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Earthquake recurrence estimates for northern Caribbean faults from combinatorial optimization

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

2023 Annual Report

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Pragmatically mapping Phragmites with unoccupied aerial systems: A comparison of invasive species land cover classification using RGB and multispectral imagery

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Hydroacoustic observations reveal drivers of mixing and salinization of a karst subterranean estuary during intense precipitation

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Scientific literature and information products produced by Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center staff

Featured Journal Article

Invasive Phragmites plants on the shore of a lake

Pragmatically mapping Phragmites with unoccupied aerial systems: A comparison of invasive species land cover classification using RGB and multispectral imagery

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Featured USGS Series

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center—2023 Annual Report.  The 2023 annual report highlights accomplishments, includes a list of publications, and summarizes the work of the center and each of the science groups.

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Sound Waves

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Coastal and Marine Research News from Across the USGS

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Filter Total Items: 1737

Modeling sulfate reduction in methane hydrate-bearing continental margin sediments: Does a sulfate-methane transition require anaerobic oxidation of methane? Modeling sulfate reduction in methane hydrate-bearing continental margin sediments: Does a sulfate-methane transition require anaerobic oxidation of methane?

The sulfate‐methane transition (SMT), a biogeochemical zone where sulfate and methane are metabolized, is commonly observed at shallow depths (1–30 mbsf) in methane‐bearing marine sediments. Two processes consume sulfate at and above the SMT, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and organoclastic sulfate reduction (OSR). Differentiating the relative contribution of each process is...
Authors
A. Malinverno, John W. Pohlman
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Downhole well log and core montages from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope Downhole well log and core montages from the Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well, Alaska North Slope

The BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well was an integral part of an ongoing project to determine the future energy resource potential of gas hydrates on the Alaska North Slope. As part of this effort, the Mount Elbert well included an advanced downhole geophysical logging program. Because gas hydrate is unstable at ground surface pressure and temperature...
Authors
Timothy S. Collett, R.E. Lewis, William J. Winters, Myung W. Lee, K.K. Rose, R.M. Boswell
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Strong atmospheric chemistry feedback to climate warming from Arctic methane emissions Strong atmospheric chemistry feedback to climate warming from Arctic methane emissions

The magnitude and feedbacks of future methane release from the Arctic region are unknown. Despite limited documentation of potential future releases associated with thawing permafrost and degassing methane hydrates, the large potential for future methane releases calls for improved understanding of the interaction of a changing climate with processes in the Arctic and chemical feedbacks...
Authors
Ivar Isaksen, Michael Gauss, Gunnar Myhre, Katey M. Walter Anthony, Carolyn Ruppel
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Geologic framework influences on the geomorphology of an anthropogenically modified barrier island: Assessment of dune/beach changes at Fire Island, New York Geologic framework influences on the geomorphology of an anthropogenically modified barrier island: Assessment of dune/beach changes at Fire Island, New York

Antecedent geology plays a crucial role in determining the inner-shelf, nearshore, and onshore geomorphology observed in coastal systems. However, the influence of the geologic framework on a system is difficult to extract when evaluating responses to changes due to storms and anthropogenic modifications, and few studies have quantified the potential for these influences in dune/beach...
Authors
Erika E. Lentz, Cheryl Hapke
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Implementation and modification of a three-dimensional radiation stress formulation for surf zone and rip-current applications Implementation and modification of a three-dimensional radiation stress formulation for surf zone and rip-current applications

Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS v 3.0), a three-dimensional numerical ocean model, was previously enhanced for shallow water applications by including wave-induced radiation stress forcing provided through coupling to wave propagation models (SWAN, REF/DIF). This enhancement made it suitable for surf zone applications as demonstrated using examples of obliquely incident waves on a...
Authors
N. Kumar, G. Voulgaris, John C. Warner
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

A conduit dilation model of methane venting from lake sediments A conduit dilation model of methane venting from lake sediments

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, but its effects on Earth's climate remain poorly constrained, in part due to uncertainties in global methane fluxes to the atmosphere. An important source of atmospheric methane is the methane generated in organic-rich sediments underlying surface water bodies, including lakes, wetlands, and the ocean. The fraction of the methane that reaches the...
Authors
B.P. Scandella, C. Varadharajan, Harold F. Hemond, C. Ruppel, R. Juanes
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical data from the sea floor surrounding the Western Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts High-resolution geophysical data from the sea floor surrounding the Western Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts

Geophysical and geospatial data were collected in the nearshore area surrounding the western Elizabeth Islands, Massachusetts on the U.S. Geological Survey research vessel Rafael during September 2010 in a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts, Office of Coastal Zone Management. This report describes the results of the short-term goals of this...
Authors
Elizabeth A. Pendleton, David C. Twichell, David S. Foster, Charles R. Worley, Barry J. Irwin, William W. Danforth
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Methane hydrates and contemporary climate change Methane hydrates and contemporary climate change

As the evidence for warming climate became better established in the latter part of the 20th century (IPCC 2001), some scientists raised the alarm that large quantities of methane (CH4) might be liberated by widespread destabilization of climate-sensitive gas hydrate deposits trapped in marine and permafrost-associated sediments (Bohannon 2008, Krey et al. 2009, Mascarelli 2009). Even if...
Authors
Carolyn D. Ruppel
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Glacial influence on the geochemistry of riverine iron fluxes to the Gulf of Alaska and effects of deglaciation Glacial influence on the geochemistry of riverine iron fluxes to the Gulf of Alaska and effects of deglaciation

Riverine iron (Fe) derived from glacial weathering is a critical micronutrient source to ecosystems of the Gulf of Alaska (GoA). Here we demonstrate that the source and chemical nature of riverine Fe input to the GoA could change dramatically due to the widespread watershed deglaciation that is underway. We examine Fe size partitioning, speciation, and isotopic composition in tributaries...
Authors
A.W. Schroth, John Crusius, F. Chever, B.C. Bostick, O.J. Rouxel
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Groupers on the edge: Shelf edge spawning habitat in and around marine reserves of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico Groupers on the edge: Shelf edge spawning habitat in and around marine reserves of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico

The northeastern Gulf of Mexico contains some of the most diverse and productive marine habitat in the United States. Much of this habitat, located on the shelf edge in depths of 50 to 120 m, supports spawning for many economically important species, including groupers. Here, we couple acoustic surveys with georeferenced videography to describe the primary spatial and geologic features...
Authors
Felicia C. Coleman, Kathryn M. Scanlon, Christopher C. Koenig
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Rayleigh-based, multi-element coral thermometry: A biomineralization approach to developing climate proxies Rayleigh-based, multi-element coral thermometry: A biomineralization approach to developing climate proxies

This study presents a new approach to coral thermometry that deconvolves the influence of water temperature on skeleton composition from that of “vital effects”, and has the potential to provide estimates of growth temperatures that are accurate to within a few tenths of a degree Celsius from both tropical and cold-water corals. Our results provide support for a physico-chemical model of...
Authors
G.A. Gaetani, A.L. Cohen, Z. Wang, John Crusius
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Duration and severity of Medieval drought in the Lake Tahoe Basin Duration and severity of Medieval drought in the Lake Tahoe Basin

Droughts in the western U.S. in the past 200 years are small compared to several megadroughts that occurred during Medieval times. We reconstruct duration and magnitude of extreme droughts in the northern Sierra Nevada from hydroclimatic conditions in Fallen Leaf Lake, California. Stands of submerged trees rooted in situ below the lake surface were imaged with sidescan sonar and...
Authors
J.A. Kleppe, D.S. Brothers, G.M. Kent, F. Biondi, S. Jensen, N. W. Driscoll
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
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