Investigating Relationships Between Deep-Sea Invertebrate Communities and Marine Minerals to Inform Resource Considerations
Effects of Climate Variability on Coastal Erosion in the Pacific Northwest
The Role of Coral Reefs in Coastal Erosion
Wildfire and Extreme Rain Intensify Erosion and Sediment Flow, USGS-led Study Shows
Uncovering 14,000 Years of Seismic Activity in Northern Cascadia
Restoring Coral Reefs for Coastal Hazard Risk Reduction in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Shifting Sand-Supply Dynamics in San Francisco Bay
In New Study, Scientists Identify Key Markers of the Anthropocene Epoch
Study Finds Seasonal Differences in Marshland Erosion in South San Francisco Bay
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
We conduct multidisciplinary scientific research in the coastal and offshore areas of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and other US Pacific Islands; and in other waterways of the United States.
News
Sound Waves Newsletter: July-September 2024
Sound Waves Newsletter: July-September 2024
News Briefs: July-September 2024
News Briefs: July-September 2024
The Coastal Science Navigator Companion Guide
The Coastal Science Navigator Companion Guide
Publications
Climate controls on longshore sediment transport and coastal morphology adjacent to engineered inlets
Coastal jetties are commonly used throughout the world to stabilize channels and improve navigation through inlets. These engineered structures form artificial boundaries to littoral cells by reducing wave-driven longshore sediment transport across inlet entrances. Consequently, beaches adjacent to engineered inlets are subject to large gradients in longshore transport rates and are highly sensiti
Shifting sands: The influence of coral reefs on shoreline erosion from short-term storm protection to long-term disequilibrium
Climate change is exacerbating shoreline erosion and flooding, posing significant risks to coastal communities. Although traditional coastal defenses such as seawalls, dykes, and breakwaters offer protection from these hazards, their high environmental and economic costs are driving interest in cost-competitive nature-based solutions. Coral reef restoration is a nature-based solution that may be p
Postfire sediment mobilization and its downstream implications across California, 1984 – 2021
Fire facilitates erosion through changes in vegetation and soil, with major postfire erosion commonly occurring even with moderate rainfall. As climate warms, the western United States (U.S.) is experiencing an intensifying fire regime and increasing frequency of extreme rain. We evaluated whether these hydroclimatic changes are evident in patterns of postfire erosion by modeling hillslope erosion
Science
Habitat Vulnerability to Climate Change: Identifying Climate Change Induced Mass Mortality Events Across Large Landscapes of the United States
USGS researchers will characterize extreme climatic events across U.S. following a review of case studies of mass mortality events associated with climate extremes including drought, precipitation, freeze, heat waves, and storm events.
Eyes on Earth Episode 120 – Mapping the California Coastline
Coastline erosion can change your favorite beach. But it can also affect highways and buildings. Landsat, along with high-resolution data, can be used to model the past and predict the future of changes caused by sea level rise and coastal erosion.
Post-Fire Sediment Research at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California, has been growing our post-fire research contributions since 2017, through studies of post-fire sediment movement that address the Natural Hazards Mission Area objectives for understanding wildfire hazards.