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Briefs: USGS opens volcano observatory

Most people think "earthquakes" when they hear "California." The U.S. Geological Survey, however, also thinks "volcanoes." CalVO, their new volcano observatory, opened Feb. 9 at the Menlo Park branch of the USGS.

The list of volcanoes currently on CalVO's watch list includes Mount Shasta, Medicine Lake Volcano, Clear Lake Volcanic Field, and Lassen Volcanic Center in Northern California; Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters in east-central California; Salton Buttes, Coso Volcanic Field, and Ubehebe Craters in Southern California; and Soda Lakes in central Nevada, according to the USGS.

CalVO replaces the former Long Valley Observatory, established in 1982 to monitor the Long Valley Caldera and Mono-Inyo Craters region of California, the agency said in a press release.

Mapping flood before it happens

How to predict when the floodwaters will rise is the topic of a public lecture at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park on Thursday, Feb. 23.

Hydrologist Marijke van Heeswijk will talk about the agency's new FloodPath mapping system, designed to forecast floods three days in advance.

The lecture starts at 7 p.m. in the Building 3 conference room at 345 Middlefield Road in Menlo Park.

Go to tinyurl.com/6nb2yvz to watch the live lecture online.