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Most-cited award for special issue of Marine Geology

By Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center May 23, 2018

A USGS-led special issue of Marine Geology received a most-cited certificate from the journal in May 2018.

Seafloor (dark gray) off the U.S. East Coast, showing areas of past landslides (blue)
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Seafloor (dark gray) off the U.S. East Coast, showing areas of past landslides (blue). Underwater landslides are the primary source of potential tsunamis on this coast. Figure 1 from Preface to “Tsunami Hazard along the U.S. Atlantic Coast.” Courtesy of David Twichell, USGS.

“Tsunami hazard along the U.S. Atlantic coast” (volume 264, no. 1–2) was published in 2009 and was among Marine Geology’s three most-cited special issues in 2016 and 2017. The U.S. East Coast is highly vulnerable to tsunami damage because major population centers and industrial facilities sit near the shoreline at low elevations. Scientists, engineers, and modelers joined forces to evaluate the causes of tsunamis that could affect this region. Although earthquakes trigger most Pacific and Indian Ocean tsunamis, the primary source of potential tsunamis on the U.S. Atlantic coast is submarine landslides—the main focus of the special issue. The volume was written largely by USGS scientists and edited by USGS research geophysicist Uri ten Brink.

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Morphology of late Quaternary submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic continental margin

The nearly complete coverage of the U.S. Atlantic continental slope and rise by multibeam bathymetry and backscatter imagery provides an opportunity to reevaluate the distribution of submarine landslides along the margin and reassess the controls on their formation. Landslides can be divided into two categories based on their source areas: those sourced in submarine canyons and those sourced on th
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Assessment of tsunami hazard to the U.S. East Coast using relationships between submarine landslides and earthquakes

Submarine landslides along the continental slope of the U.S. Atlantic margin are potential sources for tsunamis along the U.S. East coast. The magnitude of potential tsunamis depends on the volume and location of the landslides, and tsunami frequency depends on their recurrence interval. However, the size and recurrence interval of submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic margin is poorly know
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Assessment of source probabilities for potential tsunamis affecting the U.S. Atlantic coast

Estimating the likelihood of tsunamis occurring along the U.S. Atlantic coast critically depends on knowledge of tsunami source probability. We review available information on both earthquake and landslide probabilities from potential sources that could generate local and transoceanic tsunamis. Estimating source probability includes defining both size and recurrence distributions for earthquakes a
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Far field tsunami simulations of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake: Implications for tsunami hazard to the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean

The great Lisbon earthquake of November 1st, 1755 with an estimated moment magnitude of 8.5-9.0 was the most destructive earthquake in European history. The associated tsunami run-up was reported to have reached 5-15??m along the Portuguese and Moroccan coasts and the run-up was significant at the Azores and Madeira Island. Run-up reports from a trans-oceanic tsunami were documented in the Caribbe

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Morphology of late Quaternary submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic continental margin

The nearly complete coverage of the U.S. Atlantic continental slope and rise by multibeam bathymetry and backscatter imagery provides an opportunity to reevaluate the distribution of submarine landslides along the margin and reassess the controls on their formation. Landslides can be divided into two categories based on their source areas: those sourced in submarine canyons and those sourced on th
Authors
D. C. Twichell, J.D. Chaytor, Uri S. ten Brink, B. Buczkowski
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Samples Repository

Size distribution of submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic margin

Assessment of the probability for destructive landslide-generated tsunamis depends on the knowledge of the number, size, and frequency of large submarine landslides. This paper investigates the size distribution of submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic continental slope and rise using the size of the landslide source regions (landslide failure scars). Landslide scars along the margin identi
Authors
J.D. Chaytor, Uri S. ten Brink, A.R. Solow, B.D. Andrews
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Geomorphology, stability and mobility of the Currituck slide

Over the last 100,000??years, the U.S. Atlantic continental margin has experienced various types of mass movements some of which are believed to have taken place at times of low sea level. At one of these times of low sea level a significant trigger caused a major submarine mass movement off the coast of Virginia: the Currituck slide which is believed to have taken place between 24 and 50??ka ago.
Authors
J. Locat, H. Lee, Uri S. ten Brink, D. Twichell, E. Geist, M. Sansoucy
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Hydrodynamic modeling of tsunamis from the Currituck landslide

Tsunami generation from the Currituck landslide offshore North Carolina and propagation of waves toward the U.S. coastline are modeled based on recent geotechnical analysis of slide movement. A long and intermediate wave modeling package (COULWAVE) based on the non-linear Boussinesq equations are used to simulate the tsunami. This model includes procedures to incorporate bottom friction, wave brea
Authors
E.L. Geist, P.J. Lynett, J.D. Chaytor
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Timing of occurrence of large submarine landslides on the Atlantic Ocean margin

Submarine landslides are distributed unevenly both in space and time. Spatially, they occur most commonly in fjords, active river deltas, submarine canyon-fan systems, the open continental slope and on the flanks of oceanic volcanic islands. Temporally, they are influenced by the size, location, and sedimentology of migrating depocenters, changes in seafloor pressures and temperatures, variations
Authors
H. J. Lee
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Assessment of tsunami hazard to the U.S. East Coast using relationships between submarine landslides and earthquakes

Submarine landslides along the continental slope of the U.S. Atlantic margin are potential sources for tsunamis along the U.S. East coast. The magnitude of potential tsunamis depends on the volume and location of the landslides, and tsunami frequency depends on their recurrence interval. However, the size and recurrence interval of submarine landslides along the U.S. Atlantic margin is poorly know
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, H. J. Lee, E.L. Geist, D. Twichell
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Assessment of source probabilities for potential tsunamis affecting the U.S. Atlantic coast

Estimating the likelihood of tsunamis occurring along the U.S. Atlantic coast critically depends on knowledge of tsunami source probability. We review available information on both earthquake and landslide probabilities from potential sources that could generate local and transoceanic tsunamis. Estimating source probability includes defining both size and recurrence distributions for earthquakes a
Authors
E.L. Geist, T. Parsons

Far field tsunami simulations of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake: Implications for tsunami hazard to the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean

The great Lisbon earthquake of November 1st, 1755 with an estimated moment magnitude of 8.5-9.0 was the most destructive earthquake in European history. The associated tsunami run-up was reported to have reached 5-15??m along the Portuguese and Moroccan coasts and the run-up was significant at the Azores and Madeira Island. Run-up reports from a trans-oceanic tsunami were documented in the Caribbe

Authors
R. Barkan, Uri S. ten Brink, J. Lin

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