This research is part of the project “Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments.” We aim to support regional sediment management in the Columbia River littoral cell by monitoring and modeling shoreline change, modeling fate of disposed dredged material, and studying bedform morphology.
This research is part of the project, “Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments.”
USGS PCMSC is working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Office of Naval Research, Oregon State University, the Washington Department of Ecology, and Deltaes to bring the best available scientific information on sediment management to decision makers.
USGS PCMSC has developed a state-of-the-art process-based numerical model of hydrodynamics and sediment transport for the lower Columbia River, Columbia River Estuary, and adjacent coast, and works closely with partners to develop, calibrate and verify the model.
Because of the expertise developed over the years, USGS is sought by others to perform field work and modeling in the Columbia River littoral cell.
Learn about all of the “Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments” research studies by choosing a title below.
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
Coastal watershed and estuary restoration in the Monterey Bay area
Transport of invasive microorganisms
Sediment transport in submarine canyons
Columbia River estuary
Sediment transport between estuarine habitats in San Francisco Bay
Drag and sediment transport: conditions at the bottom boundary
San Francisco Bay geomorphology
Data associated with this project
Beach topography and nearshore bathymetry of the Columbia River littoral cell, Washington and Oregon
Hydrodynamic model of the lower Columbia River, Washington and Oregon, 2017-2020
Oceanographic measurements and hydrodynamic modeling of the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2013
Digital seafloor images and sediment grain size from the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2014
Bathymetry and Backscatter from 2013 Interferometric Swath Bathymetry Systems Survey of Columbia River Mouth, Oregon and Washington
Below are publications associated with the Columbia River estuary.
Observations of coastal change and numerical modeling of sediment-transport pathways at the mouth of the Columbia River and its adjacent littoral cell
Is “morphodynamic equilibrium” an oxymoron?
Morphodynamics of prograding beaches: A synthesis of seasonal- to century-scale observations of the Columbia River littoral cell
Southwest Washington littoral drift restoration—Beach and nearshore morphological monitoring
Validation of a coupled wave-flow model in a high-energy setting: the mouth of the Columbia River
- Overview
This research is part of the project “Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments.” We aim to support regional sediment management in the Columbia River littoral cell by monitoring and modeling shoreline change, modeling fate of disposed dredged material, and studying bedform morphology.
This research is part of the project, “Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments.”
USGS PCMSC is working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Office of Naval Research, Oregon State University, the Washington Department of Ecology, and Deltaes to bring the best available scientific information on sediment management to decision makers.
USGS PCMSC has developed a state-of-the-art process-based numerical model of hydrodynamics and sediment transport for the lower Columbia River, Columbia River Estuary, and adjacent coast, and works closely with partners to develop, calibrate and verify the model.
Because of the expertise developed over the years, USGS is sought by others to perform field work and modeling in the Columbia River littoral cell.
- Science
Learn about all of the “Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments” research studies by choosing a title below.
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
Our research goals are to provide the scientific information, knowledge, and tools required to ensure that decisions about land and resource use, management practices, and future development in the coastal zone and adjacent watersheds can be evaluated with a complete understanding of the probable effects on coastal ecosystems and communities, and a full assessment of their vulnerability to natural...Coastal watershed and estuary restoration in the Monterey Bay area
Objectives: Support further work by the USGS and collaborating federal, state, and local agencies and academic partners in analyzing the effectiveness of restoration work in coastal watersheds and estuaries in the Monterey Bay area. The USGS will play a supporting role in field efforts led by NOAA and California State University - Monterey Bay to measure physical and ecological changes in the...Transport of invasive microorganisms
The objectives of his project are to investigate the vectors and timing of microbiological invasions and the subsequent dispersal of these non-native organisms due to sediment transport. We will attempt to confirm the identification of specific invasives encountered with molecular sequencing, monitor the spread of the invading populations through their recent distribution and the historic...Sediment transport in submarine canyons
Objectives: Produce a step-change in understanding of submarine turbidity currents by measuring their two key features (synchronous velocity and concentration profiles) in detail (every 2-to-30 seconds) for the first time, and documenting spatial changes in their flow velocity from source-to-sink for the first time.Columbia River estuary
This research is part of the project “Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments.” We aim to support regional sediment management in the Columbia River littoral cell by monitoring and modeling shoreline change, modeling fate of disposed dredged material, and studying bedform morphology.Sediment transport between estuarine habitats in San Francisco Bay
We investigate mechanisms of sediment transport, resuspension dynamics in shoals, wave evolution in the shallows, wave attenuation in marshes, and transport of sediment between mudflats and marshes. We produce data sets for calibration of and comparison with sediment transport models, including wave parameters, suspended sediment concentration, and sediment flux.Drag and sediment transport: conditions at the bottom boundary
Research on bed sediment grain size, bedform morphology, vegetation characteristics, and sediment resuspension and transport.San Francisco Bay geomorphology
The primary objective of this task is to develop tools for predicting the long-term geomorphic evolution of estuaries. Sediment core and historical change analysis will be used in combination with interpretation of high-resolution seismic profiles to develop tools for predicting geomorphic evolution of estuaries. Historical change analysis will use hydrographic and lidar data. Longer-term data... - Data
Data associated with this project
Beach topography and nearshore bathymetry of the Columbia River littoral cell, Washington and Oregon
This data release presents beach topography and nearshore bathymetry data from repeated surveys performed by a team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington State Department of Ecology, and Oregon State University in the Columbia River littoral cell (CRLC), Washington and Oregon. The CRLC extends approximately 165 kilometers between Point Grenville (PG), Washington, and TillamookHydrodynamic model of the lower Columbia River, Washington and Oregon, 2017-2020
A three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the lower Columbia River (LCR) was constructed using the Delft3D Flexible Mesh (DFM) modeling suite to simulate water levels, flow, and seabed stresses between January 1, 2017, and April 20, 2020. This data release describes the construction and validation of the model application and provides input files suitable to run the model on Delft3D Flexible MeshOceanographic measurements and hydrodynamic modeling of the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2013
During May and June of 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with Naval Post-Graduate School, the University of Miami, and Deltares USA, participated in the Office of Naval Research-funded River and Inlets Dynamics (RIVET II) experiment to investigate the hydrodynamics of the mouth of the Columbia River (MCR). The field experiment consisted of the collection of continuous oceanographicDigital seafloor images and sediment grain size from the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2014
Geo-referenced digital imagery of in-situ seafloor sediments in the mouth of the Columbia River was collected and analyzed to determine median grain size of the surface sediments. Digital imagery of the seafloor was collected with a flying eyeball (Rubin and others, 2007) from the R/V Parke Snavely from September 11 to September 13, 2014 (USGS Field Activity 2014-642-FA). The flying eyeball consisBathymetry and Backscatter from 2013 Interferometric Swath Bathymetry Systems Survey of Columbia River Mouth, Oregon and Washington
High-resolution swath bathymetry and backscatter were collected in the Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) as part of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded River and Inlet Dynamics Experiment in 2013. The goal of the U.S. Geological Survey's component of the research was to evaluate the various hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes in the Columbia River estuary entrance using a combinati - Publications
Below are publications associated with the Columbia River estuary.
Observations of coastal change and numerical modeling of sediment-transport pathways at the mouth of the Columbia River and its adjacent littoral cell
Bathymetric and topographic surveys performed annually along the coastlines of northern Oregon and southwestern Washington documented changes in beach and nearshore morphology between 2014 and 2019. Volume change analysis revealed measurable localized erosion and deposition throughout the study area, but significant net erosion at the regional scale (several kilometers [km]) was limited to BensonAuthorsAndrew W. Stevens, Edwin Elias, Stuart Pearson, George M. Kaminsky, Peter R Ruggiero, Heather M. Weiner, Guy R. GelfenbaumIs “morphodynamic equilibrium” an oxymoron?
Morphodynamic equilibrium is a widely adopted yet elusive concept in the field of geomorphology of coasts, rivers and estuaries. Based on the Exner equation, an expression of mass conservation of sediment, we distinguish three types of equilibrium defined as static and dynamic, of which two different types exist. Other expressions such as statistical and quasi-equilibrium which do not strictly satAuthorsZeng Zhou, Giovanni Coco, Ian Townend, Maitane Olabarrieta, Mick van der Wegen, Zheng Gong, Andrea D'Alpaos, Shu Gao, Bruce E. Jaffe, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Qing He, Yaping Wang, Stefano Lanzoni, Zhengbing Wang, Han Winterwerp, Changkuan ZhangMorphodynamics of prograding beaches: A synthesis of seasonal- to century-scale observations of the Columbia River littoral cell
Findings from nearly two decades of research focused on the Columbia River littoral cell (CRLC), a set of rapidly prograding coastal barriers and strand-plains in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, are synthesized to investigate the morphodynamics associated with prograding beaches. Due to a large sediment supply from the Columbia River, the CRLC is the only extensive stretch of shoreline on the U.S. wesAuthorsPeter Ruggiero, George Kaminsky, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Nicholas CohnSouthwest Washington littoral drift restoration—Beach and nearshore morphological monitoring
A morphological monitoring program has documented the placement and initial dispersal of beach nourishment material (280,000 m3) placed between the Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) North Jetty and North Head, at the southern end of the Long Beach Peninsula in southwestern Washington State. A total of 21 topographic surveys and 8 nearshore bathymetric surveys were performed between July 11, 2010,AuthorsAndrew W. Stevens, Guy Gelfenbaum, Peter Ruggiero, George M. KaminskyValidation of a coupled wave-flow model in a high-energy setting: the mouth of the Columbia River
A monthlong time series of wave, current, salinity, and suspended-sediment measurements was made at five sites on a transect across the Mouth of Columbia River (MCR). These data were used to calibrate and evaluate the performance of a coupled hydrodynamic and wave model for the MCR based on the Delft3D modeling system. The MCR is a dynamic estuary inlet in which tidal currents, river discharge, aAuthorsEdwin P.L. Elias, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, André J. van der Westhuysen