Celebrating 125 Years of the U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1274 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Celebrating 125 Years of the U.S. Geological Survey Compiled by Kathleen K. Gohn Circular 1274 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Charles G. Groat, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2004 Free on application to U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 For more information about the USGS and its products: Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Gohn, Kathleen K., comp., 2004, Celebrating 125 years of the U.S. Geological Survey : U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1274, 56 p. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 2001051109 ISBN 0-607-86197-5 iii Message from the Today, the USGS continues respond as new environmental to map, measure, and monitor challenges and concerns emerge Director our land and its resources and and to seize new enhancements to conduct research that builds to information technology that In the 125 years since its fundamental knowledge about make producing and present- creation, the U.S. Geological the Earth, its resources, and its ing our science both easier and Survey (USGS) has provided processes, contributing relevant faster. the science information needed and impartial information to Through a wealth of long- to make vital decisions and critical societal issues. term data and research, we have safeguard society. In this anni- As we celebrate our served the needs of society, versary year, we celebrate the contributions and those made the Earth, and its environment. mission that has guided us, the in partnership with the broader This Circular captures a few of people and traditions that have science community, we look our past achievements, cur- shaped us, and the science and with renewed energy to the rent research efforts, and hopes technology that will lead us into coming decades. The USGS and challenges for the future. I the future. and the Nation will face many invite you to celebrate our 125 The early leaders of the challenges during the coming years of service to the Nation USGS—King, Powell, Wal- years: water availability, climate as you read these pages and to cott—set high standards for the change, habitat alteration, join us as we look forward with new organization, instilling a emerging diseases, invasive a renewed sense of commitment USGS Director Chip Groat. desire to achieve excellence in species, prediction of natural to our mission of science for a science and in service to the hazards before they become changing world. Nation. USGS accomplish- disasters, and many as-yet- ments over the past 125 years unforeseen problems. We must have lived up to the vision be flexible and embrace new laid out by the first Directors. opportunities as they arise, to Contents v Message from the Director ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 A Proud History of Service ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Resource Information for a Strong Economy ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Biological Reconnaissance and Research ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Geologic and Topographic Mapping ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Measuring the Nation’s Streamflow ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 Natural Hazards ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 Protecting Biodiversity—Research on Endangered Species ……………………………………………………………………………………… 10 North American Breeding Bird Survey ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12 Ground Water—The Invisible Resource ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 Understanding and Classifying Wetlands …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 Mapping Beneath the Sea …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 Geographic Tools for the Nation ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Challenges and Opportunities Today ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19 National Assessments—Looking at the Land ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19 Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20 America’s Amphibians: Vanishing from the Landscape? …………………………………………………………………………………………… 22 Tracking Down Biological Information ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23 Monitoring at Many Levels …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24 Real-Time Data—Critical for Many Users …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25 Earthquake Monitoring for a Safer America ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28 Partnerships for Collecting Geographic Data ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30 GIS Technology ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 31 Understanding Landscape Change …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 33 America’s Least Wanted: Invasive Species ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 35 Science: the Foundation for Sound Decisions ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 36 USGS and Native Americans—We Are All Related ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 38 Science Around the World …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 40 An Exciting Future ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 43 Linking Science and Society: The USGS Science Impact Program ………………………………………………………………………………… 43 New, Emerging, and Resurging Diseases …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 43 Tracking Emerging Contaminants …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 45 Water Availability …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 46 Energy and Minerals for the Future ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 47 Making Wise Use of New Technologies ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 48 Earthquake Predictability …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 50 Remote Sensing ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 51 Mapping the Nation in the 21st Century: The National Map ………………………………………………………………………………………… 52 Geographic Research for Tomorrow ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 52 Serving USGS Information to the Nation …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 53 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 53 For More Information, Figure Information, and Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………………………………… 54 vi Sidebars John Wesley Powell ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 Spencer F. Baird ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 C. Hart Merriam ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Florence Bascom …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Henry Gannett ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Grove Karl Gilbert …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Frederick Haynes Newell …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Luna Leopold ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 David A. Johnston …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9 Lucille Stickel ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Patuxent Wildlife Research Center ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 Denver Federal Center ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12 Oscar E. Meinzer …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 The USGS Library …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 Menlo Park Center …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 William Thomas Pecora ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16 Eugene M. Shoemaker ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 James R. Balsley …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 Jayne Belnap ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20 National Wildlife Health Center ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21 Timothy L. King ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 22 L. David Mech ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23 Cooperative Research Units ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24 Jean Parcher ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 25 Web Accessibility …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26 Thomas Loveland …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27 David J. Wald ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28 National Ice Core Laboratory ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 29 Robert I. Tilling ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 29 Thomas S. Ahlbrandt ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 30 National Wetlands Research Center ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 31 Roger L. Payne ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 32 Arlen W. Harbaugh ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 33 Flagstaff Science Center …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 34 June M. Thormodsgard ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 35 Mary Lou Zoback …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 36 Robert H. Meade ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 37 Samuel N. Luoma …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 38 Thomas C. Winter