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Explore our planet through photography and imagery, including climate change and water all the way back to the 1800s when the USGS was surveying the country by horse and buggy.

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Real-time flow meter on an Arkansas irrigation well
Real-time flow meter on an Arkansas irrigation well
Real-time flow meter on an Arkansas irrigation well
Real-time flow meter on an Arkansas irrigation well

Real-time flow meter installed on a center-pivot irrigation well in Mississippi County, Arkansas as part of a cooperative project conducted between USGS and the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. The meter will measure water use for irrigation, providing data which will help improve water-use information in other locations as well.

Real-time flow meter installed on a center-pivot irrigation well in Mississippi County, Arkansas as part of a cooperative project conducted between USGS and the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission. The meter will measure water use for irrigation, providing data which will help improve water-use information in other locations as well.

Ash from an explosive event at Halema‘uma‘u
Ash from an explosive event at Halema‘uma‘u
Ash from an explosive event at Halema‘uma‘u
Ash from an explosive event at Halema‘uma‘u

Ash from an explosive event at Halema‘uma‘u on May 15, 2018, was blown by trade winds to the southwest, where it fell from the plume and blanketed the Ka‘ū Desert landscape. Samples of this ash were collected for ash leachate analyses as part of the assessment of hazards from Kīlauea Volcano's eruption.

Ash from an explosive event at Halema‘uma‘u on May 15, 2018, was blown by trade winds to the southwest, where it fell from the plume and blanketed the Ka‘ū Desert landscape. Samples of this ash were collected for ash leachate analyses as part of the assessment of hazards from Kīlauea Volcano's eruption.

An ash plume from a volcano rises up into the sky
Ash Plume at Kīlauea Summit
Ash Plume at Kīlauea Summit
Ash Plume at Kīlauea Summit

Activity at Halema‘uma‘u crater increased this morning to include the nearly continuous emission of ash with intermittent stronger pulses that form occasional higher plumes 1-2 kilometers (3,000 to 6,000 feet

Activity at Halema‘uma‘u crater increased this morning to include the nearly continuous emission of ash with intermittent stronger pulses that form occasional higher plumes 1-2 kilometers (3,000 to 6,000 feet

Steam rising from a fissure
Fissure 14 — Incandescence Observed
Fissure 14 — Incandescence Observed
Fissure 14 — Incandescence Observed

Incandescence observed at Fissure 14 around 10:30 a.m. HST. Pulsing, gas-rushing sounds could be heard coming from the crack. Yellow sulfur deposits appear on the crack margins.

Incandescence observed at Fissure 14 around 10:30 a.m. HST. Pulsing, gas-rushing sounds could be heard coming from the crack. Yellow sulfur deposits appear on the crack margins.

Lava oozing from edge of a volcanic flow
Fissure 17 - Highly Viscous (Sticky) Lava Oozing
Fissure 17 - Highly Viscous (Sticky) Lava Oozing
Fissure 17 - Highly Viscous (Sticky) Lava Oozing

Highly viscous (sticky) lava oozes from the edge of the ‘a‘ā flow spreading slowly from fissure 17.

Highly viscous (sticky) lava oozes from the edge of the ‘a‘ā flow spreading slowly from fissure 17.

Kīlauea Lower East Rift Zone Fissures and Flows, May 15 at 7:00 a.m...
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures & Flows, May 15 at 7:00 a.m.
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures & Flows, May 15 at 7:00 a.m.
Kīlauea LERZ Fissures & Flows, May 15 at 7:00 a.m.

Map as of 6:45 a.m. HST, May 15, shows the location of the 'a'ā lava flow spreading from fissure 17; the flow front at the time is shown by the small red circle with label. The flow is following well a path of steepest descent (blue line), immediately south of the 1955 'a'ā flow boundary.

Map as of 6:45 a.m. HST, May 15, shows the location of the 'a'ā lava flow spreading from fissure 17; the flow front at the time is shown by the small red circle with label. The flow is following well a path of steepest descent (blue line), immediately south of the 1955 'a'ā flow boundary.

Ash blanketing a desert landscape
Kīlauea Volcano - Ash Blanketing Kau Desert
Kīlauea Volcano - Ash Blanketing Kau Desert
Kīlauea Volcano - Ash Blanketing Kau Desert

At 1:38 p.m. HST. A telephoto photo from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory looking toward the southwest shows gray ash blanketing the Kau Desert landscape.

At 1:38 p.m. HST. A telephoto photo from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory looking toward the southwest shows gray ash blanketing the Kau Desert landscape.

Ash plume rising from a crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater

At 11:05 a.m. HST. Photograph from the Jaggar Museum, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, captures an ash plume rising from the Overlook crater. Ash falling from the plume can be seen just to the right side (and below) the plume.

At 11:05 a.m. HST. Photograph from the Jaggar Museum, Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, captures an ash plume rising from the Overlook crater. Ash falling from the plume can be seen just to the right side (and below) the plume.

A dark ash plume rising from a crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Dark Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Dark Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater
Kīlauea Volcano - Dark Ash Plume Rising from Overlook Crater

At 1:38 p.m. HST, another dark ash plume rose from the Overlook crater. During a flight earlier today by the Civil Air Patrol, the height of the ash plumes near the crater rose to more than 3 km (9,800 ft) above sea level, and downwind the plumes continued to rise to about 3.5 km (11,500 ft) above sea level.

At 1:38 p.m. HST, another dark ash plume rose from the Overlook crater. During a flight earlier today by the Civil Air Patrol, the height of the ash plumes near the crater rose to more than 3 km (9,800 ft) above sea level, and downwind the plumes continued to rise to about 3.5 km (11,500 ft) above sea level.

Ash plume rising from a crater
Kīlauea Volcano — Ash Falls onto Kau Desert
Kīlauea Volcano — Ash Falls onto Kau Desert
Kīlauea Volcano — Ash Falls onto Kau Desert

At 1:38 p.m. HST, ash falls from the plume southwest from Halema‘uma‘u crater onto the Kau desert. The northeast tradewinds were persistent today at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, so ash was only blown southwest.

At 1:38 p.m. HST, ash falls from the plume southwest from Halema‘uma‘u crater onto the Kau desert. The northeast tradewinds were persistent today at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, so ash was only blown southwest.

Aerial view of the ash plume
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume (Aerial)
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume (Aerial)
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume (Aerial)

At 11:43 HST, Civil Air Patrol flight CAP20 reported plume tops at about 9,500 ft with the dispersed plume rising as high as 11,000 ft.

At 11:43 HST, Civil Air Patrol flight CAP20 reported plume tops at about 9,500 ft with the dispersed plume rising as high as 11,000 ft.

Ash plume rises in the distance over a golf course
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume from Volcano Golf Course
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume from Volcano Golf Course
Kīlauea Volcano Ash Plume from Volcano Golf Course

Ash plume viewed from the Volcano Golf Course near Volcano, Hawai‘i. This view is nearly due north of the Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Ash plume viewed from the Volcano Golf Course near Volcano, Hawai‘i. This view is nearly due north of the Halema‘uma‘u crater.

WFRC nPCR test for detection of Rs
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Following two rounds of PCR amplification, samples are pipetted into an agarose gel for electrophoresis.

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Following two rounds of PCR amplification, samples are pipetted into an agarose gel for electrophoresis.

WFRC nPCR test for detection of Rs
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum
WFRC nPCR test for detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Agarose gel electrophoresis is used for size separation and visualization of amplified DNA sequences.

Nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) for the detection of Renibacterium salmoninarum. Agarose gel electrophoresis is used for size separation and visualization of amplified DNA sequences.

Electrical Barrier blocking sea lamprey in Black Mallard River
An Electrical Barrier used to block sea lamprey, Black Mallard River
An Electrical Barrier used to block sea lamprey, Black Mallard River
An Electrical Barrier used to block sea lamprey, Black Mallard River

An electrical barrier used to block sea lamprey passage in the Black Mallard River, 2018

Aerial view of a fissure in Hawaii
Fissure 17 — active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure
Fissure 17 — active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure
Fissure 17 — active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure

At 8:44 a.m., HST. Aerial view of the active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure 17 (the fissure's low lava fountains can be seen in middle of photo). Highway 132 can be seen on right side of photograph. View is toward the west.

At 8:44 a.m., HST. Aerial view of the active ‘a‘ā flow spreading from fissure 17 (the fissure's low lava fountains can be seen in middle of photo). Highway 132 can be seen on right side of photograph. View is toward the west.

Aerial view of a fissure in Hawaii
Fissure 17 — continues down slope
Fissure 17 — continues down slope
Fissure 17 — continues down slope

At 2:30 p.m. HST, the flow front of Fissure 17 continues down slope. The barren, brown area to the right in the photograph is a lobe of the Kii Flow from the eruption of 1955. The Fissure 17 flow front is located approximately .7 miles makai of Highway 132 and is 1.4 miles mauka of Hwy 137.

At 2:30 p.m. HST, the flow front of Fissure 17 continues down slope. The barren, brown area to the right in the photograph is a lobe of the Kii Flow from the eruption of 1955. The Fissure 17 flow front is located approximately .7 miles makai of Highway 132 and is 1.4 miles mauka of Hwy 137.

Aerial view of erupting fissure in Hawaii
Fissure 17 — early morning view
Fissure 17 — early morning view
Fissure 17 — early morning view

7:00 a.m., HST. An early morning view of fissure 17, still erupting and supplying lava to a flow that was still advancing (out of view). View is looking toward the east.

7:00 a.m., HST. An early morning view of fissure 17, still erupting and supplying lava to a flow that was still advancing (out of view). View is looking toward the east.

Aerial view of a fissure with steam jet appearing
Fissure 17 — steam jet appears
Fissure 17 — steam jet appears
Fissure 17 — steam jet appears

Around 2:30 p.m. HST, a steam jet appears on fissure 17, above the area with active fountaining. Steam jets at this location were repeating about once a minute.

Around 2:30 p.m. HST, a steam jet appears on fissure 17, above the area with active fountaining. Steam jets at this location were repeating about once a minute.

Snow covered Heaven's Peak
Snow covered Heaven's Peak
Snow covered Heaven's Peak
Snow covered Heaven's Peak

Examples of glide avalanches on Heaven's Peak, Glacier National Park.

Examples of glide avalanches on Heaven's Peak, Glacier National Park.

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