SCIENCE PRODUCTS NEWS CONNECT ABOUT Search Search About ABOUT US Who We Are History Past Directors SURVEY MANUAL ORGANIZATION KEY OFFICIALS CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OPPORTUNITIES DOING BUSINESS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Who We Are Created by an act of Congress in 1879, USGS has evolved over the decades matching its talent and knowledge to the progress of science and technology. USGS is the sole science agency for the Department of the Interior. It is sought out by thousands of partners and customers for its natural science expertise and its vast earth and biological data holdings. Mission The USGS mission is to monitor, analyze, and predict current and evolving dynamics of complex human and natural Earth-system interactions and to deliver actionable intelligence at scales and timeframes relevant to decision makers. Vision Lead the Nation in 21st-century integrated research, assessments, and prediction of natural resources and processes to meet society’s needs. What Do We Do As the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, USGS collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides science about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems. Our diverse expertise enables us to carry out large-scale, multidisciplinary investigations and provide impartial scientific information to resource managers, planners, and other customers. Skip to upper content Privacy Policy Legal Accessibility Site Map Contact USGS SCIENCE Science Explorer Mission Areas Programs Science Centers Observatories Laboratories Unified Interior Regions Frequently Asked Questions Education PRODUCTS Data and Tools Maps Publications Software Multimedia Gallery Park Passes USGS Library NEWS Featured Stories News Releases Science Snippets Technical Announcements Employees in the News Get Our News Media Contacts I'm a Reporter CONNECT Headquarters Locations Contact Us Staff Profiles Social Media ABOUT About Us Organization Key Officials Congressional Budget Opportunities Doing Business Emergency Management Survey Manual U.S. Department of the Interior DOI Inspector General White House E-Gov USA.gov No FEAR Act Data FOIA Follow Twitter Facebook GitHub Flickr YouTube Instagram