http://gallery.usgs.gov/images/logos/usgs_only.jpg USGS Multimedia Gallery Audio Set for: Public Lecture Series http://gallery.usgs.gov/ en-us OC_Web@usgs.gov (Office of Communications Web Group) http://gallery.usgs.gov/images/USGS.gif USGS http://gallery.usgs.gov/ <![CDATA[Evening Frog Calls]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/453 An impressive chorus of frogs recorded at 9:00 pm on July 1, 2010 at Lake Ramsey Savannah State Wildlife Management Area near Covington, LA. Over the constant staccato "machine gun" call of the Pinewoods Treefrog (Hyla femoralis) you can hear the repetitive nasal "trill" of the Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) and the frequent sheep-like bleats of the Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis). The “marble clicking” call of the Southern Cricket Frog (Acris gryllus) is present in the background, and an occasional call of a Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) is also present.

]]> <![CDATA[Bird and Insect calls]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/454 Birds and insects at a pond at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (Florida) April 2013 at 6:00am

]]> <![CDATA[Chesapeake Bay Impact Crater]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/450 February 2013 public lecture, presented by David Powars

]]> <![CDATA[November Public Lecture: Did You Feel It? The Virginia Earthquake of August 23, 2011]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/432 The magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck Louisa County was among the largest to occur along the eastern seaboard of the United States. It caused extensive damage in central Virginia and was likely felt by more people than any other earthquake in U.S. history. Join USGS scientists Mike Blanpied and Mark Carter on November 2nd to discuss the seismology of the earthquake, its effects, and its context in the geology of Virginia. Mike Blanpied is the associate program coordinator for the Earthquake Hazards Program at USGS, and Mark Carter is a research geologist with USGS who lives in Mineral, VA, near the epicenter of the earthquake.

]]> <![CDATA[Stranger than Fiction: The Secret Lives of Freshwater Mussels]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/424 Within the rivers, streams, and lakes of North America live over 200 species of freshwater mussels that share an amazing life history. To metamorphose from larvae to adult, the mussels must pass through a parasitic phase on the gills of freshwater fish. To trick the fish into accepting their larvae, female mussels have developed a complex array of lures and baits to attract and fool their unsuspecting hosts. This talk will explore the fascinating reproductive biology and ecological role of one of nature’s most sophisticated fishermen.

]]> <![CDATA[The Air We Breathe…It’s a Gas!]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/415 We live at the bottom of an ocean of air. Most adults take around 29,000 breaths a day, children breathe a little faster; but what is in this air we breathe? What are the gases in the air? How much of each gas is there? Do these gases have different weights? How cold are liquid nitrogen and dry ice, and where did those names come from? Come join us to explore these questions at this family friendly presentation with hands-on experiments.

Speakers: Janet Hannon and Stan Mroczkowski

]]> <![CDATA[An Unseen World Beneath Our Feet - Caves, Sinkholes and Springs]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/412 Randall Orndorff, Director of the Eastern Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center, discusses how Karst affects daily life. Beneath a quarter of the United States are rock types that can dissolve to form caves, sinkholes and other features. Nearly every state has rock layers of limestone, gypsum, and other soluble rocks we call ‘karst’. Karst is important for many reasons. Almost half of the ground water used for drinking comes from karst aquifers, and karst regions such as the Shenandoah Valley are some of the most productive agricultural lands in the nation. However, the rock layers underneath karst dissolve easily, sometime creating sinkholes that can be a threat to life and property. Yet these soluble rock layers also yield some of the most beautiful and unique natural environments, found in many of our national and state parks.

]]> <![CDATA[Restoring the Everglades: How Old Dead Things help us Solve Today's Problems]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/399 Paleoecologist Dr. Lynn Wingard highlights the unique aspects and restoration challenges of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem of southern Florida. Development and water management practices have profoundly altered this ecosystem, endangering much of the animal life in the area. Current restorations efforts attempting to restore the ecosystem faces challenges about how to determine what the natural state of the Everglades should be and how this can be measured.  Wingard shares research USGS scientists are conducting that is providing the answers to these questions, allowing restoration management agencies to develop realistic and attainable restoration goals.

]]> <![CDATA[USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center: 75 Years of Wildlife Conservation Research]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/400 Dr. Matthiew Perry, Senior Advisor at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, highlights 75 years of wildlife conservation research at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in celebration of the Center’s 75th anniversary. Major programs include global climate change studies, Chesapeake Bay studies, and wildlife conservation monitoring. Perry gives an overview of the center’s history from its foundation in 1936 to today, highlighting the Center’s significant programs and major science achievements throughout the decades.

]]> <![CDATA[Treasures of the USGS Library]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/401 Since its creation in 1882, the USGS Library has grown to become the world's largest library dedicated to earth and natural sciences, holding more than 1.5 million volumes and 800,000 maps. Richard Huffine, Director of the USGS Libraries Program, will highlight some of the rarest, most valuable, and significant materials held by the USGS. These include early maps of America, documents that establish the provenance of the Hope Diamond, and documentation of our exploration of the American West by Hayden, King, Powell and Wheeler. The Library’s initiative to digitize their collection for online access will make these cultural and historic records available worldwide to anyone at any time. Listen and learn how the USGS is using history to inform the future directions of USGS research and scholarship.

]]> <![CDATA[Science for a Dangerous Planet]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/365 USGS's David Applegate will discuss lessons learned from this year's string of earthquake disasters in Haiti, Chile and elsewhere. Earthquakes and other geologic hazards are an inevitable aspect of life on this active planet, but their impacts on society are not. Hear how USGS is using new science and innovative technology to support emergency responders and help communities in the US increase their resilience before disaster strikes.

]]> <![CDATA[Hidden Treasures in a Troubled Nation: Science for Afghanistan's Future]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/366 Recent news reports have brought worldwide attention to Afghanistan's mineral wealth and to the difficulties in bringing a range of commodities to market to rebuild that troubled land. But the mineral assessment is only a part of the story. Recent work by the USGS, the U.S. Navy, and others has made Afghanistan's subsurface among the best known places on Earth. Dr. Jack Medlin will tell the fascinating story about USGS science on energy, minerals, water, and natural hazards and what it means for Afghanistan's future.

]]> <![CDATA[Public Lecture: Flight from Extinction: Helping Whooping Cranes Survive]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/349
  • Scientists and volunteers are working to restore the Eastern population of the federally listed whooping crane
  • The life history and migration of whooping cranes
    • ]]>         <![CDATA[Public Lecture: Extreme Science: Understanding our Earth]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/350
  • USGS science from astrogeology to earth observing satellites
  • Exploration of gas hydrates and deep coral reefs
  • USGS scientists use innovative techniques to develop a more complete understanding or how our earth works
    • ]]>         <![CDATA[Public Lecture: Wandering Wildlife: Tracking movement, migrations and mileage, from wolves to wading birds]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/351
  • Wildlife tracking technology has evolved from bird bands to satellite transmitters and has a wide range of applications in answering important conservation questions
  • David Mech and Robert Gill will talk about the use of the latest state-of-the-art technology in tracking wildlife
  • Mech shares the secret paths of a pack of 20 or more arctic wolves during 24 hours of darkness
  • Gill takes us from the arctic to the tropics with migrating shorebirds, specifically godwits and curlews, who make phenomenal nonstop migrations across oceans and continents
    • ]]>         <![CDATA[Public Lecture Sneak Peek: ARkSTORM]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/340
  • Scientists are preparing ARkStorm for emergency planning and disaster preparedness
  • A series of ‘Atmospheric River’ events slams into the West Coast with hurricane force overal several weeks
  • Weather models show expected hazards such as floods, landslides, and erosion impacting life and property
  • Storms of this magnitude are projected to become more frequent and intense as a result of changing climate conditions
    • ]]>         <![CDATA[Public Lecture Sneak Peek: Geohazards of the Aleutian Islands -- Great Earthquakes, Great Waves, and Great Volcanic Explosions!]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/321 <![CDATA[Public Lecture Sneak Peek: Paddling for a Purpose in a Troubled Sea--Sampling the Salish Sea During Tribal Canoe Journeys]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/316 USGS Menlo Park Science Center, Bldg. 3, Conference Room A, 7:00PM

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Public Lecture Sneak Peek: Restoring the Salton Sea]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/293 <![CDATA[Tracking Mercury from Ore to Organisms]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/284 Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation In a Mine-Dominated Ecosystem.

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Public Lecture Sneak Peek: International Volcano Diplomacy]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/273 <![CDATA[Public Lecture Sneak Peek: Soils, Carbon, and the Global exCHANGE]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/252
  • Studying Arctic Changes during the International Polar Year
  • Why soils aren't just for growing crops
  • What does carbon have to do with global weather and climate?
  • Balancing tradeoffs between the carbon cycle, econoic concerns, and the environment
  • Making choices-- from household decisions to national policies

    • Speaker: Jennifer Harden, USGS Soil Scientist

    ]]>         <![CDATA[Sneak Peek: USGS March Evening Public Lecture, "Can Our Western Forests Take the Heat?!"]]> http://gallery.usgs.gov/audios/250
  • Tree death rates have more than doubled over the last few decades in old-growth forests of our western states, possibly reflecting increasing temperatures, with potentially serious consequences for wildlife, fire risks, and the global carbon cycle
  • Rising regional temperatures have lengthened the summer drought, likely stressing trees and leading to higher death rates
  • Is this alarming trend a harbinger of larger, more abrupt changes in our forests?

    • Speaker: Phillip van Mantgem, USGS Ecologist

    ]]>