-
ScienceSpace & SpaceflightIncredible New Map of Moon Shows Its Every Nook and Cranny
Hot damn, look at the freakin’ Moon! Scientists led by the United States Geological Survey’s Corey Fortezzo have released what they call the “Unified Geologic Map of the Moon—an authoritative map of lunar geology. The map, built from six Apollo-era maps and updated with more recent satellite data, lists the names of features and includes … Continued
-
Tech NewsMap Shows Where the U.S. Power Grid Would Be Hit Worst by a Solar Storm
A new map shows just how vulnerable some parts of the United States’ power grid might be to the impacts of a strong solar storm. Solar storms are ejections of charged particles and their accompanying magnetic fields that the Sun occasionally shoots toward Earth. Though not otherwise harmful to life on Earth, a strong-enough storm … Continued
-
EartherThe U.S. May Finally Get an Early Warning System For Volcanoes
America is home to 161 active volcanoes spread across 12 states and two overseas territories. This easily makes it one of the most volcanic places on Earth, which is why it’s deeply strange that the United States doesn’t yet have a nationwide early warning system for its fiery mountains. A land conservation bill that passed … Continued
-
Tech NewsPrivacy & Security
Take a Wild Guess Why Visiting 9,000 Porn Sites on Your Government Computer Is a Dumb Idea
A United States Geological Survey employee allegedly infected the scientific agency’s networks with malware after visiting thousands of porn websites on their government-issued laptop. According to a report released this month from the Office of Inspector General, many of those sites had malware. The report, released on October 17, details the IG’s investigation into “suspicious … Continued
-
EartherConservation
Wow, Americans Are Actually Getting Better at Conserving Something
It’s not every day we hear Americans are doing an okay job on the conservation front, but that appears to be the case when it comes to water usage. A new U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report finds U.S. water consumption is at its lowest level in more than 45 years. Americans withdrew 322 billion gallons … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
Tech News
Federal Science Research Is Getting a Lot More Money
As this year has dragged on, science fans have probably thought, dang, this federal government hates funding research and scientists. We also thought that. But despite the White House’s initial proposal, science agencies will be getting a somewhat surprising funding boost across the board for research. There’s a whole lot here. Matt Hourihan, director of the … Continued
-
Tech News
Robot Journalist Accidentally Reports on Earthquake from 1925
Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reported on a 6.8 earthquake that struck Santa Barbara at 4:51pm. Which might be surprising to the people of Santa Barbara who didn’t feel anything. The big problem with the story? The earthquake happened in 1925. How could reporters get something so wrong? Well, the “reporter” who wrote yesterday’s news … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech NewsSploidLava Gushing Into the Ocean Looks Like Delicious Tropical Punch
A month ago, a lava tube on the Hawaiian island of Kilauea was exposed after a large chunk of hardened magma broke off and fell into the ocean. Since then, molten lava has been pouring into the sea like delicious tropical punch from some magical never-ending juice box. The US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory … Continued
-
Tech News
Human-Caused Earthquakes Are So Common That US Geologists Had to Change Their Maps
For the first time ever, the United States Geological Survey has published earthquake hazard maps that includes both human-induced as well as naturally occurring earthquakes. USGS maps had previously only featured natural earthquake hazards, but thanks to the alarming rise of man-made quakes, the scientific body has now started to track both kinds. Published on … Continued
-
Tech News
A Massive Alaskan Volcano Eruption Could Throw the US Into Travel Chaos
A very active volcano erupted in Alaska yesterday afternoon, sending a giant ash cloud up 37,000 feet in the air. Although the eruption is diverting some flights in the area, it will likely only serve as the subject of some beautiful photos—unless a bunch of ash gets sucked into the jet stream. Located at the … Continued
-
Tech NewsHere’s Video Proof That the US Needs an Earthquake Early Warning System
At a big seismic summit yesterday at the White House, the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to creating an early warning system for earthquakes. A great new video shows exactly how this might work—and illustrates how it could help save lives. The ShakeAlert system developed by UC Berkeley, Caltech, the University of Washington, and the … Continued
-
Tech News
Induced Earthquakes Could Get Pretty Nasty, Thanks to Fracking
Thanks to fracking and other injection processes, small earthquakes are the new normal in the American interior. That poses another, more ominous question. What does the Big One look like in Oklahoma? Canada recently earned the dubious honor of the World’s Largest Fracking-Triggered Earthquake, while Oklahoma continued to deny its even-bigger quakes had anything to … Continued
-
Tech News
These Dogs are Honorary Geologists for Their Early Exploration of Alaska
Every geologist needs a field hat to protect them from scorching sun and drenching rain, but a really lucky geologist will have a trusty dog. Meet the adventurous dogs who trekked across north Alaska, and the geologists who explored with them. In 1924 and 1925, United States Geological Survey (USGS) field teams trekked across northern … Continued
-
Tech News
LA High School Students Will Help Test the Region’s New Earthquake Early Warning System
Although we’re not 99.9% sure when an earthquake will strike in Los Angeles, an earthquake early warning system would help the city take additional precautions and almost certainly save lives. A group of high school students is partnering with the USGS to test how it might work. Students at Eagle Rock High School, in Northeast … Continued
-
Tech NewsA Burp of Lava was Nearly Disastrous for This Trusty Webcam
Even eruptions from the usually-gentle Hawaiian volcanoes can pack a hidden punch. The hot, molten splatter of lava from a bubbling explosion at Halemaʻumaʻu Crater sloshed onto the webcam, melting wire insulation. But the webcam is hearty, and kept operating without interruption. Top image: Lava splatter on the Halemaʻumaʻu webcam on Kīlauea on April 28, … Continued
-
Tech News
US Geological Survey Scolds Rocket Scientists for Earthquake Predictions
It’s not often you see the United States Geological Survey and Jet Propulsion Laboratories get into a smackdown over science, but that’s just what happened thanks to a new set of earthquake predictions for southern California. Researchers led by Andrea Donnellan at Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) published a paper in a reputable, peer-reviewed scientific journal … Continued
-
Tech News
Bears are Not Subtle
Claw marks rip open tree bark, oozing sap like a botanical blood. Scratches like this scream a single message loud and clear: a bear was here. They aren’t subtle creatures. As part of efforts to track bears without trapping them, US Geological Survey scientists find places frequented by bears to set up non-invasive hair traps. … Continued
-
Tech News
Tanaga Island Hides a History of Fire in a Blanket of Fog
Tanaga Island is a tiny patch of beauty, fire, and rock stranded in the Bering Sea. The picturesque island is a hidden gem of black rocks, dramatic waterfalls, velvety moss, and tendrils of fog in these fieldwork photographs from the U.S. Geological Survey. Tanaga in 2012. Image credit: Roger Clifford/AVO/USGS A history of rock and … Continued
-
Tech News
The USGS Now Uses Your Panicked Tweets to Help Track Earthquakes
People who live in seismically active areas are so good about posting earthquake tweets that you may even be warned of a quake via Twitter before the shaking actually starts at your house. Now two USGS employeeshave found that Twitter is also an accurate reporting tool when it comes to earthquake detection. The USGS has … Continued
-
Tech News
How To Survive The Cascadia Tsunami
“Thirteen thousand people will die in the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami,” reads Kathryn Schulz’s now-infamous New Yorker article. “Everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast.” Turns out a very similar event occurred in Chile 55 years ago. What wisdom can its survivors share with residents of the Northwest? Chile’s Big One On the evening … Continued
By Wes Siler