United States Geological Survey facts for kids

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United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Agency overview
Seal of the United States Geological Survey
Official identifier of the U.S. Geological Survey
Flag of the United States Geological Survey
Formed	March 3, 1879; 146 years ago (1879-03-03) (as Geological Survey)
Jurisdiction	United States
Headquarters	John W. Powell National Center Reston, Virginia, U.S. 38°56′49″N 77°22′03″W / 38.9470°N 77.3675°W / 38.9470; -77.3675
Employees	8,670 (2009)
Annual budget	$1.497 billion (FY2023)
Agency executive	Dave Applegate, Director
Parent agency	United States Department of the Interior

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a science agency of the United States government. It studies the Earth, its natural resources, and the natural dangers that threaten us. The USGS looks at biology, geography, geology, and hydrology.

This agency was started on March 3, 1879. Its main goal was to map the United States and understand its natural resources. The USGS also studies Natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanoes. They even make maps of other planets and moons using data from U.S. space probes.

The USGS is the only science agency within the United States Department of the Interior. It focuses on finding facts and doing research. It does not make rules or laws. The main office is in Reston, Virginia. Other big offices are near Lakewood, Colorado and in Menlo Park, California. In 2009, about 8,670 people worked for the USGS.

Since 1997, the USGS motto has been "science for a changing world." This means they use science to help us understand and adapt to changes on Earth.

What the USGS Does

USGS headquarters in Reston, Virginia

The USGS focuses on different "Mission Areas" to guide its science work. These areas help them organize their research. The agency also has different offices and labs across the country.

USGS Regions Across the U.S.

The USGS divides its work into 12 regions across the United States. This helps them focus on specific areas.

Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian
Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf
Region 3: Great Lakes
Region 4: Mississippi Basin
Region 5: Missouri Basin
Region 6: Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf
Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin
Region 8: Lower Colorado Basin
Region 9: Columbia-Pacific Northwest
Region 10: California-Great Basin
Region 11: Alaska
Region 12: Pacific Islands

Science Programs and Facilities

The USGS has many special programs and facilities. They help study different parts of our planet.

Earthquake Hazards Program

Earthquake animations from May 16 to May 22, 2010

Earthquakes around the world from April 23 to May 23, 2010

The Earthquake Hazards Program watches for earthquakes all over the world. The National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) in Colorado finds where earthquakes happen and how strong they are. The USGS also supports many local earthquake monitoring networks in the U.S.

They tell officials, emergency teams, and the public about big earthquakes. They also keep old earthquake data for scientists to study. The USGS researches long-term seismic hazards, which are the chances of earthquakes happening.

Volcano Early Warning Systems

The USGS is working on a National Volcano Early Warning System. This system aims to improve how they watch the 169 volcanoes in the U.S. They also want to figure out which volcanoes are the riskiest.

Coastal and Marine Science

The USGS has centers that study our coasts and oceans. These centers are located on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts. They research geology, mapping, water, and biology in these areas. They also look at dangers like floods, hurricanes, and Climate change. Their goal is to understand how human actions and nature affect these important areas.

National Geomagnetism Program

The National Geomagnetism Program watches the Earth's magnetic field. They share this information in real time. This helps us understand how the Earth's magnetic field changes.

North American Environmental Atlas

The USGS works with scientists from Canada and Mexico. Together, they create the North American Environmental Atlas. This atlas helps show and track environmental issues across North America.

Streamgaging

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

The USGS runs a network of over 7,400 streamgages in the United States. These devices measure how much water is flowing in rivers and streams. You can find real-time data about streamflow online.

Climate Adaptation Science Centers

The Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) help fish, wildlife, and lands adapt to Climate change. They connect scientists with people who manage natural resources. The main CASC office is in Reston, Virginia. There are also eight regional centers across the U.S. These centers provide science to help states manage their resources.

Astrogeology Research

Since 1962, the Astrogeology Research Program has been involved in space exploration. They help map the Moon and other planets. This work helps us understand other worlds.

National Wildlife Health Center

The National Wildlife Health Center studies the health of wildlife. Their goal is to provide science and support to help wildlife and ecosystems stay healthy. They give information, research, and leadership on wildlife health issues. For example, they are key in watching for H5N1 avian influenza in the U.S. The USGS also has 17 other biological research centers.

ShakeMaps

The USGS uses "ShakeMaps" to show how strong earthquake shaking is. They are looking into working with social media sites like Twitter. This could help them create ShakeMaps even faster.

Mapping Our World

Topographic Maps

An 1892 map of Mount Marcy in New York state

The USGS creates many types of topographic maps. These maps show the shape of the land, including mountains, valleys, and rivers. They also show human-made features like roads and buildings.

The most common maps are the 7.5-minute, 1:24,000 scale maps. These maps cover a small area, about 64 square miles. There are nearly 57,000 of these maps covering most of the U.S. The USGS has also made older 15-minute maps and larger-scale maps like the 1:100,000 and 1:250,000 series.

In recent years, the USGS has changed how it makes maps. They now use more automated processes and digital data. This makes maps cheaper and faster to produce. However, some people say these newer maps might not be as detailed as older ones. This is because they rely less on direct field checks.

You can find many USGS maps online for free. The USGS also has a website called topoView. It lets you explore over 178,000 digitized maps from 1884 to 2006. You can view them in detail and download them.

The National Map and U.S. Topo

Since 2008, the USGS has used new ways to update its topographic maps. The U.S. Topo maps are now made using computer programs and existing geographic data. This means they can produce many maps quickly.

These new digital maps are less expensive to make. However, some details that used to be checked in person, like windmills or specific buildings, might be missing. This is because the digital databases don't always have all that information.

USGS Publications

USGS scientists share their findings in many ways. They publish in science journals and in special USGS Report Series. These reports include early results, maps, data, and final research findings. You can find a full list of all USGS publications online at the USGS Publications Warehouse.

History of the USGS

In the mid-1800s, some states started their own geological survey groups. For example, the Kentucky Geological Survey began in 1854.

In 1879, the U.S. Congress decided to create a federal survey agency. This was partly to map the huge new lands added to the United States. These lands came from the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Mexican–American War in 1848. The USGS was officially started on March 3, 1879. Its job was to study public lands, their geology, and their mineral resources.

Clarence King was the first director of the USGS. He brought together different regional survey groups to form the new agency. After two years, John Wesley Powell became the director.

Leaders of the USGS

Clarence King, the first director of the USGS (1879-1881)

Here is a list of the people who have led the USGS:

1879–1881: Clarence King
1881–1894: John Wesley Powell
1894–1907: Charles Doolittle Walcott
1907–1930: George Otis Smith
1930–1943: Walter Curran Mendenhall
1943–1956: William Embry Wrather
1956–1965: Thomas Brennan Nolan
1965–1971: William Thomas Pecora
1971–1978: Vincent Ellis McKelvey
1978–1981: Henry William Menard
1981–1993: Dallas Lynn Peck
1994–1997: Gordon P. Eaton
1998–2005: Charles G. Groat
2006–2009: Mark Myers
2009–2013: Marcia McNutt
2014–2017: Suzette Kimball
2018–2021: James F. Reilly
2022–present: David Applegate