<descriptor thcode="2"><thesaurus thcode="2" name="USGS Thesaurus" scope="Topics and methods of scientific study carried out by USGS, with product types, scientific disciplines, geologic time, and types of institutional structure and activities.  Broad and shallow, used to help people find scientific information." creator="U.S. Geological Survey" rights="Public domain" edition="2.0" date="2020-01-09" codetype="number" prefix="topic" uri="https://www2.usgs.gov/science/USGSThesaurus" tblname="term" nonpref="nonpref" relterm="relterm" root_code="1" contact="pschweitzer"><category><term thcode="25" code="29" name="distinct labels" parent="26" scope="Preferred labels (descriptor texts) are distinct within the thesaurus. A concept can be specified either by its unique identifier (code) or by the text of its descriptor."/><term thcode="25" code="16" name="hierarchical" parent="11" scope="Substantive broader-narrower relationships exist among the terms."/><term thcode="25" code="13" name="transitive" parent="12" scope="Narrower terms have an &quot;is a&quot; relationship with their broader terms, and generally can be described as part-of, type-of, or instance-of the broader term."/><term thcode="25" code="21" name="disciplines" parent="2" scope="Broad categories of human inquiry or activity, such as scientific disciplines."/><term thcode="25" code="20" name="methods" parent="2" scope="Actions taken to obtain or analyze information"/><term thcode="25" code="19" name="organizational functions" parent="2" scope="Things that organizations do, typically including various types of programs, projects, and services."/><term thcode="25" code="7" name="temporal" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate periods of time, such as chronostratigraphic units, named historical periods or intervals surrounding known historical events, or seasons."/><term thcode="25" code="5" name="theme" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate domains of human concern, such as scientific discipline, societal problems, or characteristics of earth, space, oceans, and living things."/><term thcode="25" code="29" name="distinct labels" parent="26" scope="Preferred labels (descriptor texts) are distinct within the thesaurus. A concept can be specified either by its unique identifier (code) or by the text of its descriptor."/><term thcode="25" code="16" name="hierarchical" parent="11" scope="Substantive broader-narrower relationships exist among the terms."/><term thcode="25" code="13" name="transitive" parent="12" scope="Narrower terms have an &quot;is a&quot; relationship with their broader terms, and generally can be described as part-of, type-of, or instance-of the broader term."/><term thcode="25" code="21" name="disciplines" parent="2" scope="Broad categories of human inquiry or activity, such as scientific disciplines."/><term thcode="25" code="20" name="methods" parent="2" scope="Actions taken to obtain or analyze information"/><term thcode="25" code="19" name="organizational functions" parent="2" scope="Things that organizations do, typically including various types of programs, projects, and services."/><term thcode="25" code="7" name="temporal" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate periods of time, such as chronostratigraphic units, named historical periods or intervals surrounding known historical events, or seasons."/><term thcode="25" code="5" name="theme" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate domains of human concern, such as scientific discipline, societal problems, or characteristics of earth, space, oceans, and living things."/></category><altlabel><altlabel>USGSThesaurus</altlabel><altlabel>USGSThesaurus</altlabel></altlabel></thesaurus><term thcode="2" code="1075" name="social sciences" parent="1019" scope="Sciences concerned with the structure and interrelationships of human societies, human institutions and organizations, and human culture over time."/><bt><term thcode="2" code="1019" name="sciences" parent="1" scope="Major educational fields, fields of study, and professional groupings within USGS."/><term thcode="2" code="1" name="Categories" scope="Thematic terms for categorizing information resources.  This thesaurus is intended to support finding and understanding scientific information."/></bt><nt><term thcode="2" code="1691" name="archeology" parent="1075" scope="Study of human cultures through the recovery and analysis of their material relics."/></nt><rt><term thcode="2" code="133" name="business and economics" parent="223" scope="The activities and processes associated with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services."/><term thcode="2" code="136" name="cadastral and legal land descriptions" parent="223" scope="Records in official registers showing extent, boundaries, and ownerships of land for administration and taxation."/><term thcode="2" code="223" name="culture and demographics" parent="1174" scope="Information on human behavior, ways of living and thinking, and characteristics of human populations."/><term thcode="2" code="345" name="environmental health (human)" parent="533" scope="Effects of the environment on human health."/><term thcode="2" code="531" name="hazards" parent="1174" scope="Potential dangers from both natural processes (e.g., earthquakes, floods, and climate change) and human impacts on the environment."/><term thcode="2" code="533" name="health and disease" parent="1174" scope="Normal and abnormal conditions of plant and animal bodies.  Covers both human and non-human health and disease topics. For human health and disease, use the narrower term 'environmental health (human)'."/><term thcode="2" code="546" name="human environmental safety" parent="345" scope="Monitoring and managing potentially harmful factors in the environment for human safety."/><term thcode="2" code="548" name="human impacts" parent="1174" scope="The effects, intentional or unintentional, beneficial or harmful, direct or indirect, which human activities have upon the environment and living things."/><term thcode="2" code="629" name="land use change" parent="548" scope="Effect of changing land use patterns on ecological systems."/><term thcode="2" code="750" name="mining hazards" parent="548" scope="Dangerous conditions which result from the extraction of naturally occurring mineral deposits.  Includes tunnel collapses, fires, and explosions."/><term thcode="2" code="852" name="overfishing" parent="548" scope="Taking too many fish from an area beyond the capacity for the population to replenish its numbers. The balance of the ecosystem is upset, leading to long-term depletion of fish stock."/><term thcode="2" code="1020" name="scientific careers" parent="1174" scope="Professions in which people carry out or support scientific research or monitoring."/><term thcode="2" code="1293" name="waste treatment and disposal" parent="548" scope="The chemical and physical methods to recycle or dispose of materials which, without treatment, are deemed to have no further value or are too contaminated to be used."/></rt></descriptor>