An image from this morning of @sutrotower.bsky.social with the moon and an airplane.

Salt Creek pupfish bliss…

The wildflowers in Death Valley were near peak for this year and amazing. Here are a couple of closeups of some of the varieties. Plus, a hungry sphinx moth caterpillar which were everywhere happily munching on the vegetation.

I just got back from Death Valley and will post some photos from a really great trip in the coming days. For now, here are a couple of shots of Mono Lake tufa towers I took early this morning on my drive back home. It was cold (18 degrees F) when I pulled into the lot but had the place to myself!

The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind….

Caught a good Lake Manly reflection before the winds pick up tonight.

When the last bolt of sunshine hits the mountain…

When the last bolt of sunshine hits the mountain…

Daybreak over land…

Sunrise to sunset: Death Valley edition

There are better things to wake up to than Folgers coffee in your cup.

Trump ripped up the Iran nuclear deal and created this mess. Now, he's putting servicemembers in harm's way with no clear plan and no Congressional approval. The American people deserve answers — and Congress needs to do its job.

Field days are the best. Today I had the opportunity to attend the Taber Foundation Drill Class in Capay Valley. The class has live demos of geotechnical drilling & sampling techniques for students. CGS’s Sr. Geotechnical Engineer Chase White was one of the instructors on the mud rotary rig.

NEW: Federal prison officials face civil contempt hearing, as ICE is threatened with criminal contempt. Thursday orders from two Republican judicial appointees show greater willingness to push back with increasingly harsh tools in the face of continued Trump admin lawlessness. Tonight at Law Dork:

The highly anticipated new edition of CGS’s publication California Geology is out. Please check it out!

🚨 JOB ALERT 🚨 The California Geological Survey Seismic Hazards Program is hiring for 2 key positions: 🔸Liquefaction Unit Supervisior 🔸Tsunami Unit Supervisor / Seismic Hazards Program Project Manager

Another day in the hellscape of San Francisco.

Our constitutional rights haven't changed. Despite what ICE may claim, we all have the right to record and document ICE activities in public. We're suing.

This needs more attention. Part of the problem is incentivizing arrests with no accountability. But there are so many other issues at work that needs hard reform to stop a system out of control.

Still a touch of snow at the top of Mt Diablo on a gorgeous and clear day.

A little bit of frosted devil (Snow on Mt Diablo) today.

I’m super excited about this loaf which just came out of the oven. It even looks like a real loaf of bread.

Sunset tonight was fantastic with @sutrotower.bsky.social as the backdrop.

Today was a day of food prep. Today’s project was a big pot of chile. I smoked the meat before adding to the chile, which should be awesome. Also, some sourdough bread prep.

“Burger”? Isn’t this just an overpriced meatloaf on a roll? www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/ar...

#EQHistory: 1971 M6.6 San Fernando. The event killed 65. In the aftermath Caltech seismologist Clarence Allen went to Sacramento with a message: geologists know where active faults are and we can prevent building on them. His testimony helped the passage of the Alquist-Priolo Act. buff.ly/Yzs6NPt

55 years ago today, the M6.6 San Fernando (Sylmar) earthquake struck. This earthquake motivated legislation to improve earthquake safety in CA (it also inspired the 1974 movie Earthquake!). Learn more about this earthquake here: www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/earthqua...

Somehow I didn’t realize the infamous Otter 841 signed a licensing agreement with an ice cream company. At least I hope it is that and not actual sea otter flavor

I like to call them “earthquake infestations”, most seismologists call them swarms. Regardless of the name, the hotbed of seismic activity in San Ramon, CA has an article in the NY Times and features USGS seismologist Annemarie Baltay: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...

Between January 26 (12:00 AM PST) and February 1 (11:59 PM) there were 36 earthquakes in California of magnitude 2.0 or larger. 🔸31 earthquakes between magnitude 2.0 - 2.9 🔸5 earthquake between magnitude 3.0 - 3.9 The largest earthquake was a magnitude 3.4 near San Ramon, CA.

I am begging y’all to turn off Face ID and fingerprint approval on your devices. If you’re a US citizen, cops & ICE & CBP can’t make you tell them your password but they can hold your phone in front of your face or stick it on your thumb to unlock it. theintercept.com/2026/01/30/w...

This San Ramon earthquake swarm just keeps chugging along! M3.9 and M3.3 this morning. Did you feel it? Report it. earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...

This is super important. It has a 9th circuit precedent, so don’t hope the Supreme Court to overturn their ruling.

I haven’t watch this ridiculous movie since it came out, but maybe it should be viewed as an unintended comedy: ‘Volcano,’ the L.A. Disaster Movie That Boils Over With Unintended Comedy www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/m...

The unitary executive as license to loot the U.S. Treasury.

Donald Trump is suing the federal government for $10 billion. That is your money. Never in our history have we seen something like this. The billionaire President always has a new plan to make himself richer, but never a plan to make your bills more affordable.

One of my staff is wearing this shirt and I strongly encourage everyone (except my staff, who must remain on duty) to participate in today’s general strike protest.

With each listen @brucespringsteen.net new song seems more like the “Ohio” of our generation. And the echoes of his classic “Streets of Philadelphia” are haunting.

Access to legal counsel and right to due process is fundamental to a functional democracy. No ifs, ands, or buts…

Not everyday one gets this alert in San Francisco.

Between January 19 (12:00 AM PST) and January 25 (11:59 PM) there were 83 earthquakes in California of magnitude 2.0 or larger. 🔸70 earthquakes between M2.0 - 2.9 🔸10 earthquake between M3.0 - 3.9 🔸3 earthquake between M4.0 - 4.9 The largest earthquake was a magnitude 4.9 near Indio, CA.

Last night, we filed an emergency motion to lift the appeals court pause on the injunction that imposed limits on federal agents' interactions with observers and protesters. Minnesotans must be safe to exercise their constitutional rights.

Don’t let this White House lie to you. Believe what you see. Alex Pretti was trying to help a woman off the ground. Then immigration agents tackled, shot, and killed him. It’s time for them to get the hell out of MN.

⚠️Funding after Jan 30 has NOT been secured for DHS, including CPB & ICE. Call your senators now: Tell them not to advance the appropriations bill. Hold the paramilitary force, & administration accountable. Need help? Start here. It takes YOU to fix this itunes.apple.com/us/app/myapp...

Greenland is amazing. Glaciers, icebergs, mountains. Despite what some absurd social media post from the white house might show, not a damn penguin there. And it isn’t ours to take.

For some reason, Trump said his tariffs would bring costs down for Americans. But the data shows what you already know: Americans are bearing 96% of the tariff burden. That's $200 billion coming straight out of our pockets because of him.

Happy #BlueFriday 12s! We're ready to rock with you on Sunday. Go Hawks!

Happy #Caturday to all who celebrate.

32 years ago, at 4:31 AM, a magnitude 6​.7 earthquake struck southern California. This quake, centered in Northridge, caused 57 fatalities and injured thousands.

The Northridge earthquake caused $20 billion in damage, plus $40+ billion in economic loss, making it the co​stliest earthquake in U.S. history. www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/earthqua...