The USGS is reporting record-high floods in several states, including West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. The Little Kanawha River in West Virginia peaked at a historic 57,200 cfs, while the Ohio Brush Creek reached an 71-year high of 80,000 cfs.
A half-million-year record of ostracodes shows that biodiversity declines during glacial periods and increases during interglacial periods. Global climate change may further affect the richness of life on Earth beyond habitat degradation.
In 1996, a total of 72 significant earthquakes occurred worldwide, with one great earthquake (magnitude 8.1) causing 108 deaths and widespread damage in Indonesia. Another major quake in China resulted in over 251 fatalities and left nearly one million homeless.
At the Seattle Science Meeting, USGS researchers will present on various topics including Martian exploration, integrated watershed studies, and geochemical backgrounds in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. The meeting features several presentations by renowned scientists, including Dr. Michael Carr and Dr. David Howell.
Dr. Michael Carr presents a case for the possibility of life on Mars, citing similarities with early Earth's hydrothermal environments and recent discoveries of organic compounds in Martian meteorites. The USGS has initiated a Mars exploration program to study the planet's climate history and distribution of water.
The USGS network has been severely impacted by recent floods, with 146 streamflow measuring stations damaged or destroyed. This has hampered efforts to provide basic floodflow measurements, particularly in California where 79 gages were affected.
The U.S. Geological Survey's 1998 budget allocates $6.5 million more to address pressing demands on natural resources and mitigate hazards. The funding boost enhances biological science research, expands earthquake monitoring, and improves drinking water quality information.
In 1996, 50% of streamgaging stations reported above-normal flows, while 29% reported below-normal flows. Record wet years on both coasts led to high loads of sediment, nutrients, and chemicals affecting water quality and living resources.
The USGS National Earthquake Information Center lost near real-time data from the AT&T Telstar 401 satellite, but regional networks and cooperation with other seismic networks maintained earthquake monitoring. Smaller earthquakes are now harder to track due to slower reporting times.
The Cheseapeake Bay experienced record flows in 1996, with rivers carrying a combined average of 87.5 billion gallons per day, affecting water quality and ecosystem health. Environmental effects could have been worse, but management actions and favorable timing reduced the impact.
The USGS has prioritized flood-level data to emergency-management teams, providing information on past floods, likelihood of recurrence, and flood effects. Field crews have repaired telemetry equipment, despite interrupted real-time transmission, and will study landslides to determine cause and effect.
The Piping Plover population has shown a significant increase of 7% since the last census in 1991, primarily attributed to conservation efforts along the Atlantic coast. However, midcontinent bird populations have declined due to massive nest flooding on the Missouri River and lack of habitat improvement in prairie potholes.
The USGS has released 30 years of Christmas Bird Count data, showing significant increases in eastern bluebirds, American crows, and American goldfinches, while declines are noted for bobwhites, loggerhead shrikes, field sparrows, and mockingbirds. The data provides valuable insights into bird population trends and patterns over time.
Experts from around the world have agreed on a standard for locating environmental information, enabling easy access to a virtual library of data and information. The initiative aims to make use of base standards like ISO 10163 to provide a universal service for searching and accessing environmental information.
A new USGS report explores the environmental consequences of dams, including erosion, waterfowl habitat changes, and loss of river sand bars. The report emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary scientific approaches to minimize negative impacts and promote informed decisions about dam management.
The U.S. Geological Survey detected MTBE in urban stormwater samples from 16 cities, with concentrations below the EPA's health advisory limit. In New England, MTBE was detected in 24% of ground-water samples, also at low levels.
Two USGS studies investigate endocrine disruption in carp, finding significant differences in sex steroid hormones and vitellogenin across regions. Pesticide concentrations were also detected in higher levels in certain waterways, raising concerns about the impact of environmental contaminants on fish populations.