It’s the start of National Park Week 2025. If you haven’t already worked up some plans to visit a national park, then this week should be the impetus you need to start formulating an idea for a trip to one of the 433 units within the National Park System.

Creeks, streams, and rivers provide a sense of place, a grounding at times, an identity for surrounding communities. They provide a recreational outlet, and can provide food, but often it's that sense of place that roots deepest. Hurricane Helene disrupted all that when it swept out of Gulf of Mexico and reached deep into southern Appalachia.

Understanding the earthquake history of a region is key to estimating seismic hazard. To help with this task, Geologists look for clues about prehistoric earthquakes at the bottom of lakes in the Yellowstone region.

On a clear sunny day in the Seattle/Tacoma area of Washington State, the locals often remark “The Mountain is out.” Gaze eastward and you, too, will see The Mountain, a 14,410-foot-tall (4,392 meters) volcano towering over the landscape in all its glacier-flanked glory. It’s a sight to behold. It’s also the centerpiece of Mount Rainier National Park.