The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts global change research for the Department of the Interior (DOI) and constitutes DOI’s formal participation in USGCRP.

USGS scientists work with other agencies to provide policy makers and resource managers with scientifically valid information and an understanding of global change and its impacts with the ultimate goal of helping the Nation understand, adapt to, and mitigate global change.

Specifically, the USGS supports research to understand the physical, chemical, and biological components of the Earth system, the causes and consequences of climate and land use change, and the vulnerability and resilience of the Earth system to such changes. The USGS Land Change Science and National Land Imaging programs (such as the Landsat satellite mission and the National Land Cover Database) provide data that are used to assess changes in land use, land cover, ecosystems, and water resources resulting from the interactions between human activities and natural systems.

USGS also leads the regional DOI Climate Adaptation Science Centers, which deliver science to help fish, wildlife, water, land, and people adapt to a changing climate.