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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

Law of the sea, the continental shelf, and marine research Law of the sea, the continental shelf, and marine research

The question of the amount of seabed to which a coastal nation is entitled is addressed in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This treaty, ratified by 153 nations and in force since 1994, specifies national obligations, rights, and jurisdiction in the oceans, and it allows nations a continental shelf out to at least 200 nautical miles or to a maritime boundary...
Authors
Deborah R. Hutchinson, Robert W. Rowland
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

A catastrophic meltwater flood event and the formation of the Hudson Shelf Valley A catastrophic meltwater flood event and the formation of the Hudson Shelf Valley

The Hudson Shelf Valley (HSV) is the largest physiographic feature on the U.S. mid-Atlantic continental shelf. The 150-km long valley is the submerged extension of the ancestral Hudson River Valley that connects to the Hudson Canyon. Unlike other incised valleys on the mid-Atlantic shelf, it has not been infilled with sediment during the Holocene. Analyses of multibeam bathymetry...
Authors
E. Robert Thieler, Bradford Butman, William C. Schwab, Mead A. Allison, Neal W. Driscoll, John P. Donnelly, Elazar Uchupi
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Shoreline change as a proxy for subaerial beach volume change Shoreline change as a proxy for subaerial beach volume change

It is difficult and expensive to calculate changes in sediment volume for large sections of sandy beaches. Shoreline change could be a useful proxy for volume change because it can be collected quickly and relatively easily over long distances. In this paper, we summarize several studies that find a high correlation between shoreline change and subaerial volume change. We also examine...
Authors
Amy S. Farris, Jeffrey H. List
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Salt tectonics and shallow subseafloor fluid convection: Models of coupled fluid-heat-salt transport Salt tectonics and shallow subseafloor fluid convection: Models of coupled fluid-heat-salt transport

Thermohaline convection associated with salt domes has the potential to drive significant fluid flow and mass and heat transport in continental margins, but previous studies of fluid flow associated with salt structures have focused on continental settings or deep flow systems of importance to petroleum exploration. Motivated by recent geophysical and geochemical observations that...
Authors
A. Wilson, C. Ruppel
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Progress in the development of shallow-water mapping systems Progress in the development of shallow-water mapping systems

The USGS (US Geological Survey) Coastal and Marine Geology has deployed an advance autonomous shallow-draft robotic vehicle, Iris, for shallow-water mapping in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. The vehicle incorporates a side scan sonar system, seismic-reflection profiler, single-beam echosounder, and global positioning system (GPS) navigation. It is equipped with an onboard microprocessor...
Authors
E. Bergeron, C.R. Worley, T. O'Brien
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Mechanical properties of sand, silt, and clay containing tetrahydrofuran hydrate Mechanical properties of sand, silt, and clay containing tetrahydrofuran hydrate

The mechanical behavior of hydrate-bearing sediments subjected to large strains has relevance for the stability of the seafloor and submarine slopes, drilling and coring operations, and the analysis of certain small-strain properties of these sediments (for example, seismic velocities). This study reports on the results of comprehensive axial compression triaxial tests conducted at up to...
Authors
T.S. Yun, J.C. Santamarina, C. Ruppel
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Vulnerability of National Park Service beaches to inundation during a direct hurricane landfall: Cumberland Island National Seashore Vulnerability of National Park Service beaches to inundation during a direct hurricane landfall: Cumberland Island National Seashore

Cumberland Island National Seashore, a barrier-island coastal park in Georgia, is vulnerable to the powerful, sand-moving forces of hurricanes. Waves and storm surge associated with these strong tropical storms are part of the natural process of barrier-island evolution and can cause extensive morphologic changes in coastal parks, leading to reduced visitor accessibility and enjoyment...
Authors
Hilary F. Stockdon, David M. Thompson, Laura A. Fauver
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Vulnerability of National Park Service beaches to inundation during a direct hurricane landfall: Cape Lookout National Seashore Vulnerability of National Park Service beaches to inundation during a direct hurricane landfall: Cape Lookout National Seashore

Cape Lookout National Seashore, a barrier-island coastal park in North Carolina, is vulnerable to the powerful, sand-moving forces of hurricanes. Waves and storm surge associated with these strong tropical storms are part of a natural process in barrier-island evolution and can cause extensive morphologic changes in coastal parks, leading to road closures and reduced visitor...
Authors
Hilary F. Stockdon, David M. Thompson
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Historical Shoreline Changes at Rincon, Puerto Rico, 1936-2006 Historical Shoreline Changes at Rincon, Puerto Rico, 1936-2006

The coast from Punta Higuero to Punta Cadena in Rincon, Puerto Rico is experiencing long-term erosion. This study documents historical shoreline changes at Rincon for the period 1936-2006 and constitutes a significant expansion and revision of previous work. The study area extends approximately 8 km from Punta Higuero to Punta Cadena. Fourteen historical shoreline positions were compiled...
Authors
E. Robert Thieler, Rafael W. Rodriguez, Emily A. Himmelstoss
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Potential for shoreline changes due to sea-level rise along the U.S. mid-Atlantic region Potential for shoreline changes due to sea-level rise along the U.S. mid-Atlantic region

Sea-level rise over the next century is expected to contribute significantly to physical changes along open-ocean shorelines. Predicting the form and magnitude of coastal changes is important for understanding the impacts to humans and the environment. Presently, the ability to predict coastal changes is limited by the scientific understanding of the many variables and processes involved...
Authors
Benjamin T. Gutierrez, S. Jeffress Williams, E. Robert Thieler
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Amplitude loss of sonic waveform due to source coupling to the medium Amplitude loss of sonic waveform due to source coupling to the medium

In contrast to hydrate-free sediments, sonic waveforms acquired in gas hydrate-bearing sediments indicate strong amplitude attenuation associated with a sonic velocity increase. The amplitude attenuation increase has been used to quantify pore-space hydrate content by attributing observed attenuation to the hydrate-bearing sediment's intrinsic attenuation. A second attenuation mechanism...
Authors
Myung W. Lee, William F. Waite
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Ecological observations on the colonial ascidian Didemnum sp. in a New England tide pool habitat Ecological observations on the colonial ascidian Didemnum sp. in a New England tide pool habitat

The colonial ascidian Didemnum sp. has colonized northwestern Atlantic coastal habitats from southern Long Island, New York, to Eastport, Maine. It is also present in offshore habitats of the Georges Bank fishing grounds. It threatens to alter fisheries habitats and shellfish aquacultures. Observations in a tide pool at Sandwich, MA from December 2003 to February 2006 show that Didemnum...
Authors
P. C. Valentine, M.R. Carman, D.S. Blackwood, E.J. Heffron
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
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