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Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Completed
By Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center January 1, 2004

Information about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center's study of tsunami hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel from 1993-2003.

Poster with illustrations of the underwater part of the ocean, with text about the work done in the area.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

Learn about related USGS science projects.

link
Cartoon shows a cylindrical object that is floating above and scanning a landscape with rocky outcroppings.

Seafloor Faults off Southern California

More than 22 million people live along Southern California’s coast, and many more migrate there every year. Faults and earthquake threats in this region have been heavily studied on land. USGS aims to boost our knowledge about faults on the seafloor, so they can be included in hazard assessments.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization
link

Seafloor Faults off Southern California

More than 22 million people live along Southern California’s coast, and many more migrate there every year. Faults and earthquake threats in this region have been heavily studied on land. USGS aims to boost our knowledge about faults on the seafloor, so they can be included in hazard assessments.
Learn More
link
A computed-generated image showing the Queen Charlotte Fault and nearshore area, using bathymetry and lidar data

Coastal and Marine Geohazards of the U.S. West Coast and Alaska

Coastal and marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. These underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. The tectonically active west coast of the Americas is prone to such hazards, as it lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust—the North American, Caribbean...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Big Sur Landslides, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Subduction Zone Science
link

Coastal and Marine Geohazards of the U.S. West Coast and Alaska

Coastal and marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. These underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. The tectonically active west coast of the Americas is prone to such hazards, as it lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust—the North American, Caribbean...
Learn More
link
A home, severely damaged by the tsunami that hit Sumatra on December 26, 2004, sits atop debris.

Tsunami Hazards, Modeling, and the Sedimentary Record

Basic research to develop the geologic record of paleotsunamis and improve the ability to interpret that record is needed to mitigate tsunami risk in the U.S.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory, Sediment Lab Suite and Carbon Analysis Laboratory, Subduction Zone Science
link

Tsunami Hazards, Modeling, and the Sedimentary Record

Basic research to develop the geologic record of paleotsunamis and improve the ability to interpret that record is needed to mitigate tsunami risk in the U.S.
Learn More

Large-scale poster image file

Poster with illustrations of the underwater part of the ocean, with text about the work done in the area.
Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel
Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel
Poster with illustrations of the underwater part of the ocean, with text about the work done in the area.

Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Large-scale poster describing USGS work.

The USGS, in cooperation with Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, mapped the slopes of the Santa Barbara Channel using sonar. We combined this with deep sea drilling records and seismic records to make these maps.

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Poster with illustrations of the underwater part of the ocean, with text about the work done in the area.

Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Large-scale poster describing USGS work.

The USGS, in cooperation with Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, mapped the slopes of the Santa Barbara Channel using sonar. We combined this with deep sea drilling records and seismic records to make these maps.

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 18

Records of continental slope sediment flow morphodynamic responses to gradient and active faulting from integrated AUV and ROV data, offshore Palos Verdes, southern California Borderland

Variations in seabed gradient are widely acknowledged to influence deep-water deposition, but are often difficult to measure in sufficient detail from both modern and ancient examples. On the continental slope offshore Los Angeles, California, autonomous underwater vehicle, remotely operated vehicle, and shipboard methods were used to collect a dense grid of high-resolution multibeam bathymetry, c
Authors
Katherine L. Maier, Daniel S. Brothers, Charles K. Paull, Mary McGann, David W. Caress, James E. Conrad
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Bathymetry and acoustic backscatter: outer mainland shelf and slope, Gulf of Santa Catalina, southern California

In 2010 and 2011, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Coastal and Marine Geology Program, acquired bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data from the outer shelf and slope region offshore of southern California. The surveys were conducted as part of the USGS Marine Geohazards Program. Assessment of the hazards posed by offshore faults, submarine landslides, and tsunamis are facilitat
Authors
Peter Dartnell, James E. Conrad, Holly F. Ryan, David P. Finlayson
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Bathymetry and acoustic backscatter-outer mainland shelf, eastern Santa Barbara Channel, California

In 2010 and 2011, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC), acquired bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data from the outer shelf region of the eastern Santa Barbara Channel, California. These surveys were conducted in cooperation with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). BOEM is interested in maps of hard-bottom substrates, par
Authors
Peter Dartnell, David P. Finlayson, Andrew C. Ritchie, Guy R. Cochrane, Mercedes D. Erdey
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Submarine landslides of the Southern California Borderland

Conventional bathymetry, sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection data, and recent, multibeam surveys of large parts of the Southern California Borderland disclose the presence of numerous submarine landslides. Most of these features are fairly small, with lateral dimensions less than ??2 km. In areas where multibeam surveys are available, only two large landslide complexes were identified on the mai
Authors
H.J. Lee, H. Gary Greene, B. D. Edwards, M. A. Fisher, W. R. Normark
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Potential earthquake faults offshore Southern California, from the eastern Santa Barbara Channel south to Dana Point

Urban areas in Southern California are at risk from major earthquakes, not only quakes generated by long-recognized onshore faults but also ones that occur along poorly understood offshore faults. We summarize recent research findings concerning these lesser known faults. Research by the U.S. Geological Survey during the past five years indicates that these faults from the eastern Santa Barbara Ch
Authors
M. A. Fisher, C.C. Sorlien, R. W. Sliter

Bathymetry and acoustic backscatter: Northern Santa Barbara Channel, Southern California

In the summer of 2008, as part of the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP) the U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology mapped a nearshore region of the northern Santa Barbara Channel in Southern California (fig 1). The CSMP is a cooperative partnership between Federal and State agencies, Universities, and Industry to create a comprehensive coastal/marine geologic and habitat basem
Authors
Pete Dartnell, David Finlayson, Jamie Conrad, Guy Cochrane, Samuel Johnson
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program

Submarine landslides in the Santa Barbara Channel as potential tsunami sources

Recent investigations using the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institutes (MBARI) Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) "Ventana" and "Tiburon" and interpretation of MBARI's EM 300 30 kHz multibeam bathymetric data show that the northern flank of the Santa Barbara Basin has experienced massive slope failures. Of particular concern is the large (130 km2) Goleta landslide complex located off Coal Oil Po
Authors
H. Gary Greene, L.Y. Murai, P. Watts, N.A. Maher, M. A. Fisher, C.E. Paull, P. Eichhubl
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Nearshore benthic habitat GIS for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Southern California State Fisheries Reserves, volume II

No abstract available.
Authors
Guy R. Cochrane, James E. Conrad, Jane A. Reid, Sarah Fangman, Nadine E. Golden

Geology and tsunamigenic potential of submarine landslides in Santa Barbara Channel, Southern California

A large submarine landslide complex and four small landslides developed under the Santa Barbara Channel, suggesting a potential hazard from landslide-generated tsunamis. We integrate offshore stratigraphy and geologic structure, multibeam bathymetric information, and several kinds of seismic-reflection data to understand how and when the submarine landslides formed. Seismic-reflection data show th
Authors
M. A. Fisher, W. R. Normark, H. Gary Greene, H.J. Lee, R. W. Sliter
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Numerical analysis of the mobility of the Palos Verdes debris avalanche, California, and its implication for the generation of tsunamis

Analysis of morphology, failure and post-failure stages of the Palos Verdes debris avalanche reveals that it may have triggered a significant tsunami wave. Our analysis of the failure itself indicates that the slope is stable under aseismic conditions but that a major earthquake (with a magnitude around 7) could have triggered the slide. A post-failure analysis, considering the debris avalanche as
Authors
J. Locat, H.J. Lee, P. Locat, J. Imran

Age of Palos Verdes submarine debris avalanche, southern California

The Palos Verdes debris avalanche is the largest, by volume, late Quaternary mass-wasted deposit recognized from the inner California Borderland basins. Early workers speculated that the sediment failure giving rise to the deposit is young, taking place well after sea level reached its present position. A newly acquired, closely-spaced grid of high-resolution, deep-tow boomer profiles of the debri
Authors
W. R. Normark, M. McGann, R. Sliter

Submarine landslides of San Pedro Escarpment, southwest of Long Beach, California

The coastal infrastructure of the southern greater Los Angeles metropolitan area would be profoundly affected by a large tsunami. Submarine slope failures and active faults, either of which could have generated a tsunami, are known on the shelf and slope near Long Beach. Large slope failures are present on the San Pedro Escarpment and on the basin slope adjacent to the San Pedro shelf. The southea
Authors
R. G. Bohannon, J.V. Gardner
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Information about the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center's study of tsunami hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel from 1993-2003.

Poster with illustrations of the underwater part of the ocean, with text about the work done in the area.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

 

Learn about related USGS science projects.

link
Cartoon shows a cylindrical object that is floating above and scanning a landscape with rocky outcroppings.

Seafloor Faults off Southern California

More than 22 million people live along Southern California’s coast, and many more migrate there every year. Faults and earthquake threats in this region have been heavily studied on land. USGS aims to boost our knowledge about faults on the seafloor, so they can be included in hazard assessments.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization
link

Seafloor Faults off Southern California

More than 22 million people live along Southern California’s coast, and many more migrate there every year. Faults and earthquake threats in this region have been heavily studied on land. USGS aims to boost our knowledge about faults on the seafloor, so they can be included in hazard assessments.
Learn More
link
A computed-generated image showing the Queen Charlotte Fault and nearshore area, using bathymetry and lidar data

Coastal and Marine Geohazards of the U.S. West Coast and Alaska

Coastal and marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. These underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. The tectonically active west coast of the Americas is prone to such hazards, as it lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust—the North American, Caribbean...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Big Sur Landslides, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Subduction Zone Science
link

Coastal and Marine Geohazards of the U.S. West Coast and Alaska

Coastal and marine geohazards are sudden and extreme events beneath the ocean that threaten coastal populations. These underwater hazards include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and tsunamis. The tectonically active west coast of the Americas is prone to such hazards, as it lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust—the North American, Caribbean...
Learn More
link
A home, severely damaged by the tsunami that hit Sumatra on December 26, 2004, sits atop debris.

Tsunami Hazards, Modeling, and the Sedimentary Record

Basic research to develop the geologic record of paleotsunamis and improve the ability to interpret that record is needed to mitigate tsunami risk in the U.S.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory, Sediment Lab Suite and Carbon Analysis Laboratory, Subduction Zone Science
link

Tsunami Hazards, Modeling, and the Sedimentary Record

Basic research to develop the geologic record of paleotsunamis and improve the ability to interpret that record is needed to mitigate tsunami risk in the U.S.
Learn More

Large-scale poster image file

Poster with illustrations of the underwater part of the ocean, with text about the work done in the area.
Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel
Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel
Poster with illustrations of the underwater part of the ocean, with text about the work done in the area.

Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Large-scale poster describing USGS work.

The USGS, in cooperation with Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, mapped the slopes of the Santa Barbara Channel using sonar. We combined this with deep sea drilling records and seismic records to make these maps.

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Poster with illustrations of the underwater part of the ocean, with text about the work done in the area.

Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Tsunami Hazards in the Santa Barbara Channel

Large-scale poster describing USGS work.

The USGS, in cooperation with Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, mapped the slopes of the Santa Barbara Channel using sonar. We combined this with deep sea drilling records and seismic records to make these maps.

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 18

Records of continental slope sediment flow morphodynamic responses to gradient and active faulting from integrated AUV and ROV data, offshore Palos Verdes, southern California Borderland

Variations in seabed gradient are widely acknowledged to influence deep-water deposition, but are often difficult to measure in sufficient detail from both modern and ancient examples. On the continental slope offshore Los Angeles, California, autonomous underwater vehicle, remotely operated vehicle, and shipboard methods were used to collect a dense grid of high-resolution multibeam bathymetry, c
Authors
Katherine L. Maier, Daniel S. Brothers, Charles K. Paull, Mary McGann, David W. Caress, James E. Conrad
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Bathymetry and acoustic backscatter: outer mainland shelf and slope, Gulf of Santa Catalina, southern California

In 2010 and 2011, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Coastal and Marine Geology Program, acquired bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data from the outer shelf and slope region offshore of southern California. The surveys were conducted as part of the USGS Marine Geohazards Program. Assessment of the hazards posed by offshore faults, submarine landslides, and tsunamis are facilitat
Authors
Peter Dartnell, James E. Conrad, Holly F. Ryan, David P. Finlayson
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Bathymetry and acoustic backscatter-outer mainland shelf, eastern Santa Barbara Channel, California

In 2010 and 2011, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC), acquired bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data from the outer shelf region of the eastern Santa Barbara Channel, California. These surveys were conducted in cooperation with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). BOEM is interested in maps of hard-bottom substrates, par
Authors
Peter Dartnell, David P. Finlayson, Andrew C. Ritchie, Guy R. Cochrane, Mercedes D. Erdey
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Submarine landslides of the Southern California Borderland

Conventional bathymetry, sidescan-sonar and seismic-reflection data, and recent, multibeam surveys of large parts of the Southern California Borderland disclose the presence of numerous submarine landslides. Most of these features are fairly small, with lateral dimensions less than ??2 km. In areas where multibeam surveys are available, only two large landslide complexes were identified on the mai
Authors
H.J. Lee, H. Gary Greene, B. D. Edwards, M. A. Fisher, W. R. Normark
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Potential earthquake faults offshore Southern California, from the eastern Santa Barbara Channel south to Dana Point

Urban areas in Southern California are at risk from major earthquakes, not only quakes generated by long-recognized onshore faults but also ones that occur along poorly understood offshore faults. We summarize recent research findings concerning these lesser known faults. Research by the U.S. Geological Survey during the past five years indicates that these faults from the eastern Santa Barbara Ch
Authors
M. A. Fisher, C.C. Sorlien, R. W. Sliter

Bathymetry and acoustic backscatter: Northern Santa Barbara Channel, Southern California

In the summer of 2008, as part of the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP) the U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology mapped a nearshore region of the northern Santa Barbara Channel in Southern California (fig 1). The CSMP is a cooperative partnership between Federal and State agencies, Universities, and Industry to create a comprehensive coastal/marine geologic and habitat basem
Authors
Pete Dartnell, David Finlayson, Jamie Conrad, Guy Cochrane, Samuel Johnson
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program

Submarine landslides in the Santa Barbara Channel as potential tsunami sources

Recent investigations using the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institutes (MBARI) Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) "Ventana" and "Tiburon" and interpretation of MBARI's EM 300 30 kHz multibeam bathymetric data show that the northern flank of the Santa Barbara Basin has experienced massive slope failures. Of particular concern is the large (130 km2) Goleta landslide complex located off Coal Oil Po
Authors
H. Gary Greene, L.Y. Murai, P. Watts, N.A. Maher, M. A. Fisher, C.E. Paull, P. Eichhubl
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Nearshore benthic habitat GIS for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Southern California State Fisheries Reserves, volume II

No abstract available.
Authors
Guy R. Cochrane, James E. Conrad, Jane A. Reid, Sarah Fangman, Nadine E. Golden

Geology and tsunamigenic potential of submarine landslides in Santa Barbara Channel, Southern California

A large submarine landslide complex and four small landslides developed under the Santa Barbara Channel, suggesting a potential hazard from landslide-generated tsunamis. We integrate offshore stratigraphy and geologic structure, multibeam bathymetric information, and several kinds of seismic-reflection data to understand how and when the submarine landslides formed. Seismic-reflection data show th
Authors
M. A. Fisher, W. R. Normark, H. Gary Greene, H.J. Lee, R. W. Sliter
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Numerical analysis of the mobility of the Palos Verdes debris avalanche, California, and its implication for the generation of tsunamis

Analysis of morphology, failure and post-failure stages of the Palos Verdes debris avalanche reveals that it may have triggered a significant tsunami wave. Our analysis of the failure itself indicates that the slope is stable under aseismic conditions but that a major earthquake (with a magnitude around 7) could have triggered the slide. A post-failure analysis, considering the debris avalanche as
Authors
J. Locat, H.J. Lee, P. Locat, J. Imran

Age of Palos Verdes submarine debris avalanche, southern California

The Palos Verdes debris avalanche is the largest, by volume, late Quaternary mass-wasted deposit recognized from the inner California Borderland basins. Early workers speculated that the sediment failure giving rise to the deposit is young, taking place well after sea level reached its present position. A newly acquired, closely-spaced grid of high-resolution, deep-tow boomer profiles of the debri
Authors
W. R. Normark, M. McGann, R. Sliter

Submarine landslides of San Pedro Escarpment, southwest of Long Beach, California

The coastal infrastructure of the southern greater Los Angeles metropolitan area would be profoundly affected by a large tsunami. Submarine slope failures and active faults, either of which could have generated a tsunami, are known on the shelf and slope near Long Beach. Large slope failures are present on the San Pedro Escarpment and on the basin slope adjacent to the San Pedro shelf. The southea
Authors
R. G. Bohannon, J.V. Gardner
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center
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