Sound Waves Newsletter: Ocean Month 2024 Special Issue
New USGS-led Research Sheds Light on Deep-Sea Food Webs
Deep-sea organisms, dwelling in complete darkness and dependent on nutrients from the surface, play pivotal roles in the transport, transformation, storage, and sequestration of carbon—a process vital for regulating Earth's climate. New research led by USGS and its partners offers insights into the complex dynamics of deep-sea ecosystems, particularly within submarine canyons.
Unveiling Earthquake History
Lake sediments can unlock crucial information about past earthquakes, needed for seismic hazard modeling. USGS researchers and partners from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution deployed 10 seismographs in and around Skilak Lake, Alaska to learn more about past shaking events.
Refining the Distribution and Evolution of U.S. Atlantic Margin Methane Seeps
A new study in Marine Geology documents hundreds of previously unknown seafloor methane seeps on the U.S. Atlantic margin and describes the sedimentary, geologic, and oceanographic processes responsible for the seeps’ formation.
Traversing the Sea for Science
How USGS Uses the Federal Fleet to Study Natural Hazards, Resources, and More
Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge Sediment Cores Shed Light on Past Hydrothermal Activity
In new research led by USGS, scientists analyzed cores collected from Loki's Castle vent field, a high-temperature hydrothermal system deep beneath the Arctic Ocean northeast of Greenland, uncovering a unique sedimentary record that provides valuable insights into past hydrothermal activity on the ocean floor.
New Study Highlights Benefits and Challenges of Using Built Structures for Coral Reef Restoration
A comprehensive review of global efforts to restore coral reefs using built structures points to both the potential benefits and significant knowledge gaps in current practices.
Sediment Flows Create Seafloor Pockmarks offshore of Central California
A recent study from researchers at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Stanford University, and USGS debunks the longstanding theory that methane gas is responsible for the formation of thousands of pockmarks—large, circular depressions—on the seafloor off Central California. Instead, the research team attributes these features to ancient underwater sediment flows.
Revisiting the 1957 Aleutian Earthquake: New Insights into Tsunami Hazards for Hawaiʻi
Despite being separated by more than 1,500 kilometers (2,430 miles) of open ocean in the North Pacific, Hawai’i and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands share significant tsunami risks, particularly from seismic activity at the Aleutian subduction zone.
Studying Tsunami Sands to Better Understand the 1700 Cascadia Earthquake
Scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have leveraged sediment core mapping and sophisticated computer modeling to shed new light on the last great earthquake and tsunami along the Cascadia Subduction Zone in 1700 CE. This research further refines scientists’ understanding of earthquake and tsunami hazards in the Pacific Northwest, a region that remains vulnerable to similar events.
Collaborative Federal Investigation Reveals Cause of Huntington Oil Spill
A collaborative investigation involving multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Attorneys' Office, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), utilized innovative techniques to pinpoint the cause and responsible parties of the disastrous 2021 spill.
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program Scientists Presented with Distinguished Service Awards
On May 8, USGS Supervisory Research Geophysicist Carolyn Ruppel (Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center) and USGS Supervisory Research Geologist Curt Storlazzi (Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center) each received the Department of the Interior's Distinguished Service Award (DSA) from Secretary Deb Haaland in a ceremony at the Main Interior Building in Washington, DC.
News Briefs: June 2024
News Briefs - featuring coastal and ocean science from across the USGS.
Photo Roundup: June 2024
A selection of coastal and ocean videos and photographs from across the USGS.