartz: Potential hydrothermal precipitates found in Jezero crater, Mars
On Earth, silica-rich phases from opal to quartz are important indicators and tracers of geological processes. Hydrated silica, such as opal, is a particularly good matrix for the preservation of molecular and macroscopic biosignatures. Cherts, a type of silica-dominated rocks, provide a unique archive of ancient terrestrial life while quartz is the emblematic mineral of the Earth's...
Science
Southwest Fire Innovation Landscape Network: Advanced tools for fuel monitoring and assessment of wildfire risk
The USGS Southwest Biological Science Center is coordinating the Southwest Fire Innovation Landscape Network to prepare fire and natural resource managers for rapidly changing fire landscapes by conducting research and building science-management partnerships. The network develops advanced tools and technologies to assess fuel loads and the effectiveness of fuel treatments, understand wildfire...
Grfin Tools – Methods and software for modeling landslide runout and debris-flow growth and inundation
Grfin Tools is a set of software tools that allows users to quickly estimate potential runout from landslides, and (or) inundation from debris flows or lahars, within a DEM. Grfin (pronounced "griffin") is an acronym of Growth + flow + inundation, and the tools within this package apply simple, well-tested, empirical models of runout. This suite of tools can be used individually or in...