Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Isla Verde Completed
USGS scientists installed video cameras atop a building and oceanographic instruments off San Juan, Puerto Rico, to better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines.
USGS scientists designed a video camera station to measure wave run-up and flooding in the Isla Verde Coral Reef Marine Reserve and on the shoreline adjacent to the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport. The cameras, installed atop a building and overlooking this stretch of coast, collected a variety of imagery between November, 2018 through July, 2019. The imagery helps to show where waves break on the reef and how high they run up on the shore.
Currently, oceanographic instruments installed on the coral reef continue to measure wave heights and speeds.
As part of a study funded by USGS in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, USGS partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPR-M), and Arrecifes Pro Ciudad to better understand how waves propagate across coral reefs and cause coastal flooding along tropical shorelines. Their goal is to reduce hazards to, and increase the resilience of, tropical coastal communities. NOAA will use the study results to guide restoration of coral reefs and threatened coral species (Acropora spp., Dendrogyra cylindrus, Orbicella spp.). UPR-M will use the findings to improve coastal hazard forecasts they provide with data from NOAA’s Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS). Arrecifes Pro Ciudad is a community-based effort to protect and restore the Isla Verde Coral Reef Marine Reserve. This urban reef supports various species of protected corals, sea turtles, and crustaceans, as well as many Caribbean fish. It also protects the International Airport and numerous homes and resorts on the coast.
Snapshots
The snapshot is the first frame of the video, just like a standard photo.
Timex (time-exposure) images
A timex is a time-averaged image of all frames, smoothing away surface waves and determining the location of persistent wave-breaking (indicative of shallow sandbars).
Variance images
A “variance” image shows the standard deviation of pixel intensity throughout the video, and it is useful for determining how much variation or movement is occurring at a given location.
Bright images
A “bright” image shows the brightest pixel values throughout the video, useful for identifying the position of maximum wave run-up on the beach, position of all breaking waves, and sea-state.
Dark images
A “dark” image shows the darkest pixel values throughout the video, useful for tracking sediment plumes, tracking floating debris, and filtering out breaking waves.
Below are the projects that use the data collected by the video cameras, as well as other locations where similar video cameras are or were previously installed.
Coral Reef Project
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Santa Cruz Beaches
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Sunset State Beach
Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Tres Palmas
Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Unalakleet
Using Video Imagery to Study Head of the Meadow Beach
Coral Reef Project: Puerto Rico
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Whidbey Island
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Barter Island, Alaska
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Time series data of oceanographic conditions from La Parguera, Puerto Rico, 2017-2018 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Studying flood hazards in San Juan, Puerto Rico
USGS scientists from Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, along with with NOAA, the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, and Arrecifes Pro Ciudad, are using video imagery and wave measurements to study flood hazards in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
USGS scientists installed video cameras atop a building and oceanographic instruments off San Juan, Puerto Rico, to better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines.
USGS scientists designed a video camera station to measure wave run-up and flooding in the Isla Verde Coral Reef Marine Reserve and on the shoreline adjacent to the Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport. The cameras, installed atop a building and overlooking this stretch of coast, collected a variety of imagery between November, 2018 through July, 2019. The imagery helps to show where waves break on the reef and how high they run up on the shore.
Currently, oceanographic instruments installed on the coral reef continue to measure wave heights and speeds.
As part of a study funded by USGS in response to Hurricanes Irma and Maria, USGS partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (UPR-M), and Arrecifes Pro Ciudad to better understand how waves propagate across coral reefs and cause coastal flooding along tropical shorelines. Their goal is to reduce hazards to, and increase the resilience of, tropical coastal communities. NOAA will use the study results to guide restoration of coral reefs and threatened coral species (Acropora spp., Dendrogyra cylindrus, Orbicella spp.). UPR-M will use the findings to improve coastal hazard forecasts they provide with data from NOAA’s Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS). Arrecifes Pro Ciudad is a community-based effort to protect and restore the Isla Verde Coral Reef Marine Reserve. This urban reef supports various species of protected corals, sea turtles, and crustaceans, as well as many Caribbean fish. It also protects the International Airport and numerous homes and resorts on the coast.
Snapshots
The snapshot is the first frame of the video, just like a standard photo.
Timex (time-exposure) images
A timex is a time-averaged image of all frames, smoothing away surface waves and determining the location of persistent wave-breaking (indicative of shallow sandbars).
Variance images
A “variance” image shows the standard deviation of pixel intensity throughout the video, and it is useful for determining how much variation or movement is occurring at a given location.
Bright images
A “bright” image shows the brightest pixel values throughout the video, useful for identifying the position of maximum wave run-up on the beach, position of all breaking waves, and sea-state.
Dark images
A “dark” image shows the darkest pixel values throughout the video, useful for tracking sediment plumes, tracking floating debris, and filtering out breaking waves.
- Science
Below are the projects that use the data collected by the video cameras, as well as other locations where similar video cameras are or were previously installed.
Coral Reef Project
Explore the fascinating undersea world of coral reefs. Learn how we map, monitor, and model coral reefs so we can better understand, protect, and preserve our Nation's reefs.Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Santa Cruz Beaches
Two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. One camera looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk, while the other looks southward over Cowells Beach.Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Sunset State Beach
Two video cameras overlook the coast at Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, California. Camera 1 looks northwest while Camera 2 looks north. The cameras are part of the Remote Sensing Coastal Change project.Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Tres Palmas
To study wave dynamics along an active coastline, video cameras were installed on the west coast of Puerto Rico at Tres Palmas in Rincón.Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Unalakleet
USGS scientists installed two video cameras atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska, pointing westward over Norton Sound, to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes.Using Video Imagery to Study Head of the Meadow Beach
Two video cameras are mounted on a bluff near Head of the Meadow Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, North Truro, MA. One camera looks alongshore toward the north-northeast, and the second looks directly offshore (northeast). The cameras are part of a U.S. Geological Survey research project to study the beach and nearshore environment shared by beachgoers, shorebirds, seals, and sharks. The work is...Coral Reef Project: Puerto Rico
To better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines, USGS scientists have installed video cameras and oceanographic instruments off San Juan and Rincón, Puerto Rico. Their work is part of a study funded by USGS after Hurricanes Irma and María. The offshore instruments measure wave heights and speeds; the onshore video cameras show where waves break on...Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Whidbey Island
From May of 2018 through November of 2019, USGS scientists collected imagery from video cameras overlooking the coast along a beach on Whidbey Island, Island County at the northern boundary of Puget Sound in western Washington.Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Barter Island, Alaska
For a short study period, two video cameras overlooked the coast from atop the coastal bluff of Barter Island in northern Alaska. The purpose was to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes. - Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Time series data of oceanographic conditions from La Parguera, Puerto Rico, 2017-2018 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment
Time-series data of water surface elevation, waves, currents, temperature, and salinity collected between 17 May 2017 and 17 Jan 2018 off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico in support of a study on circulation and sediment transport dynamics over coral reefs. The data are available in NetCDF format, grouped together in zip files by instrument site location. A README.txt file details the files cont - News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Studying flood hazards in San Juan, Puerto Rico
USGS scientists from Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, along with with NOAA, the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez, and Arrecifes Pro Ciudad, are using video imagery and wave measurements to study flood hazards in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.