Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Santa Cruz Beaches
Science Center Objects
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. The cameras are part of the Remote Sensing Coastal Change project.
Every half hour during daylight hours, the cameras collect snapshots and video for 10 minutes. Today’s most recent images are shown below. Please note that it takes 10 minutes for the images to be posted, once they are collected by the camera.
Currently, video cameras are installed at these locations:
- Unalakleet, Alaska;
- Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California;
- Sunset State Beach in Santa Cruz, California;
- Head of the Meadow Beach, Massachusetts;
- Tres Palmas in Rincón, Puerto Rico; and
- Whidbey Island, Washington.
These and other images are used to remotely sense a range of processes, including:
- shoreline position,
- sandbar migration,
- rip-channel formation,
- wave run-up on the beach,
- alongshore current, and
- nearshore bathymetry.
Please note: If old photos are displayed, cameras may be temporarily offline.
Snapshots
The snapshot is the first frame of the video, just like a standard photo.
Main Beach Snapshot, looking eastward
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Cowells Beach Snapshot, looking southward
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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).
Main Beach Timex, looking eastward
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Cowells Beach Timex, looking southward
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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.
Main Beach Variance Image, looking eastward
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Cowells Beach Variance Image, looking southward
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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.
Main Beach Bright Image, looking eastward
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Cowells Beach Bright Image, looking southward
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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.
Main Beach Dark Image, looking eastward
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Cowells Beach Dark Image, looking southward
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USGS ocean engineer Gerry Hatcher (left) and USGS postdoctoral oceanographer Shawn Harrison make adjustments to a computer controlling two video cameras on the roof of the Dream Inn, a 10-story hotel overlooking Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, California.
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