U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

What if the Fantastic Four worked at USGS? We may not wear capes, but our scientists bring real-world superpowers to the field every day: 🪨 The Gneiss Guy – Geologist, obviously. Knows his rocks. IS a rock. 💧Mister Swell – Hydrologist who stretches data models to their limits. 🔥 Molten Blaze – Volcanologist. Always running toward eruptions, not away. 🛰️ Lady Landsat – Geographer. Expert in satellite imaging & remote sensing. Real science. Real power. USGS: Earth’s original superhero team. #ScienceIsSuper #FantasticFour #GeologyRocks

Happy World Snake Day from USGssssssssssss! 🐍 Today we’re spotlighting one not-so-welcome snake: the brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis). Native to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, and Australia, this long, ssssslender, mildly venomous climber hitched a ride to Guam after WWII - and things have never been the same. 🦎 A ssssstealthy night hunter, it eats just about anything it can swallow: frogs, lizards, birds, and even small mammals. 🐦 It’s wiped out nearly all of Guam’s native birds and likely contributed to declines of bats and lizards. 💡 It causes millions in damages to power infrastructure and poses health risks to humans. These are just a few of the reasons why USGS and partners are leading research to detect, control, and respond to this invasive predator, and prevent it from slithering into places like Hawai‘i. This #WorldSnakeDay, remember: not all snakes belong where they ssssslither. Learn more here: https://ow.ly/ixgW50WqNqN Image: A brown treesnake slithers along a leaf. Credit: Bjorn Lardner #BrownTreeSnake #InvasiveSpecies

Restoring rivers, one mussel at a time 🌊 Freshwater ecosystems across the U.S. are facing mounting pressure, but hope is growing on the riverbed. Scientists at the USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center, in close collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, are leading one of the nation’s most ambitious native mussel restoration efforts. This summer alone, the team will: 🔹Release 1,000 Wavy-rayed lampmussels in Michigan 🔹Release 10,000 Scaleshell mussels in Missouri’s Osage River system 🔹Prepare for a major Snuffbox mussel reintroduction in 2026 These mussels may be small, but their impact is enormous. They help filter water, stabilize riverbeds, and support aquatic biodiversity, making them vital to healthy river ecosystems. Behind every reintroduction is a deeper story. Early-career scientists gain field experience. Tribal and state partners shape the work. USGS provides the science. This is more than species recovery - it's restoring ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. 📷 Wavy-rayed lampmussels. Credit: USGS

Boom! 💥 Critical minerals power your phone, satellites in space—and yes, even the fireworks on the 4th. Strontium makes red. Barium brings the green. Copper gives you blue. Those dazzling 4th of July displays? They’re chemistry in the sky. But these minerals aren’t just for celebration. They’re essential to our economy and national security, and they aren't always easy to get. That’s why USGS leads the science behind the U.S. List of Critical Minerals.

Did you know lakes can bend like rivers? 🌊🌀 Weston Lake in Congaree National Park is a stunning example—an oxbow lake formed when the Congaree River changed course! It’s the largest body of water in the park’s floodplain and is slowly filling in with sediment over time—a living lesson in how rivers shape the land. That’s why it’s featured in the new USGS Geoheritage Sites of the Nation Explorer, which showcases 55 places where geology, nature, and culture come together in amazing ways. Why does Weston Lake matter? 🧪 Science: It tells the story of rivers and floodplains 📚 Education: Shows how water shapes Earth’s surface 🏺 Culture: Tied to local archaeology and history 💎 Tourism: A must-see for nature lovers 🌄 Beauty: Pure natural wonder Think of it as a national treasure map—highlighting the geology beneath your feet and how it connects to our shared story. 💬 Where should we explore next? Drop a comment! 🗺️ Dive into the Explorer: https://ow.ly/GWXm50WjMYk Image: Cedar Creek in Congaree National Park, SC, showing old growth bottomland hardwood forest. Credit: Steven McNamara, NPS.

🎣 Happy National Go Fishing Day! Whether you're casting a line in a shady mountain stream or soaking up the sun by a western river, we hope you're enjoying some of the best fishing spots the Western U.S. has to offer. But as droughts grow more frequent, they’re putting serious pressure on cold-water fish like trout. That’s where USGS scientists at the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center come in. Together with Montana State University, they’ve developed a Drought Early Warning System to help protect these iconic fish. Using real-time streamgage data and trout biology, we provide streamflow and trout population forecasts so fisheries managers can make smart, science-based decisions. You focus on catching trout—we’ll keep working to make sure there are still trout to catch. 🐟 Learn more about the Drought Early Warning System here: https://ow.ly/8Msw50WbPvS 📸1: Graduate student fly fishing in Montana. Credit: Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit 📸2: Native Westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout swim in the cool waters of the Flathead River near Glacier National Park, Montana. Credit: USGS #NationalGoFishingDay #fishing

The difference between safety and danger can be measured in inches. Our field crews are measuring the floodwaters in Texas and Oklahoma right now, collecting the precise water level data that emergency managers use to make life-saving decisions. When you see flood warnings, remember - there's a scientist behind that data working to keep you safe. The USGS works seamlessly with partners like the National Weather Service who use our data to issue timely warnings and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Don’t wait for the next flood. Sign up for USGS WaterAlert in your community today 👉https://ow.ly/2LiX50W9gcZ 📸1: USGS water specialist Dwight Sparks measures floodwaters from County Road 402 bridge over the Navasota River near Groesbeck, Texas on June 12, 2025. Credit: USGS 📸2: Dwight Sparks is joined by feathered company while measuring floodwaters of the Navasota River from a bridge near Groesbeck, Texas on June 12, 2025. Credit: USGS 📸3: Floodwaters reach near the base of the I-35 bridge over Leon Creek, Texas on June 12, 2025. Credit: USGS #PublicSafety #FloodWarnings #floods

USGS maps don’t stop at Earth. We’ve charted Mercury, volcanoes and all! 🌋🪐 In 2016, USGS collaborated with NASA, Arizona State University, Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to produce the first high-resolution topographic map of Mercury. The map captures the planet’s craters, volcanoes, and tectonic features in remarkable detail. To make this possible, USGS scientists developed advanced software and innovative techniques to process massive amounts of spacecraft imagery. Using more than 100,000 images from NASA’s MESSENGER mission, they identified Mercury’s landforms and precisely aligned the images to create a seamless digital map of the entire planet. By mapping planetary landscapes, we learn more about planetary evolution, tectonics, and even Earth’s own geologic past. Download the full map and legend 👉https://ow.ly/fZbM50W8B63 📹 This animation shows a USGS topographic map of Mercury created using images from NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft. Credit: NASA/USGS. #NASA #GeologicMap #SpaceExploration #Geology

Mapping, mine wastes, and more: advancing U.S. critical minerals science. The most recent Critical Minerals Annual Review, published in the journal Mining Engineering, highlights USGS accomplishments in critical minerals science from 2024. In the past year, the USGS: 🔹developed new directions in critical mineral supply chain analysis 🔹innovated new methods for assessing undiscovered mineral resources 🔹partnered with States to collect geophysical, geological and geochemical data across the Nation 🔹made progress towards characterizing critical minerals in mine wastes Read about all of the accomplishments here 👉https://ow.ly/CS6O50W7iI3 📹: The map shows progress through the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) towards collecting geophysical and other data across the Nation.

Since June 1 marked the start of hurricane season, we’re reflecting on the deadly legacy of last year’s Hurricane Helene and how it reframed the way people think about landslides. Hurricane Helene made landfall in FL on Sept 26, 2024, as a Category 4 hurricane before moving inland. Over the next 4 days it delivered more than 30 inches of rain, resulting in intense flooding & landslide activity throughout much of southern Appalachia, including NC, SC, TN, KY, VA, & WV. Western NC was hit hardest. In Buncombe County alone, 43 people lost their lives as floodwaters & mudflows swept down river valleys into nearby communities. During the response efforts, USGS personnel: 🔭 conducted aerial surveys 🗺️ visited field sites 🛰️ remotely mapped landslide locations ⛰️ analyzed slope conditions 🚑 advised emergency responders We continue to work with partners to monitor at-risk areas and provide resources to help communities prepare for future events. By leveraging science & collaboration, the goal is to enhance resilience while reducing the impact of natural disasters like landslides. Learn more: https://ow.ly/r8M150W6vOF 📸 1: Landslide near Vilas, NC, taken October 13, 2024. Credit: USGS #hurricaneseason #hurricanehelene