By kmulliken@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 16, 2026.

As Hilo was bustling with activity for the Merrie Monarch Festival, Kīlauea was brewing for episode 44 of lava fountaining, which happened for 8.5 hours on the day that the renowned hula competition began. 

By seth_amgott@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 16, 2026.

RESTON, Va. — A new collaborative study led by the U.S. Geological Survey provides strong evidence that the Grand Canyon was carved out by spillover flooding from ancient Lake Bidahochi, a large lake fed by the ancestral Colorado River.  The lake’s eventual spillover likely helped establish the course of the Colorado River.

By dchilds@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 16, 2026.

Researchers at the Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit are examining the short-distance movements birds make outside of migration. The researchers found these birds travel a lot less in areas with human activity, likely because they're able to more easily find shelter, food, and water.

By kmulliken@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 15, 2026.

On Saturday, April 11, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) noted an outage of its radio telemetry network, resulting in the loss of multiple monitoring data streams. HVO field engineers rectified the problem—a damaged radio—on April 14, 2026, and affected volcano monitoring data streams have been restored.

By ppearsall@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 15, 2026.

Barrier islands—long, narrow strips of sand that line many coasts around the world—serve as a first line of defense against storms and rising seas. These dynamic landforms are heavily influenced by wind and waves, and new research suggests that seafloor features just offshore of barrier islands may play a bigger role in their survival than previously understood. 

By kmalpeli@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 15, 2026.

Healthy wildlife on land and in water sustain rich biodiversity that allows ecosystems across the nation to thrive. The USGS works to advance wildlife health science.

By nandita_kohli@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 14, 2026.

We are excited to announce Tobyn Rhodes as the winner of this issue’s photo contest! 

By nandita_kohli@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 14, 2026.

We are excited to announce that our work on 6PPD, a toxic chemical used in nearly all vehicle tires, was recently featured in the Fall 2025 issue of LakeLine Magazine. 

By nandita_kohli@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 14, 2026.

USGS WFRC Scientists participate in a groundbreaking special issue informing marine disease management strategies.

By nandita_kohli@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 14, 2026.

Invasive quagga mussels were recently found in the greater Columbia River basin. Our scientists are working with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to determine which of their fish hatcheries are at greatest risk of invasion and what can be done to mitigate the impacts. 

By nandita_kohli@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 14, 2026.

After decades of population decline, Washington State’s pinto abalone recovery program is making meaningful progress. With the first-ever population uptick observed at a long‑term survey site, scientists are cautiously optimistic about the species’ path toward recovery.

By nandita_kohli@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 14, 2026.

Western Fisheries Research Center staff in the Columbia River Gorge are moving to a new facility! 

By jlawson@contractor.usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 13, 2026.

For more than 50 years, Landsat has imaged Earth’s land and near-shore surfaces as the satellites descend in midmorning orbit, when daily sunlight is optimal. That’s just what they’ve always done. 

Currently, Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 circle the globe while also making better use of their ascending paths, peering into the darkness for special requests.

By mpoland@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 12, 2026.

In 2024, Yellowstone experienced a year of contrasts.  Hydrothermal explosions dominated the headlines, but in terms of seismicity and ground deformation it was a quiet year.

By mzoeller@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 11, 2026.

On Saturday, April 11, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) noted an outage of its radio telemetry network, resulting in the loss of multiple monitoring data streams. HVO is working to rectify the problem as soon as possible, and staff continue tracking several unaffected data streams to maintain watch over Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes.

By mnewbrough@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 10, 2026.

Bay Journal — by Lauren Hines-Acosta — April 10, 2026

By jason_burton@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 10, 2026.

In the public interest and in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, the U.S. Geological Survey is announcing the start of a low-level airborne project in Southwest Michigan. Your assistance in informing the local communities is appreciated.

By lhsu@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 10, 2026.

CDI Monthly Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month, from 11-12:30 pm Eastern Time. 

By kmulliken@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 09, 2026.

Episode 44 of lava fountaining at the summit of Kīlauea took place on April 9, 2026. Southerly/southwesterly winds resulted in the plume being transported in the north/northeast direction, resulting in tephra falling in areas of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, on Highway 11 nearby, and on communities near the summit of Kīlauea. 

By kmulliken@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 09, 2026.

Past “Volcano Watch” articles have summarized the episodic lava fountaining eruptions in Kīlauea’s recent history—within the past couple hundred years. A look further back in the geologic record reveals that several lava fountaining eruptions similar to the ongoing one in Halemaʻumaʻu occurred within Kīlauea caldera within the past 500 years. 

By kmulliken@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 08, 2026.

Recent publications in a special Bulletin of Volcanology volume, titled, "Mauna Loa 2022 – Unrest, Eruption, and Outreach at the World’s Largest Volcano," present multidisciplinary studies of Mauna Loa investigating magma storage and ascent, summit and rift zone dynamics, and fissure and lava flow processes and hazard assessments. Several of these papers are open access and available online.

By lmcduffie@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 08, 2026.

The latest issue of Alaska Park Science features articles on collaborative research between USGS and NPS scientists in park units across Alaska, building a body of science that informs a variety of disciplines as well as park management.

By sally_house@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 07, 2026.

We are proud to celebrate the 2nd Annual USGS Wildlife Health Awareness Day on Friday, April 24, 2026. As the lead federal agency for wildlife disease research and surveillance, USGS connects the dots between animal health, human health, and the outdoor traditions that communities across the country hold dear. Join us on Friday, April 24th for a wildlife health-focused Friday's Findings webinar!

By jlball@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 07, 2026.

If you listened to astronauts describing the surface of the Moon during the NASA Artemis II flyby yesterday, you might be interested to learn about the roles California's volcanoes - and the USGS - have played in the history of lunar exploration!

By nandita_kohli@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 06, 2026.

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for oversight of the animal care and use program and the components as described in the Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

By richard_young@ios.doi.gov from All News. Published on Apr 06, 2026.

Scientists Will Hamilton, Charlie Stillwell, and Rosemary Fanelli presented their latest research at the 2026 annual North Carolina Water Resources Research Institute (NC WRRI) conference.

By lowen@contractor.usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 06, 2026.

Landsat 9 data acquired following an October 2025 safehold event were recently processed into Landsat Level-1 and Level-2 products for the first time and are now available for download.

Additionally, a small number of Landsat products processed just prior and just after the safehold were also reprocessed.

By mpoland@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 05, 2026.

Have you ever wondered what it looks like underneath a Yellowstone hot spring? Clues about those hot water plumbing systems can be learned by using electricity to probe the subsurface!

By kmulliken@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 02, 2026.

The USGS Volcano Alert Level (ground-based hazards) and Aviation Color Code (airborne hazards) communicate Kīlauea status and activity. After episode 44, which is forecast to begin between April 6–14, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) will change how it applies the Alert Level and Aviation Color Code to better convey hazards between and during eruptive episodes at Kīlauea summit.

By smieszek@usgs.gov from All News. Published on Apr 02, 2026.

List of products from the New England Water Science Center released in the first quarter of 2026.