Images

Animation of a computed tomography scan of a coral core.

The newly developed USGS Coral Core Archive, housed at the Santa Cruz and St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Centers, contains approximately 500 coral reef cores from U.S. jurisdictions worldwide.

Photo of coral carbonate standards, arranged from high to low density. To convert CT values to real-world densities and quantify the uncertainty in reconstructed density as a result of offsets, a set of carbonate standards are included in every CT scan that represent a range of coral species with different densities.

Example of the relationship between CT intensities and measured density of the coral standards used to calibrate data. The measured density of the coral standards are compared to the mean intensities of each standard. Linear regressions calculated from the standard values are then used to calibrate data.

Orbicella spp. coral sample with no packing material. Center of image is darker than edges. Transect across image shows intensity values lower in the center creating a cupping effect.

Coral sample in aluminum tube being prepared for scanning. The use of a secondary aluminum filter reduces beam hardening artifacts (rings) while also avoiding attenuating the x-ray beam.

Scan of coral core, showing yearly growth rates and the density of the coral, which can in turn be used to determine the calcification, or constructive process responsible for reef growth. 

Map of surface elevation table (SET) locations for a Nisqually, b Snohomish, c Stillaguamish, d Skagit, and e Padilla in Puget Sound, WA, USA.

Bare-earth lidar image of the Nisqually River Delta. Lidar has been used to study and restore the delta, where levees have been removed to reconnect tidal lands.

One image is provided of a landslide near the Monterey-San Luis Obispo County line of Big Sur, California during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024. The image shows shaded relief topography of the landscape during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024, and the total topographic change between these dates, which shows both erosion (red) and accretion (blue) of the landscape.

Three images are provided of Mud Creek landslide of Big Sur, California during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024. The first two images show different oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs. The third image shows shaded relief topography of the landscape during Feb.

Three images are provided of Mud Creek landslide of Big Sur, California during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024. The first two images show different oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs. The third image shows shaded relief topography of the landscape during Feb.

Three images are provided of Paul’s landslide of Big Sur, California during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024. The first two images show different oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs.  The third image shows shaded relief topography of the landscape during Feb.

An image is provided of the Willow Creek landslide of Big Sur, California during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024. Images show oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs. All 3-dimensional landscape data derived by USGS photogrammetry techniques. 

Two images are provided of the Regent’s landslide of Big Sur, California during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024. The first image shows oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs. The second image shows shaded relief topography of the landscape during Feb.

An image is provided of the Regent’s landslide of Big Sur, California during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024. Images show oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs. All 3-dimensional landscape data derived by USGS photogrammetry techniques. 

An image is provided of the Dolan Point landslide of Big Sur, California during Feb. 23 and April 6, 2024. Images show oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs. All 3-dimensional landscape data derived by USGS photogrammetry techniques. 

Two images are provided of the Rocky Creek landslide that resulted in closure of California State Highway 1. The images above show views of the Rocky Creek landslide, California before (Feb. 23, 2024) and after (April 6, 2024) the slope failure. Images show oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs.

Two images are provided of the Rocky Creek landslide that resulted in closure of California State Highway 1. The images above show views of the Rocky Creek landslide, California before (Feb. 23, 2024) and after (April 6, 2024) the slope failure. Images show oblique perspectives of the landscape topography colored by the actual colors from the photographs.

Location of (A) Baltimore and (B) Norfolk canyons and adjacent slope environments along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic margin. The bathymetry represents 25 m gridded multibeam data with contour lines at every 100 m. Colors on the bathymetric scale represent depth from shallow (red) to deep (blue).

Suspension-feeder isoscapes of Baltimore (A, C) and Norfolk (B, D) canyons with coral distributions outlined in white. Colors represent the different isotopes with cool colors (blues, greens) for δ¹³C data (A, B) and warm colors (pinks, purples) for δ¹⁵N data (C, D), both in ‰.