♪
(male narrator)
For more than a century,
the USGS has been America's
leading science agency.
Over the years,
the science has changed
as the world has changed.
♪
In 1879, President
Rutherford B. Hayes
signed a bill establishing
the U.S. Geological Survey.
Clarence King, a geologist,
was the first director.
He chose to emphasize
mining geology.
In 1881, explorer,
geologist, and geographer
John Wesley Powell
took the reigns.
Topographic mapping
became the focus,
supported by paleontology,
the study of fossils,
and stratigraphic studies
of rock layers.
In the 20th century,
as America grew and changed,
the USGS provided reliable
scientific information
critical
to decision-making.
In times of war,
defining mineral resources.
In times of peace,
mapping geology,
investigating
water resources,
and pioneering breakthroughs
in fundamental science.
The astronauts who landed
on the moon in 1969
were trained in geology
by the USGS.
The Survey
embraced new tools,
broadened fields
of inquiry,
and expanded research
overseas.
The USGS maps, understands,
and forecasts
earth processes
and changes
as no other agency can.
Today the USGS
is tackling
some of the world's greatest
scientific challenges.
Based out of science centers
and satellite locations,
USGS scientists
are scattered
throughout the 50 states
and territories.
Researchers collect
and interpret data
from thousands
of sampling sites,
conducts hundreds
of research projects,
and utilize extensive
remote sensing capabilities.
Out of that work,
complex science
becomes understandable,
invaluable knowledge
for the public
and critical
to decision-making.
The focus
of the USGS revolves
around six science
mission areas.
Not simply pop-trends,
they are some of the most
significant challenges
facing society today--
issues where science can make
a substantial contribution
to the well-being of the nation
and the world.
Ecosystems are
biological communities
of living and non-living things
interacting in a place.
They constitute
the earth's biosphere
and support
human existence.
Resilient,
functioning ecosystems
build soil,
enhance crop pollination,
support food webs,
purify water,
cycle nutrients,
detoxify waste,
and regulate
the atmosphere.
The USGS conducts
research and monitoring
to develop a fundamental
understanding
of ecosystem functions.
Studies cover the physical
and biological components
and dynamics for freshwater,
terrestrial,
and marine ecosystems
and the human
and fish and wildlife
communities they support.
The USGS conducts research
and assessments
on the location,
quantity, and quality
of mineral
and energy resources.
This work includes the economic
and environmental effects
of resource extraction
and use.
Research projects cover
the environmental impacts
of human activity
that introduce contaminants
into the environment
and threaten
human, fish and wildlife,
and ecological health.
How do humans impact
climate change?
What are the effects of land
use changes large and small?
The USGS undertakes
scientific research,
monitoring, remote sensing,
synthesis modeling,
and forecasting
to address the effects
of climate and land use change
on the nation's resources.
Every year in the United States
and around the world,
natural hazards
cost lives
and billions of dollars
in damage.
The USGS provides policy makers
and the public
with a clear understanding
of natural hazards
and their potential threats
to society.
Scientists' work
helps develop smart,
cost-effective strategies
for achieving
preparedness
and resilience.
Society depends on fresh
and reliable water supplies,
as do diverse
and fragile ecosystems.
To understand the nation's
water resources,
the USGS collects hydrologic
and water quality information
and provides access
to water data
publications and maps,
as well as to recent
water projects and events.
The mission
of Core Science Systems
is to translate data
into formats
that are understandable
and accessible.
The USGS provides ready access
to natural science information
to the nation and the world.
Based on the data,
smart decisions can be made
about how to manage
natural resources
and respond to risks.
Today our nation
and the world
face enormous challenges.
Humans have created
conditions
that may threaten
the sustainability of life
as we now know it
on planet earth.
Science must play a role
in addressing these threats.
The USGS as the premier
natural science agency
is uniquely poised
to make a difference.
The USGS excels
in high-quality science
and delivers results
on a daily basis.
In these critical times,
the demand
has never been greater.
More than ever,
decision-makers need
reliable scientific
information
to help make
informed decisions.
Since its beginnings
in 1879,
the USGS has a long
and distinguished tradition
of scientific contributions.
Science for a changing world.
The challenges then and now
share a common thread.
They affect
the quality of life
and the environment
throughout the nation
and around the globe.
♪
Funding to purchase and make
this educational production
accessible was provided by the
U.S. Department of Education:
PH: 1-800-USA-LEARN (V)
or WEB: www.ed.gov.
♪
