U.S. Geological Survey

Arizona’s U.S. senators are urging federal officials to classify copper as a critical mineral amid growing demand. They say it’s necessary for national security and water and clean energy infrastructure.

Scientists will get $25 million to study salt lake ecosystems in the drought-stricken U.S. West, as President Joe Biden signed legislation Tuesday allocating the funds in the face of unprecedented existential threats caused by the lack of water.

NASA’s Artemis program intends to return humans to the moon after a half-century hiatus. But first, astronauts and engineers have to train and test lifesaving equipment here on Earth. So they’re returning to the same places where Apollo astronauts used to practice fifty years ago—the moonlike lava fields of Northern Arizona. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports.

Federal water officials plan an experimental flow on the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam to improve egg-laying conditions for aquatic insects.

When Apollo 16 astronauts landed on the moon fifty years ago today, one of their first stops was a crater they named Flag. That’s a secret tribute to Flagstaff, Arizona, where the astronauts did their geology training. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with local space historian Rich Kozak about Flagstaff’s unique connection to Apollo 16. Kozak has amassed a collection of archival tape about the revolutionary moon mission.

Arizona may be a focus when federal officials meet with tribes this week to talk about possible new names for places that currently contain a slur against Native women. A list compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey shows 67 locations in Arizona that have the "S-word" in their name.

Lake Powell on the Colorado River has lost nearly seven percent of its storage capacity since it was built in 1963. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, that’s due to sediment washing into the reservoir.

A new report released Tuesday by the U.S. Geological Survey confirms Lake Powell has lost 4% of its potential storage capacity since 1986.

The city of Flagstaff is hitting pause on the construction of new buildings in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey because of soaring costs.

The U.S. Geological Survey has released a first-of-its-kind study of uranium levels found in Grand Canyon National Park’s groundwater. It’s part of a long-term effort to try to determine the potential impacts of uranium mining in the area.