Geologic Website of the Month
USGS
www.usgs.gov
Michael F. Forlenza, P.G.
The Geologic Website of the Month is a new Bulletin feature. Over the next several issues, this feature will present a brief tour of selected websites of interest to geologists. Some of the selected
websites will be straightforward sources of data, information, and mapping resources while others will be a pleasant or interesting diversion related to the earth or planetary sciences.
The initial installment of this series features the website for the granddaddy of all U.S. geologic organizations: the United States Geological Survey. The USGS was established on March 3, 1879,
when President Rutherford B.Hayes signed the bill appropriating money for sundry civil expenses of the federal government for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1879. At its inception, the USGS
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. The USGS is administered by the Department of the Interior.
The mission of the USGS has expanded over the years. Currently, the USGS states that its mission “is to serve the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and
understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.”
For many veteran geologists, the first connection with the USGS was non-digital. The iconic 7.5-minute quadrangle maps on heavy stock paper were indispensable tools for most geology
students. Even today, I keep a roll of USGS topographic sheets bundled in the corner of my office. I still relish the look and feel of these crisp paper maps at 1:24,000 scale with the clean fonts
and elegant cartography.
Cartography and the USGS have moved into the digital age. Through innovative ventures with the private sector, the USGS provides access to digital images and geospatial information in
one of the largest data sets ever made available online. The USGS homepage is well organized and graphically appealing with numerous clickable links to the vast resources found on the
extensive website. In a large section at the center of the homepage are the current features of interest. Wind power, lead in the environment, and climate were featured in July. The right side
features a map of the U.S. on which each state is clickable leading to a state-specific USGS webpage with dozens of links to local information, real-time data, and reports.
The left side of the homepage indicates the five primary “Science Areas” of the USGS: biology, geography, geology, geospatial, and water. The geology link brings up the Geology Research and
Information page that provides access to original research, maps, news items, software, connections to other geological surveys, and an extensive library of geologic publications. Available publications include the classic USGS numbered series reports dating back to 1880. The Education pull-down tab at the top of the homepage leads to a wealth of resources for students and teachers. These resources are broken down by grade levels: K through 6, 7 through 12, and college undergraduate.
The depth and breadth of the USGS website is staggering, and one can easily get lost while tracking down information on groundwater levels in the Ogallala aquifer, the 1868 Hayward fault earthquake, or an assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of West Greenland–East Canada. Fortunately, a click on the USGS logo header will return the homepage. One of the best aspects of the USGS website is theabsence of any advertisements or pop-up messages.
This is a government website, so the presentation isnot as slick as that of some of the glossy high-techwebsites that scientists may typically use. Some of the website’s organization will seem cumbersomeor arcane. Still, a visit to the USGS website is informative, entertaining, and well worth a half an hour or more. Be careful though—you may learnmore than you bargained for. ■
Contact:
Geologic Website of the Month
Michael F. Forlenza, P.G.
hgs.forlenza@gmail.com