Current Events

A True Halloween Story Treat: The dirt on Oppy’s demise!

On Launch Complex 17-B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the Delta II Heavy launch vehicle jetted toward Mars on 7 July 2003 at 11:18:15 PM, Eastern daylight time. A robotic rover formally named Opportunity, and dearly nick-named “Oppy” was a passenger on the rocket. Oppy’s profession was a robot geologist on assignment for NASA to find water and evidence for past life on Mars.

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:38:13 EDT

Towards Continental Conservation: A Metapopulation Strategy to Support Collaborative Bison Restoration and Management

Join us for a bison-centric Friday's Findings in honor of National Bison Day (November 7)! Tune in to learn how USGS scientists are helping to inform bison restoration and management. 

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:27:22 EDT

Volcano Minute — A Quiet Eruption Beneath the Pacific

Beneath the ocean’s surface, submarine volcanoes carry out about 75 percent of Earth’s volcanic activity, but much of what they do remains hidden from view. 

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:08:07 EDT

Modernizing Landsat Notifications: SNS Topics Replace RSS Feeds

The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center uses Amazon Simple Notification Service (SNS) topics to notify users when new Landsat Collection 2 data and science products are added to the archive’s cloud-based inventory.

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 11:37:56 EDT

Podcast Explores the Links Between Storms and Invasive Species in the Pacific Region

A new podcast episode examines how storms increase the risks posed by invasive species on islands and highlights efforts by the Pacific Islands CASC and the Pacific RISCC Management Network to strengthen regional preparedness and response capacity.

Published: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:54:25 EDT

Volcano Watch — Ruby seamount: A glimpse into the secret life of a submarine volcano

Submarine volcanoes are enigmatic and mysterious because they are cloaked by the overlying ocean, yet their activity represents 75% of earth’s volcanism.

Published: Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:50:53 EDT

Branching out: New study reveals when invasive pythons take to the trees

Effective management of invasive species often depends on not only understanding where the species lives, but how it behaves. In Big Cypress National Preserve, USGS scientists are uncovering new insights into the behavior of one of Florida’s most prolific invasive snakes – the Burmese python. A new study provides important context for understanding and managing this formidable snake. 

Published: Wed, 28 Oct 2026 11:32:30 EDT

USGS Study Outlines Scope and Severity of Bat Fatalities at US Wind Energy Facilities

A new USGS study reveals that an estimated 18.7 million bats have been killed at U.S. onshore wind energy facilities since 1981, far more than previously understood. By analyzing data from hundreds of wind projects, researchers identified the species most vulnerable to turbine collisions and uncovered patterns that could help reduce future bat fatalities.

Published: Tue, 27 Oct 2026 10:34:23 EDT

SAWSC Hydrologist Presents at the Biennial Okefenokee Science Symposium

SAWSC Hydrologist Greg Cherry was invited to speak at the Biennial Okefenokee Science Symposium. Cherry presented on the Floridan aquifer system in Coastal Georgia and issues with saltwater intrusion in the Savannah/Hilton Head area and near downtown Brunswick, Georgia.

Published: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:28:02 EDT

Crystal clues: The case of the Lava Creek Tuff’s missing members

Recent studies are changing the way geologists think about the Lava Creek Tuff—the deposit that was created during the formation of Yellowstone Caldera 631,000 years ago. That eruption seems to have been even more complex than originally thought.

Published: Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:30:00 EDT

Photo & Video Chronology — Kīlauea summit monitoring overflight

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff conducted a lava sampling mission and monitoring overflight of Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea the morning of October 22, 2026, following episode 55 which occurred on October 17, 2026.

Published: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 18:31:49 EDT

Media Alert: Low-level Flights to Image Geology over Western Idaho

RESTON, Va. – The U.S. Geological Survey plans low-level helicopter flights over western Idaho in October and early November to image geology using airborne geophysical technology.

Published: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:30:21 EDT

Volcano Watch — A look back at recent Kīlauea eruptions and intrusions

A caldera intrusion from September 30-October 1, amidst the ongoing episodic lava fountaining eruption at Kīlauea summit, has a lot of people wondering what will come next. Eruptions and magmatic intrusions are not unusual, and Kīlauea has experienced many of these in the summit region and along the rift zones over the past few years.

Published: Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:18:35 EDT

Volcano Minute — Patterns of eruptions and intrusions at Kīlauea

If you've been wondering what Kīlauea's recent caldera intrusion means, you're not alone. 

Published: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:05:58 EDT

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center at the 2026 Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America Meeting

USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center (EESC) scientists and collaborators are presenting findings from hazard and risk studies at the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) North America 47th Annual Meeting in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from November 2-5, 2026.

Published: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 14:03:25 EDT

Summer Drought May Increase Human-Bear Interactions in Maryland

By mapping where human-bear interactions are most likely to occur under normal and drought conditions in Maryland, National CASC research can help wildlife managers support coexistence.

Published: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:27:55 EDT

The Global Food-and-Water Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Project held its 5th Workshop

Summary of the Global Food-and-Water Security-support Analysis Data (GFSAD) Project Workshop held on October 15th-16th, 2026 at the U. S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Flagstaff Science Center

Published: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:04:30 EDT

USGS Releases Assessment of Undiscovered Natural Gas Resources in Alaska’s North Slope

RESTON, Va. — The U.S. Geological Survey released an assessment estimating 96 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable, undiscovered natural gas resources on Alaska’s North Slope.

Published: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:06:27 EDT

New Improvements to Burn Severity Portal Announced

Improvements to the Burn Severity Portal, including increased consistency to previously released maps and expanded data access, have been released, strengthening tools that are used for wildfire response and analysis.  

Published: Wed, 21 Oct 2026 10:39:00 EDT

2026 Best Student Geologic Map Competition Winners

The U.S. Geological Survey National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Best Student Geologic Map Competition, which took place at the annual Geological Society of America (GSA) Connects meeting in Denver, CO this past October.

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:55:32 EDT

New publication on geochemistry of Kīlauea lava fountains

A new paper led by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory tracks the geochemistry of the first year of lava fountains (episodes 1–39) erupted during the ongoing episodic eruption in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea, which began December 23, 2024.

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 18:09:11 EDT

Media Alert: Low-level Flights to Image Geology over Eastern Oregon

RESTON, Va. – Low-level helicopter flights will begin in October over eastern Oregon to image geology using airborne geophysical technology. 

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:19:56 EDT

The Slime Trail: How USGS eDNA Efforts Are Revealing What Lives in the Deep Gulf

USGS scientists are using eDNA to piece together the story of deep-water ocean life in the Gulf and monitor the health of this unique ecosystem.

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 14:54:52 EDT

USGS monitors California's coastal hazards during the 2026-2027 El Niño event

To improve assessments of the beach erosion hazards of U.S. coastlines, the USGS conducts coastal monitoring of these vulnerable beach landforms. This monitoring results in better understanding of the seasonal, event-based, and long-term changes to the coast and helps with planning for impacts from storms, such as those related to El Niño.

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:21:57 EDT

Landsat Science Team: Dead Vegetation Tells a Story

Brown, dead grass and leaves can tell a story – whether it’s one of wildfire danger, disease or drought. 

To help understand the connection between nature’s hazards and plants, University of Utah researchers Phil Dennison and Mickey Campbell want to track non-photosynthetic vegetation, or NPV, which refers to dead or weathered plant material, including plant litter, leaves, needles and branches.

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:18:35 EDT

Landsat Science Team: Tracking Snow Crucial in Water Supply Monitoring

Snow, covering more than one-third of the Earth’s land surface seasonally, is a crucial water source for more than 1.2 billon people across the globe. 

As significant as it is to the world’s water supply, snow is also one of the most difficult elements to monitor with remote sensing due to its brightness, challenging terrain, ever-changing nature and depth, along with cloud cover and topography. 

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:17:07 EDT

Landsat Science Team: Landsat 10 to Improve Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring

Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when algae or cyanobacteria grow rapidly. These blooms can wreak havoc in aquatic ecosystems, killing hundreds of thousands of fish, harming people and animals and costing up to $100 million annually in the United States. 

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:15:40 EDT

Landsat Science Team: Helping Farmers Monitor Water Use

Agriculture and the Landsat program have a long history together. The satellite Earth observations that began in 1972 provided a vital ability to monitor how crops were growing around the world—and whether shortages might be looming that would affect the food supply. 

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:10:44 EDT

Landsat Science Team Focuses on Advanced Satellite Technology

Landsat 10 promises improved scientific discovery and innovation with better imaging capabilities for the next generation of Earth observation, continuing the 54-year legacy of the remote sensing program. 

The newest satellite, with 26 spectral bands and enhanced resolution, is planned to launch in 2031. 

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:00:00 EDT

SPCMSC Repairs Madeira Beach, FL Coastal Camera

The USGS coastal camera at Madeira Beach, FL was recently repaired by staff at the SPCMSC. Near real-time images are again available to be viewed on USGS webpages.

Published: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 10:18:14 EDT