The US Geological Survey Has Photographs That Rock

By Alex Wild | March 6, 2012 |

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Aerial view of eruption of Mount St. Helens. Skamania County, Washington. May 18, 1980.

I just spent an hour surfing about in the United States Geological Survey photographic library. What a trove of treasures! The archive isn’t all just old images of rocks, volcanos, national parks, and earthquakes, either. The library also holds early photographs of native cultures, political figures, historical events, and more. Here is a sample:

Guatemala Earthquake 1976. Motagua fault trace crossing a soccer field at Gualan.

Native Americans at Greenland Ranch, Death Valley, California. 1901.

Arches National Park, Utah. An example of rock art. "Moab panel" on a cliff of Wingate Sandstone above U.S. Highway 163 between Courthouse Wash and the Colorado River is believed to be the work of "Barrier Canyon" style people. September 1973.

Yosemite National Park, California. Three Brothers and the forest at their feet. 1892.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. 1969-1971 Mauna Ulu eruption of Kilauea Volcano. Lava fountains and lava cascading in Aloi Crater. October 20, 1969.

About the Author: Alex Wild is an Illinois-based entomologist who studies the evolutionary history of ants. In 2003 he founded a photography business as an aesthetic complement to his scientific work, and his natural history photographs appear in numerous museums, books, and media outlets. Follow on Twitter @myrmecos.

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The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Tags: geology, photography, USGS

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