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Interactive map of coastal flooding impacts from sea level rise

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts data viewer provides a preliminary look at how different amounts of sea level rise would affect coastal flooding in the United States.
 
In addition to overall flooding estimates, users can see the relative social vulnerability of coastal regions; areas currently already subject to coastal flooding; impacts on marshes; and the different levels of confidence with which predictions can be made in different areas.
 

Interactive map of the chemistry and mineralogy of soils in the United States

The U.S. Geological Survey provides geochemical and mineralogical maps for the conterminous United States, based on sampling data with a spatial resolution of 1 sample per 1,600 square km, for a total of 4857 sites across the country. The resulting interactive maps allow users to see regional variations in soil chemistry at different depths in the soil.
 

Ocean Acidification Impacts on Fisheries

Friday, March 11, 2016

Background: As the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased over recent history, so has the acidity of oceans worldwide. The changing acidity of the ocean has many ecological and economic impacts, one of the most serious being its effects on marine life and fisheries. The impact of ocean acidification is intensified in colder bodies of water such as those off the coast of New England, a region with a large fisheries sector. These impacts have already been recognized on both coasts, with the Washington, Maine, and Maryland state legislatures commissioning reports on ocean acidification and marine life/fisheries. In 2015, the Massachusetts Legislature also introduced a bill to establish a taskforce to investigate the impact of increasingly acidic waters off the coast of Massachusetts on commercially harvested or grown marine species.

Our speakers include:

Webinar Co-Sponsors:

Consortium for Ocean Leadership, NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, Northeast Coastal Acidification Network

CEU Credits

To earn CEU credits, please complete the associated on-demand GOLI course that was developed from this webinar with a grade of 70% or higher and then submit your application for CEUs. CEUs are awarded from the American Institute of Professional Geologists. To view the full list of on-demand GOLI courses, please browse the GOLI course catalog.

Resources to learn more:

Search the Geological Surveys Database for reports and factsheets about ocean acidification.

Ocean Acidification Impacts on Fisheries: The geological record of ocean acidification

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.

Communicating Cascadia's Earthquake Risk

Friday, October 16, 2015

Overarching questions addressed in this webinar include:

  • What does geoscience tell us about the risk posed by the Cascadia subduction zone?
  • How is earthquake science used in the decision-making process?
  • What challenges do state and local decision makers face responding to the threat of large-scale earthquakes in their area?
  • How can information about earthquake risk be communicated effectively to decision makers and the public?
  • What actions are state and local decision makers taking to prepare for the risks posed by Cascadia and other similar faults? What other actions could be taken?

Our speakers include:

  • Chris Goldfinger, Oregon State University | pdf download icon Slides  YouTube download icon Video
  • Jeff Rubin, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue | pdf download icon Slides   YouTube download icon Video
  • Tom Brocher, Earthquake Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey | Slides  YouTube download icon Video

Webinar Co-Sponsors:
U.S. Geological Survey, Western States Seismic Policy Council, Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission

CEU Credits

To earn CEU credits, please complete the associated on-demand GOLI course that was developed from this webinar with a grade of 70% or higher and then submit your application for CEUs. CEUs are awarded from the American Institute of Professional Geologists. To view the full list of on-demand GOLI courses, please browse the GOLI course catalog.

Resources to learn more:

Search the Geological Surveys Database for reports and factsheets about earthquakes in the Cascadia region.

Communicating Cascadia's Earthquake Risk: The Science Behind the Cascadia Subduction Zone Risk

EARTH: Vital Seconds - The Journey Toward Earthquake Early Warning for All

Submitted by mmoses on

Earthquake early warning (EEW) is exactly what it says: It is an early warning that shaking is coming and it can typically give a few seconds to a few minutes, at most, of warning. The warnings can be sent off just after an earthquake occurs on a fault, but before the damaging secondary waves are felt. In the October cover story, EARTH Magazine explores the development of EEW systems in California, Oregon and Washington. Learn about how EEW systems work, who gets to beta test them, and how the scientists and engineers are navigating the waters of the public policy-science interface.

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