January 26, 2012

Lassen Volcanic National Park

--a wonderland of volcanoes and thermal features

• Lassen Peak, the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range,explosively erupted in 1915, devastating nearby areas and raining volcanic ash as far away as 200 miles to the east
• Lassen National Park, in addition to prominent volcanic areas,contains the most spectacular array of thermal features in the Cascade Range including fumaroles, bubbling mud pots, and a boiling lake
• A new USGS map shows volcanic centers in unprecedented detail,enabling development of products to better evaluate and assess regional volcanic hazards

Flyer: jan12flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

February 23, 2012

Mapping a Flood..... Before it Happens

-- the new USGS FloodPath early warning system

• Historically, floods have been the most destructive natural hazard in the Nation
• The USGS and National Weather Service have developed an early warning system that produces online maps of tomorrow's floods today
• The new USGS FloodPath system maps a forecast flood 3 days before it happens, showing when and where floodwaters will be and the likely water depths

Flyer: feb12flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

March 22, 2012

Projected Climate Change Impacts in California

--the consequences of increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases

• How will decisions that the global community makes about emissions likely affect the future of the western U.S.?
• How will rising sea level likely affect coastal human communities and vulnerable ecological systems along the Pacific coast?
• What might changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations mean to human land-use and environmental systems throughout California, and the San Francisco Bay Area?
• What might Sierra snowpack, sensitive fire regimes, and species distributions look like in our children's and grandchildren's generations?

Flyer: mar12flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

April 26, 2012

ShakeAlert!

--building an earthquake early warning system for California

• Millions of Japanese citizens received advance warning of the 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake -- can such a system be built for use in California?
• University researchers and government agencies are working together to create an Earthquake Early Warning system in California to reduce earthquake losses
• April is Earthquake Awareness Month in California -- how could you and your family best prepare for severe ground shaking using 30 seconds of advance warning?

Flyer: april12flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

May 26, 2012

Restoring the Wild Heart of South San Francisco Bay

--The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project

• This is largest Western U.S. coastal wetlands restoration project, encompassing 15,100 acres of former salt ponds around the edge of South San Francisco Bay
• The project will restore and enhance South Bay wetlands for endangered species and migratory birds while providing flood management and wildlife oriented public access and recreation
• USGS multidisciplinary science is guiding the restoration effort, providing an integral part of the adaptive management process being used to restore this area over the next 50 years
• Scientists are conducting studies in avian and invertebrate biology, water quality, hydrology, geomorphology, and chemistry to better understand the wetland ecosystem

Flyer: may12flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

June 6, 2012

Exploring The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes

-- a Centennial perspective of the Novarupta-Katmai eruption, the largest of the 20th century

• 100 years ago on June 6, a 3-day explosive eruption at Novarupta on the Alaska Peninsula created the spectacular Katmai caldera and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, called the eighth wonder of the world by early explorers.
• Why has this area remained scientifically important for 100 years, and what insights does it still offer about earth processes that shape our world?
• USGS geologist and noted Novarupta-Katmai expert Judy Fierstein will describe the excitement and rewards of conducting geologic fieldwork in this remote and wild setting

Flyer: Katmai Volcano Flyer (Acrobat PDF)

June 28, 2012

Scanning the Seafloor with Sound

--modern sonar reveals hidden hazards and resources

• The USGS seafloor mapping program supports scientific studies across most marine disciplines, including geologic mapping, mineral exploration and environmental characterization.
• See dramatic, colorful imagery of underwater features presented using modern 3-D processing software
• Learn how state-of-the-art sonar systems are being used by marine geologists and oceanographers to interpret and study the seafloor in unprecidented detail

Flyer: June12flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

July 26, 2012

Wind Energy and Wildlife
-- the challenges of wind-energy development and wildlife conservation

• Wind-power development in the United States is increasing exponentially, with proposals to provide 20% of the country's total power by 2030.
• High numbers of bird and bat carcasses at some wind farms have raised concerns about the environmental effects of this rapidly expanding industry.
• Why don't simple counts of carcasses beneath turbines provide reliable estimates of fatality?
• What tools are scientists developing to accurately estimate wildlife fatalities and help identity options for monitoring and mitigation?

Flyer: July12flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

August 30, 2012

Global Food Security in the 21st Century
--the increasing need for food production, cropland areas, and agricultural water

• Worldwide demand for food will require more than one billion hectares of new cropland to feed 9 billion plus people by 2050
• Presently, of all the water used by humans over 70% goes towards agriculture to produce food in most countries
• Remote-sensing from space will provide crucial data for policy development affecting croplands and their water use
• Social scientists recognize global food security as a primary requirement for human advancement, overall health, and peaceful coexistence.

Flyer: Aug12flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

September 27, 2012

Pacific Nearshore Ecosystem Mysteries
--from kelp forests to fisheries, sea otters aid in studying ocean vitality

• Nearshore marine ecosystems face unprecedented challenges, regionally and globally, with threats from adjacent lands and oceans
• Sea otter populations are experiencing reduced rates of increase across much of their range
• Scientists are evaluating the status of north Pacific nearshore ecosystems from southern CA to southwest Alaska looking for clues about processes influencing the sea otter and the nearshore environment
• New technology is being used to study nearshore food webs, define the effects of adjacent watersheds, and demystify sea otter behaviors

October 25, 2012

Exploring Mars With Curiosity

• The Mars Science Laboratory rover "Curiosity" landed successfully on August 5th to begin its 23 month mission
• What have scientists discovered so far, particularly with respect to the geology of the Gale crater landing site?
• Instruments aboard Curiosity are searching for evidence of environmental conditions that could support microbial life
• How are dust and rocks analyzed and studied to learn about the role of water in forming the Martian landscape?

November 15, 2012

Understanding Climate-Wildlife Relationships
-- are American pikas harbingers of changing conditions?

• American pikas are denizens of rocky talus and lava-flow habitats in mountain ecosystems across western North America
• Mountain environments, cauldrons of climatic harshness, exhibit sharp topographic, vegetative, and climatic gradients
• Pikas are providing scientists with a model for assessing species vulnerability to warming temperatures
• Are other species and indicators in the animal kingdom equally sensitive to changing climate conditions and warming temperatures?

December 13, 2012

Colorful South Pacific Species
--New Discoveries and Looming Threats

• Exciting discoveries are spurring research to uncover hidden secrets deep within South Pacific tropical forests
• A scientific expedition roaming the tropical forests of Papua New Guinea recently discovered a new species dubbed the "bumblebee" gecko
• Some Pacific Islands species are endangered, while others pose emerging threats to nearby wildlife and ecosystems
• How are scientists studying these species, and what are herpetologists finding while studying Pacific lizard biodiversity?