US Geological Survey

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Millions May Be Drinking Contaminated Water: US Report

USGS ties risk to private and public wells

(Newser) - The drinking water of one-fourth of the US population could be contaminated by PFAS, a new federal government report says. The warning applies to water drawn from aquifers through private or public wells, the Guardian reports, for a total affected population estimate of about 95 million people. Using sampling and...

Feds Take Big Step Toward Ditching 'Squaw' Names

They're inviting public comment on replacements for derogatory term

(Newser) - Federal officials have come up with a list of potential replacement names for hundreds of geographic features in three dozen states that include the word "squaw," kicking off a public comment period that will run through late April. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in November formally declared the term...

In Pet Shops Across America, an 'Incredibly Destructive' Find

Invasive zebra mussels have turned up in moss balls, an aquarium accessories, in 21 states

(Newser) - They're as small as a fingernail, but the damage that zebra mussels can cause belies their tiny size. That's why the feds are concerned that the invasive, quickly multiplying mollusks have been popping up in pet stores across the US, specifically in ornamental moss balls used as decor...

First a Quake, Then the Virus, Now Another Quake

5.5 magnitude temblor hits Puerto Rico, four months after another destroyed hundreds of home

(Newser) - A 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit near southern Puerto Rico on Saturday, jolting many from their beds on an island where some people still remain in shelters from previous quakes earlier this year. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The US Geological Survey says the quake hit just off...

Earthquake Shakes People in 6 States

No reports of injuries following 4.4-magnitude quake

(Newser) - "I'm so glad Twitter exists so I could confirm that we just had an earthquake and it wasn't me just losing my mind here in suburban Atlanta," reads a sample Wednesday tweet , one of many that helped make #earthquake a trending topic. Residents of Tennessee and...

Experts See a 'Real Challenge' as Hawaii's Kilauea Pauses

3-month break in surface lava leaves plenty of uncertainty

(Newser) - Hawaii's Kilauea, given the highest overall threat score of any volcano in the country, appears to be calming down. The volcano that's been erupting almost continuously for 35 years, forcing thousands from their homes this spring and summer, has produced no surface lava on the Big Island, including...

'Extensive' Porn Browsing Led to Malware on Gov't Network

USGS employee visited 9K adult sites: inspector general's report

(Newser) - Russian malware found infecting a US government network got the in from a US Geological Survey employee who violated agency rules about watching porn on a government-issued computer. That's according to a Oct. 17 report by the Department of the Interior's inspector general, which found the unnamed employee...

Americans May Not Want to Live Near the 'Big 18'

USGS puts these US volcanoes in the 'very high threat' category

(Newser) - Government scientists have classified 18 US volcanoes as "very high threat" because of what's been happening inside them and how close they are to people. The US Geological Survey has updated its volcano threat assessments for the first time since 2005, per the AP , and the danger list...

USGS: Please Don't Roast Marshmallows Over Kilauea

Unless you want to see a 'spectacular reaction,' and not in a good way, USGS warns

(Newser) - It's officially barbecue season, though one place you shouldn't plan on making s'mores is over the lava-spurting Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island. It's hard to believe the US Geological Survey should have to say this, but the agency issued just such a warning Monday...

Idaho Hit by 5.3 Quake; Then Came the Aftershocks

More than 100 since Saturday temblor, and they've registered up to 4.5

(Newser) - More than 100 aftershocks have rattled southeastern Idaho since a 5.3 magnitude quake hit near the town of Soda Springs late last week, and experts say they could continue for another week or so. The 5.3 quake hit about 6pm Saturday, the AP reports. There were no reports...

Chile Under Tsunami Warning After 7.7 Quake

'I've lived for 10 years in the south and never felt something like that'

(Newser) - A 7.7 earthquake thundered through southern Chile on Sunday, shaking an earthquake-prone region and prompting the government to issue a preventative tsunami warning, reports the AP . The USGS says the temblor was centered about 25 miles southwest of Puerto Quellon at a depth of 10 miles. "As a...

Fishermen, Feds in Bizarre Legal Fight Over Lost Buoy

They want government to pay up, and the government is suing

(Newser) - Two California eel fishermen who stumbled across a US Geological Survey buoy in January are holding the piece of scientific equipment for ransom, citing the tried-and-true rule of finders-keepers, the Daily Beast reports. According to Ars Technica , the buoy was moored nearly 1,000 feet underwater off the coast of...

We Could Mine Our Waste for Gold
We Could Mine
Our Waste for Gold
study says
Mar 24, 2015 6:42 PM CDT

We Could Mine Our Waste for Gold

Researchers find enough valuable metals in there to make it worthwhile

(Newser) - There's gold in them thar ... wastewater treatment plants? Yes, researchers think that human waste contains enough gold and other valuable metals to make a mining operation pay off, reports LiveScience . Scientists with the USGS spent eight years analyzing treated solid waste to detect minute metal particles, which come from...

Bay Area Due for Seriously Big Earthquake: Scientists

Major 'locked' faults underneath San Francisco could give way soon

(Newser) - At least three major faults in the San Francisco Bay Area seem to be stuck—and when they come unstuck, they could wreak major havoc, NBC News reports. There's an almost 70% chance that one of four "locked" sections of the Hayward, Rodgers Creek, and Green Valley faults...

Planes Rerouted to Prevent Walrus Stampede

FAA warns media, gawkers to stay away, not spook beached animals

(Newser) - Aircraft, media, and curious folks in general have been instructed to stay far away from the 35,000 walruses crammed onto an Alaskan beach to prevent the easily spooked animals from stampeding each other to death, the Guardian reports. "When they lose their sea ice habitat and come ashore...

Waterways Now Less Crammed With Pesticides

Risk to humans drops, but aquatic life still in danger, especially in city waters

(Newser) - Carbon dioxide levels may be spiking , but there's one environmental irritant that looks to be partially on the decline: pesticides in our nation's waterways. More stringent regulations and the creation of more Earth-friendly products get some of the credit for this backslide, reports the New York Times , citing...

Quake Risk Growing in Eastern US

East Coast may be due for a big one soon, USGS report says

(Newser) - Earthquake Avoidance 101: Just stay away from California, right? Not so fast. An updated US Geological Survey report and accompanying hazard map confirm that the West still holds the worst potential for seismic shake-ups, with major faults and hazards creeping up the entire West Coast, reports the AP . But the...

Oklahoma Hit by 11 Quakes—in 2 Days

Record number of temblors in Sooner State may be from wastewater from fracking

(Newser) - Something shook Oklahoma all night long over the weekend—and it wasn’t the neighbors playing AC/DC too loud. The US Geological Survey recorded 11 small earthquakes, most in the magnitude 2.6 to 2.9 range, over Saturday and yesterday, reports the AP ; Tulsa World has a list. The...

Oklahoma Hit by 10 Quakes—in 3 Days

Number of quakes far higher in recent years

(Newser) - Last night saw a 3.8 earthquake hit central Oklahoma, according to the US Geological Survey—one of 10 to hit the area since Friday, NBC News reports. The 3.8 quake was the most powerful of the minor quakes; it struck near the town of Guthrie, which is about...

Scientist: Massive Quakes Hidden in History

Huge seismic events missing from the records

(Newser) - The Earth might have a more turbulent past—and hence a more turbulent future—than we thought. In a presentation yesterday, Dr. Susan Hough of the US Geological Survey argued that hidden throughout history are a glut of giant earthquakes that either went unrecorded or have been underestimated. "Seismometers...

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