This map gallery contains a set of maps depicting water use in the United States for the year 2000. The maps are thematic in nature, with different colors used to represent ranges of data values. There are maps depicting usage for a variety of purposes: total use, domestic and public supply, irrigation and livestock, industry and mining, electric power generation, and aquaculture. This is part of ... Full description.

This interactive map depicts real-time steam flow compared to historical stream flow for selected gauging stations in the United States and Puerto Rico. Users may select a state and choose a list of all stations in the state, a state map, or a list of the nearest stations. The map tracks short-term changes (over several hours) in rivers and streams. Its appearance may change very little from one hour ... Full description.

Information is provided about water concerns and issues in the Middle East. The material includes several articles about water policy in the region, where many countries suffer from water shortages. The scarcity of water is used as a political issue and lever, particularly as population growth has historically expanded to the limits of the scarcest available resource. In the Middle East, this resource ... Full description.

In this investigation, students examine Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. After becoming familiar with a bathymetric/topographic map of the area, students select a transect along the seafloor to study some of the geological, biological, and physical features that are present. In this activity students use a bathymetric/topographic map as a tool for recognizing geobiological features of the sanctuary, ... Full description.

Part of the USGS Water Science for Schools site, this resource defines irrigation water use and includes several tables and maps showing water use by various irrigation systems, by state, by crop, and by percentage of fresh water available. Students and teachers can look at their state and see 1990 data for how much ground water and how much ground water and surface water is used for irrigation. Various ... Full description.

This site uses Virtual Reality field trips in the Alvin submarine to the East Pacific Rise to explore hydrothermal vents. The education activites focus on 4 activities: Exploration, Observing (actual video from the seafloor), Mapping, and Collecting a Water Sample. Teaching materials for each of the explorations have been provided, each with two levels of assessment (basic and advanced). Full description.

This data center provides information on waterborne commerce, vessel characteristics, port facilities, dredging, and lock performance. Data can be queried and are available by state, by commodity, and by waterway. Metadata are also available. Fact sheets explain the US waterways, their management, and their role in the economy. There are also numerous publications availabe via the site and an interactive ... Full description.

With this interactive simulation, students can learn about Mako sharks, Sandbar sharks, and Nurse sharks, including facts about their habitats and migration. They will study the tagging procedure, including tools and processes used, and try to predict where a shrk will be in order to try to tag one. Full description.

With three levels to choose from on each page - beginner, intermediate or advanced - this site provides a good introduction to the structure of the ocean. Included are excellent graphics and text about patterns of ocean salinity and temperature with depth, as well as surface currents, deep ocean circulation and even the water cycle. Extensive in-text links provide the means for users to explore the ... Full description.

This is a multimedia interactive simulation that teaches students about emergency preparedness, disaster safety, and weather and storm science. In the simulation, students visit a Florida family and end up preparing for and riding out a hurricane which hits during the visit. Students can track the storm on a map, watch weather updates, prepare emergency supplies, and develop a disaster emergency plan. ... Full description.