united states

Interactive map of the United States' geology and natural resources

The U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Mineral Resources Program's interactive Geologic Map of U.S. States provides a large amount of information on geology, natural resources, and environmental data for every U.S. state, including:

  • Surface and bedrock geology
  • Mineral resources
  • Geochemical and geophysical data
  • Water monitoring sites
  • Partial soil and land use data

All of the maps are also available as Google Earth files that can be downloaded and used on personal computers and mobile devices.

Interactive map of the U.S. energy sector's vulnerabilities to climatic conditions

The U.S. Department of Energy's interactive map of the energy sector's climatic vulnerabilities allows users to explore how climatic events have impacted the energy sector over recent years. You can view how impacts due to increasing temperatures, decreased water availability, and increasing storms, floods, and sea level rise have adversely affected energy resource development, distribution, production, and transmission.

Click here to use the interactive map.

Visualization of average per person energy use for each state

The U.S. Department of Energy's visualization of per person energy use allows you to explore what the average energy usage for your state looks like in the form of burritos, dynamite, and other more relatable metrics. Because most people can't visualize what it means to use 148,600,000 BTU, this visualization is particularly useful for putting personal energy usage into perspective.

The data for this visualization come from the EIA State Energy Data System and represent 2012 energy use.

Visualization of ash cloud predictions from Mount St. Helens

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazards Program's visualization shows the projected ash cloud for three differently-sized, hypothetical eruptions of Mount St. Helens. The visualizations depict a simulation of the spread of volcanic ash, based on a combination of wind data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and volcanologist-derived eruption size parameters.

Visualization of a predictive model for weather hazards

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) has created a visualization of their high-resolution global ocean-atmosphere-land-ice FLOR model. The FLOR model uses ocean, atmospheric, and other water-related data to improve understanding and prediction of the range of climate extremes. The outputs of the FLOR model have been used to understand predictability, change, and mechanisms of a range of climatic events including tropical cyclones, drought, rainfall and temperature over land, and changes in Arctic sea ice.

Interactive map of natural hazards worldwide

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's natural hazards viewer shows a variety of recent and historic natural hazards around the world. The interactive map provides data for a range of natural hazards, including tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Users can select individual hazards to learn more about the date of occurrence, location, severity, economic impact, and social impact.

Click here to use the NOAA natural hazards viewer

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