United States Geological Survey
Official identifier
Seal
Agency overview
Formed	March 3, 1879
Headquarters	Reston, Virginia
Employees	10,000 (2004)
Annual Budget	$971 million (FY2006)
Agency Executive	Mark Myers, Director
Parent agency	Department of the Interior
Website
www.usgs.gov

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Reston is an internationally known Planned community whose goal was to revolutionize post-World War II concepts of land use and residential/corporate development in Mark Myers is an American Geologist. Myers became the fourteenth Director of the US Geological Survey (USGS on 26 September 2006 after confirmation by The United States Department of the Interior ( DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. A scientist, in the broadest sense refers to any person that engages in a systematic activity to acquire Knowledge or an individual that engages in such practices Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land including physical elements such as Landforms living elements of flora and fauna abstract elements such as lighting The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Natural resources are naturally occurring substances that are considered valuable in their relatively unmodified ( natural) form A natural hazard or geophysical hazards is a threat of an event that will have a negative effect on people or the environment The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. Foundations of modern biology There are five unifying principles Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena Geology (from Greek γη gê, "earth" and λόγος Logos, "speech" lit Hydrology (from Greek Yδωρ hudōr, "water" and λόγος logos, "study" is the study of the movement distribution and quality of The USGS is a fact-finding research organization with no regulatory responsibility.

A bureau of the United States Department of the Interior, it is that department's sole scientific agency. The United States Department of the Interior ( DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally The USGS employs approximately 10,000 people and is headquartered in Reston, Virginia, where the entrance to the parking lot is marked by several stones from the Devils Postpile National Monument. Reston is an internationally known Planned community whose goal was to revolutionize post-World War II concepts of land use and residential/corporate development in Devils Postpile is a dark cliff of Columnar basalt near Mammoth Mountain in The USGS also has major offices in Lakewood, Colorado (Denver Federal Center), and Menlo Park, California. The City of Lakewood is a Home Rule Municipality that is the most populous city in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States Denver Federal Center is located in Lakewood Colorado and is the home to about 6200 employees for many Federal agencies Menlo Park is an affluent City in San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California

Mission

The USGS headquarters in Reston, VA

USGS gauging station 03221000 on the Scioto River below O'Shaughnessy Dam near Dublin, Ohio

The USGS is the primary civilian mapping agency in the United States, and is best known for its 1:24,000 scale, 7. The Scioto River (saɪˈoʊtoʊ sigh-OH-toe or /saɪˈoʊtə/ sigh-OH-tuh) is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles (372 km in This article concerns the dam near Columbus Ohio. For the one in the Sierra Nevada mountains see O'Shaughnessy Dam. Dublin is a city in Franklin, Delaware, and Union counties in the U 5-minute quadrangle topographic maps. A topographic map is a type of Map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using Contour lines in modern Their recent program, the National Map, is an attempt to be the ultimate online mapping service for the United States. The National Map is an ongoing mapping project by the United States Geological Survey (USGS to digitize thematic mapping The USGS also has a vigorous Business Partners program through which they encourage the reselling of their maps so that the public can have quicker, easier access to information. Many commercial sites have capitalized on this program to provide web mapping services in conjunction with the USGS.

The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program monitors earthquake activity worldwide. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) in Golden, Colorado on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines detects the location and magnitude of global earthquakes. The National Earthquake Information Center (abbreviated NEIC) is part of the United States Geological Survey (USGS located on the campus of the Colorado School The historic City of Golden is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The Colorado School of Mines is a public research university devoted to Engineering and Applied science located in the town of Golden Colorado. The USGS also runs or supports several regional monitoring networks in the U. S. under the umbrella of the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS). The USGS informs authorities, emergency responders, the media, and the public, both domestic and worldwide, about significant earthquakes. It also maintains long-term archives of earthquake data for scientific and engineering research. It also conducts and supports research on long-term seismic hazards. When building a house regional seismic hazard maps are used to find the best (or the worst place to locate for Earthquake shaking

The USGS National Geomagnetism Program monitors the magnetic field at magnetic observatories and distributes magnetometer data in real time. The National Geomagnetism Program is a program directed by the USGS that monitors the Earth's magnetic field. In Physics, a magnetic field is a Vector field that permeates space and which can exert a magnetic force on moving Electric charges A magnetometer is a scientific instrument used to measure the strength and/or direction of the Magnetic field in the vicinity of the instrument

The USGS operates the streamgaging network for the United States, with over 7400 streamgages. Real time streamflow data are available on line.

Since 1962, it has been involved in global, lunar and planetary exploration and mapping. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A planet, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU is a celestial body Orbiting a Star or stellar remnant that is A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, Regions, and Themes

The USGS also operates the National Wildlife Health Center, whose mission is "to serve the nation and its natural resources by providing sound science and technical support, and to disseminate information to promote science-based decisions affecting wildlife and ecosystem health. The NWHC provides information, technical assistance, research, education, and leadership on national and international wildlife health issues. "^[1] It is the agency primarily responsible for surveillance of wild-animal H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in the United States. Influenza A virus subtype H5[[Neuraminidase N1]], also known as A(H5N1 or simply H5N1, is a subtype of the Influenza A virus which can cause For the H5N1 subtype of Avian influenza see H5N1. Avian influenza, sometimes Avian flu, and commonly Bird flu refers

As of 2005, the agency is working to create a National Volcano Early Warning System by improving the instrumentation monitoring the 169 volcanoes in U. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the S. territory and by establishing methods for measuring the relative threats posed at each site.

In collaboration with Stanford University, the USGS also operates the USGS-Stanford Ion Microprobe Laboratory, a world-class^[2] analytical facility for U-(Th)-Pb geochronology and trace element analyses of minerals and other earth materials. Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly known as Stanford University or simply Stanford, is a private Research university located in In the Natural sciences under the umbrella of Natural history, Geochronology is the Science of determining the absolute age of rocks, Fossils

The motto of the USGS is "Science for a changing world. "

The USGS also runs 17 biological research centers in the United States, including the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center is a biological research center in Maryland.

History

Clarence King, founder of the USGS

Prompted by a report from the National Academy of Sciences the USGS was created by an act of Congress on March 3, 1879. Clarence King ( January 6, 1842 &ndash December 24, 1901) was an American geologist and Mountaineer. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS is a corporation in the United States whose members serve Pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common It was charged with the "classification of the public lands, and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain. " This task was driven by the need to inventory the vast lands added to the United States by the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. For the film see Louisiana Purchase (film. The Louisiana Purchase (French Vente de la Louisiane "Louisiana Sale"

Clarence King, the first director of USGS, assembled the new organization from disparate regional survey agencies. Clarence King ( January 6, 1842 &ndash December 24, 1901) was an American geologist and Mountaineer. After a short tenure, King was succeeded in the director's chair by John Wesley Powell. John Wesley Powell ( March 24, 1834 - September 23, 1902) was a U

List of USGS Directors

Publishing review, scientific integrity, and questions of censorship

In December 2006, it was announced that the rules for the publication of USGS research were being revised. Mark Myers is an American Geologist. Myers became the fourteenth Director of the US Geological Survey (USGS on 26 September 2006 after confirmation by Employees were informed that USGS leadership and communications staff should be notified "of findings or data that may be especially newsworthy, have an impact on government policy, or contradict previous public understanding to ensure that proper officials are notified and that communication strategies are developed. "^[3][4]

The revision was claimed not to change existing rules, but rather to emphasize the importance of maintaining the scientific integrity of the agency's work by requiring scientists to accept comments from the public and follow administrative policies. However, scientists have questioned whether this revision is likely to facilitate censorship of their work, as has been alleged by critics to have occurred in some Federal agencies under the administration of United States President George W. Bush. The Presidency of George W Bush began on his inauguration on January 20, 2001 as the 43rd and current President of the United States of America ^[5][6]

According to the authors of this policy, USGS information is given to the public after it has been through a peer review and approval process. USGS leadership and communications staff are kept informed of relevant scientific findings so they can manage the flow of information to decision-makers, who use this information to make resource-management choices. Policy makers have said these principles and practices will bolster the USGS’s scientific objectivity and reputation. ^{[7][8][9][10]}

See also

• Geographic Names Information System
• Volcano Disaster Assistance Program
• Timeline of environmental events
• Maps of the United States
• British Geological Survey
• Saudi Geological Survey
• Core research center

Notes

References

• Eilperin, Juliet (December 14, 2006). USGS Scientists Object To Stricter Review Rules. The Washington Post. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Retrieved on 2007-12-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
• Erickson, Jim (December 14, 2006). USGS to review scientists' studies prior to publication. Rocky Mountain News. The Rocky Mountain News is a Monday-Saturday morning Tabloid -format Newspaper published in Denver Colorado, United States. Retrieved on 2007-12-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
• Heilprin, John (December 13, 2006). USGS scientists worry about being muzzled. Associated Press. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio Retrieved on 2007-12-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
• Lubick, Naomi (February 7, 2007). Heavier peer review policy for USGS. Environmental Science & Technology. Environmental Science & Technology (usually abbreviated as Environ Retrieved on 2007-12-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
• 500.5 - News Release and Media Relations Policy. U. S. Geological Survey (August 19, 2002). Retrieved on 2007-12-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the
• 502.4 - Fundamental Science Practices: Review, Approval, and Release of Information Products. U. S. Geological Survey (September 20, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-27. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the

External links

USGS sites

• USGS official site
• Major USGS Discipline sites: Water, Geology, Geography, Biology
• USGS science programs
• Science Topics (thematic directory)
• Science in Your Backyard (State index)
• USGS Natural Hazards Gateway
• USGS Circular 1050 (History of the USGS)
• USGS Geomagnetism Program
• Earthquake Hazards Program (current and historical earthquake information)
• Subscribe to automated earthquake messages
• Volcano Information
• USGS Realtime Streamflow Information
• USGS Water Data for the Nation

Non-USGS related sites

• The Libre Map Project offers free, high-quality USGS DRG maps in TIFF format along with world files for use with your GIS software
• TerraServer-USA and Acme host USGS topographic maps (and aerial photos on TerraServer-USA); Maptech hosts historical USGS topos in the northeast U. TerraServer-USA is a free online repository of Public domain Aerial imagery and Satellite imagery, formerly known as Microsoft TerraServer S.