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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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man in yellow slicker standing in rushing river up to his thighs, holding a stick-like instrument in the water
Measuring streamflow in fast moving floodwater.
Measuring streamflow in fast moving floodwater.
Measuring streamflow in fast moving floodwater.

USGS hydrographer measuring streamflow using a handheld Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter in fast moving floodwater Cajon Creek near Keenbrook, California. 

USGS hydrographer measuring streamflow using a handheld Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter in fast moving floodwater Cajon Creek near Keenbrook, California. 

Woman standing in middle of stream next to instruments
Measuring streamflow in northern Nevada.
Measuring streamflow in northern Nevada.
Measuring streamflow in northern Nevada.

USGS technician measuring streamflow in northern Nevada.

man in yellow shirt and camo coveralls standing in thigh-high water with instrument.
Measuring streamflow in the Sisquoc River near Garey, California.
Measuring streamflow in the Sisquoc River near Garey, California.
Measuring streamflow in the Sisquoc River near Garey, California.

USGS technician measuring streamflow in the Sisquoc River near Garey, California, upstream of the Santa Maria Mesa Road Bridge.

USGS technician measuring streamflow in the Sisquoc River near Garey, California, upstream of the Santa Maria Mesa Road Bridge.

Medicine Lake, California simplified hazards map showing potential ...
Medicine Lake, CA simplified hazards map
Medicine Lake, CA simplified hazards map
Medicine Lake, CA simplified hazards map

Medicine Lake, California simplified hazards map showing potential impact area for ground-based hazards during a volcanic event.

Medicine Lake, California simplified hazards map showing potential impact area for ground-based hazards during a volcanic event.

Photograph of  methane plumes at the Norfolk Canyon seeps
Methane Plumes
Methane Plumes
Methane Plumes

(Top) Methane plumes at the Norfolk Canyon seeps (~1600 meters or 5250 feet) were detected using the EK60 sonar. The water column plumes are shown above the sub-seafloor structure as imaged by high-resolution multichannel seismic data acquired by the USGS and processed by J. Kluesner.

(Top) Methane plumes at the Norfolk Canyon seeps (~1600 meters or 5250 feet) were detected using the EK60 sonar. The water column plumes are shown above the sub-seafloor structure as imaged by high-resolution multichannel seismic data acquired by the USGS and processed by J. Kluesner.

Photograph of Methane-derived authigenic carbonate (MDAC) rocks on the seafloor on the U.S. Atlantic margin
Methane-derived authigenic carbonate (MDAC) rocks on the seafloor
Methane-derived authigenic carbonate (MDAC) rocks on the seafloor
Methane-derived authigenic carbonate (MDAC) rocks on the seafloor

Methane-derived authigenic carbonate (MDAC) rocks on the seafloor on the U.S. Atlantic margin

Monarch on hairy puccoon
Monarch on hairy puccoon
Monarch on hairy puccoon
Monarch on hairy puccoon

A monarch butterfly on a hairy puccoon plant.

Monitoring at Little Stony Creek above Archer Trail near Pembroke, VA
Monitoring at Little Stony Creek above Archer Trail near Pembroke, VA
Monitoring at Little Stony Creek above Archer Trail near Pembroke, VA
Monitoring at Little Stony Creek above Archer Trail near Pembroke, VA

Water monitoring at Little Stony Creek above Archer Trail near Pembroke, VA

Photograph showing Monitoring equipment at Frio River at Concan, Tex.
Monitoring equipment at Frio River at Concan, Tex.
Monitoring equipment at Frio River at Concan, Tex.
Monitoring Ramseys Draft at Route 716 near West Augusta
Monitoring Ramseys Draft at Route 716 near West Augusta
Monitoring Ramseys Draft at Route 716 near West Augusta
Monitoring Ramseys Draft at Route 716 near West Augusta

Monitoring Ramseys Draft at Route 716 near West Augusta

Monitoring Roanoke River along Route 626 at Lafayette, VA
Monitoring Roanoke River along Route 626 at Lafayette, VA
Monitoring Roanoke River along Route 626 at Lafayette, VA
Monitoring Roanoke River along Route 626 at Lafayette, VA

Monitoring Roanoke River along Route 626 at Lafayette, VA

Monitoring Spruce Creek at Route 627 near Nellysford, VA
Monitoring Spruce Creek at Route 627 near Nellysford, VA
Monitoring Spruce Creek at Route 627 near Nellysford, VA
Monitoring Spruce Creek at Route 627 near Nellysford, VA

Monitoring Spruce Creek at Route 627 near Nellysford, VA

Mount Baker, Washington simplified hazards map
Mount Baker, WA simplified hazards map
Mount Baker, WA simplified hazards map
Mount Baker, WA simplified hazards map

Mount Baker, Washington simplified hazards map showing potential impact area for ground-based hazards during a volcanic event.

Mount Baker, Washington simplified hazards map showing potential impact area for ground-based hazards during a volcanic event.

Photo of a mountain against the low elevation Mojave desert
Mountain and Mojave Desert
Mountain and Mojave Desert
Mountain and Mojave Desert

Landscape shot of a mountain and the low elevation Mojave Desert.

Landscape shot of a mountain and the low elevation Mojave Desert.

deploying a multicorer to sample the seafloor near an Atlantic margin methane seep site.
Multicorer deployment to sample the seafloor
Multicorer deployment to sample the seafloor
Multicorer deployment to sample the seafloor

USGS ocean engineers Peter Dal Ferro and Gerry Hatcher, from the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, deploying a multicorer to sample the seafloor near an Atlantic margin methane seep site.

USGS ocean engineers Peter Dal Ferro and Gerry Hatcher, from the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, deploying a multicorer to sample the seafloor near an Atlantic margin methane seep site.

multicores
Multicores
Multicores
Multicores

Multicores collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico. These cores contain roughly 1 meter of sediment from the seafloor, and represent the past ~2000 years of deposition.

Multicores collected from the northern Gulf of Mexico. These cores contain roughly 1 meter of sediment from the seafloor, and represent the past ~2000 years of deposition.

Photo a natural mid-elevation community in the Mojave
Native Habitat, Mid-Elevation Mojave
Native Habitat, Mid-Elevation Mojave
Native Habitat, Mid-Elevation Mojave

Picture of a mid-elevation plant community in the Mojave Desert.

Picture of a mid-elevation plant community in the Mojave Desert.

United States occurrence of microcystins in lakes in the contiguous 48 U.S. states
Occurrence of microcystins in lakes in the contiguous US 48 states
Occurrence of microcystins in lakes in the contiguous US 48 states
Occurrence of microcystins in lakes in the contiguous US 48 states

United States occurrence of microcystins in lakes in the contiguous 48 U.S. states categorized by World Health Organization relative probable health risk. WHO low, moderate, and high refer to the relative human recreational health thresholds for microcystin exposure. Map not shown to scale.

United States occurrence of microcystins in lakes in the contiguous 48 U.S. states categorized by World Health Organization relative probable health risk. WHO low, moderate, and high refer to the relative human recreational health thresholds for microcystin exposure. Map not shown to scale.

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