USGS Began Airborne Geophysical Surveys in West

Low-level flights over California and Nevada will map geological data to inform mineral and seismic assessments.

Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Geography

Isometric editorial illustration showing a survey aircraft with an elongated sensor stinger flying over simplified desert mountain ridges. — The U.S. Geological Survey has launched a series of low-level airborne geophysical surveys over eastern California and western Nevada to map seismic and mineral resources. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The U.S. Geological Survey has initiated low-level airplane surveys over portions of eastern California and western Nevada. These flights are collecting magnetic and radiometric data to modernize regional geological maps.

Why it matters

The collected data will support assessment of geothermal energy potential, groundwater, and natural seismic hazards. This project aims to update regional mapping to guide future resource exploration and disaster safety planning.

Helicopters are performing survey flights at an altitude of 330 feet along pre-planned lines spaced 660 feet apart. The aircraft utilize passive stinger sensors, which are elongated instruments that extend from the cabin to record magnetic and radiometric signatures.

The players

U.S. Geological Survey

A scientific agency of the United States government that monitors natural resources, landscape changes, and seismic hazards.

California Geological Survey

A state agency responsible for identifying and mapping the state's geology to mitigate natural hazards and promote resource management.

NRG Exploration USA Inc.

A geological services contractor tasked with conducting specialized airborne geophysical survey operations.

Woolpert

An architecture, engineering, and geospatial firm contracted to provide technical support for the regional survey.

The details

The survey uses passive sensors, meaning they measure naturally occurring physical fields rather than emitting signals. These instruments are housed in elongated stingers—long rods extending from the helicopter cabin or skids—to isolate the sensing equipment from the interference of the aircraft's own metal components. The project represents a collaboration between the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative and the California Geological Survey to create high-resolution subsurface models.

October 2026: Low-level geophysical survey flights begin.

The Tech Race

This project represents an extension of the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, which is systematically updating national geological mapping data. By focusing on the Great Basin, the survey competes with older mapping standards that lack the resolution needed for modern energy and hazard modeling.

Residents in eastern California and western Nevada may observe helicopters flying at low altitudes along pre-planned grids during daylight hours. No photography or video data is being collected, and the survey operations are entirely passive.

The takeaway

This survey provides the foundational data necessary for long-term seismic and geothermal risk assessment in the western United States. Interested parties should monitor the USGS website for updates on when the high-resolution magnetic and radiometric datasets become available.