THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY'S ROLE IN NEW ENGLAND - A STUDY IN ORGANIZATIONAL EVOLUTION

Many consider New England to be the birthplace of American geology. Its fine institutions of higher learning have trained generations of outstanding scientists whose first exposure to the wonders of field geology was New England's vast array of geologic settings.

The U.S. Geological Survey(USGS) has been fortunate to participate in interpreting New England's complex geology. Certainly, USGS early support of plate tectonics and the application of USGS geologic mapping played key roles in understanding the geology of New England.

In recent years, the USGS role has broadened significantly as we focus more on knowledge development and meeting critical societal needs. Some examples include coastal and near-coastal mapping, implementation of the advanced seismic system for New England, water-quality studies in support of human-health concerns, and digital production of surficial deposit maps for Massachusetts. As the USGS role continues to evolve, studies addressing climate change, coastal ecosystems, and coastal hazards will be priorities.