USGS Newsroom

Atlanta Floods Extremely Rare
Released: 11/4/2009 2:37:07 PM
The epic flooding that hit the Atlanta area in September was so extremely rare that, six weeks later this event has defied attempts to describe it. Scientists have reviewed the numbers and they are stunning.

November Science Picks -- Hot News about Cool Science
Released: 11/4/2009
Did you know that that the United States uses less water today than 35 years ago and that there might be caves on Mars? In this edition of Science Picks, learn more about these stories, as well as the latest on carbon storage in the Arctic and faulty wallboard from China that may be making Florida residents sick. Also, discover why bats are dying near wind turbines and how endangered whooping cranes are being saved.

United States Using Less Water than 35 Years Ago
Released: 10/29/2009 9:44:21 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C.--The United States is using less water than during the peak years of 1975 and 1980, according to water use estimates for 2005. Despite a 30 percent population increase during the past 25 years, overall water use has remained fairly stable according to a new U.S. Geological Survey report.

Media Advisory: Water Use: Every Drop Counts
Released: 10/28/2009 6:26:21 AM
Water is our single largest commodity, but we don’t account for our water resources as we do for other important commodities. How has our use of water across the United States changed in the past 50 years? Come learn what the USGS and its partners know — and don’t know — about the nation’s use of water.

Global Tree Death Patterns Reveal Emerging Climate Change Risks for Forests
Released: 10/26/2009 6:19:45 PM
Recent tree loss, largely driven by climate stress, in forests around the world could portend increased tree mortality under climate change, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report recently released online in the journal Forest Ecology and Management.

Saving Sand: South Carolina Beaches Become a Model for Preservation
Released: 10/23/2009 9:33:00 AM
While most people head to Myrtle Beach for vacation, a group of scientists have been hitting the famous South Carolina beach for years to figure out how to keep the sand from washing away.

Secretary Salazar Applauds Senate's Confirmation of Dr. Marcia McNutt as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey
Released: 10/22/2009 12:53:00 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today praised the Senate’s confirmation of Dr. Marcia McNutt as Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Science Advisor to the Secretary. The President nominated her for the positions in July.

Caves could reveal secrets of life on Mars
Released: 10/19/2009 10:00:00 AM
A series of depressions discovered on Mars could be entrances to a cave system that might provide shelter for future Mars missions or shed light on whether microbial life forms have ever existed on the "Red Planet."

Arctic Now Traps 25 Percent of World's Carbon -- But That Could Change
Released: 10/14/2009 5:20:08 PM
The arctic could potentially alter the Earth’s climate by becoming a possible source of global atmospheric carbon dioxide. The arctic now traps or absorbs up to 25 percent of this gas but climate change could alter that amount, according to a study published in the November issue of Ecological Monographs.

Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive Snakes in the U.S.
Released: 10/13/2009 12:00:00 PM
Five giant non-native snake species would pose high risks to the health of ecosystems in the United States should they become established here, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report released today.

 

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