What is United States Geological Survey?
{{Infobox government agency |agency_name = United States Geological Survey (USGS) |logo = USGS logo green.svg |logo_width = 160px |logo_caption = Official identifier of the U.S. Geological Survey |seal = US-GeologicalSurvey-Seal.svg |seal_width = 140px |seal_caption = Seal of the United States Geological Survey |picture = Flag of the United States Geological Survey.png |picture_caption = Flag of the United States Geological Survey |formed = {{Start date and age|1879|03|03|mf=y}} (as Geological Survey) |preceding1 = |preceding2 = |jurisdiction = United States |headquarters = [[John Wesley Powell|John W. Powell]] National Center<br>[[Reston, Virginia]], [[United States|U.S.]] |coordinates = {{coord|38.9470|-77.3675|type:landmark_region:US-VA|display=inline,title}} |employees = 8,670 (2009) |budget = [[United States dollar|$]]1.16 billion (FY2019) <ref>{{USBill|116|HJ|31}}</ref> |chief1_name = Dave Applegate<ref>{{cite web |title=Dave Applegate, Ph.D. |url=https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/dave-applegate |website=U.S. Geological Survey |access-date=11 March 2021}}</ref> |chief1_position = Acting Director |chief2_name = |chief2_position = |parent_agency = [[United States Department of the Interior]] |child1_agency = |website = [https://www.usgs.gov/ USGS.gov] |footnotes = |chief3_name=|chief3_position=|chief4_name=|chief4_position=|chief5_name=|chief5_position=|chief6_name=|chief6_position=|chief7_name=|chief7_position=|chief8_name=|chief8_position=|chief9_name=|chief9_position=|parent_department=}} [[File:Sign for Cascades Volcano Observatory on Open day 2005 (USGS).jpg|thumb|300px|Cascades Volcano Observatory (Vancouver, Washington State, USA)]] The '''United States Geological Survey''' ('''USGS''') is a scientific agency of the [[United States]] [[government]]. The agency is a part of the [[United States Department of the Interior]]. The scientists of the USGS study the [[landscape]] of the United States, its [[natural resources]], and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major sci