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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

Temporal variability of runup and total water level on Cape Cod sandy beaches Temporal variability of runup and total water level on Cape Cod sandy beaches

In the present study, we evaluate the temporal variability in runup and total water level for sandy beaches along Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA), and their impact on dune and beach erosion. We use a 43-year hindcast of waves and water levels and calculate runup and total water level based on the Stockdon formulation using previously extracted beach slopes. The dominant components of the...
Authors
Alfredo Aretxabaleta, Christopher R. Sherwood, B.O. Blanton, Jin-Si R. Over, Peter A. Traykovski, Erdinc Sogut
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Increased utilization of storm surge barriers: A research agenda on estuary impacts Increased utilization of storm surge barriers: A research agenda on estuary impacts

Rising coastal flood risk and recent disasters are driving interest in the construction of gated storm surge barriers worldwide, with current studies recommending barriers for at least 11 estuaries in the United States alone. Surge barriers partially block estuary-ocean exchange with infrastructure across an estuary or its inlet and include gated areas that are closed only during flood...
Authors
Philip M. Orton, David K. Ralston, Bram C. van Prooijen, David Secor, Neil K. Ganju, Ziyu Chen, Sarah Fernald, Bennett Brooks, Kristin Marcell
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Development and application of a coastal change likelihood assessment for the northeast region, Maine to Virginia Development and application of a coastal change likelihood assessment for the northeast region, Maine to Virginia

Coastal resources are increasingly affected by erosion, extreme weather events, sea level rise, tidal flooding, and other potential hazards related to climate change. These hazards have varying effects on coastal landscapes because of the compounding of geologic, oceanographic, ecologic, and socioeconomic factors that exist at a given location. An assessment framework is introduced in...
Authors
Elizabeth A. Pendleton, Erika E. Lentz, Travis K. Sterne, Rachel E. Henderson
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Seafloor observations eliminate a landslide as the source of the 1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami Seafloor observations eliminate a landslide as the source of the 1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami

The 11 October 1918 devastating tsunami in northwest Puerto Rico had been used as an example for earthquake‐induced landslide tsunami hazard. Three pieces of evidence pointed to a landslide as the origin of the tsunami: the discovery of a large submarine landslide scar from bathymetry data collected by shipboard high‐resolution multibeam sonar, reported breaks of submarine cable within...
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Jason Chaytor, Claudia Flores, Yong Wei, Simon Detmer, Lilian Lucas, Brian D. Andrews, Aggeliki Georgiopoulou
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Buzzards Bay salt marshes: Vulnerability and adaptation potential Buzzards Bay salt marshes: Vulnerability and adaptation potential

Salt marshes with lush grass meadows teeming with shorebirds are iconic features of the Buzzards Bay coast and provide opportunities for recreation, aesthetic enjoyment, as well as important environmental benefits. These productive coastal wetlands are important because they protect properties from storm surges, remove nutrients from the water and carbon from the atmosphere, and provide...
Authors
R. W Jakuba, A. Besterman, L. Hoffart, J. E. Costa, Neil K. Ganju, L. Deegan
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Peat decomposition and erosion contribute to pond deepening in a temperate salt marsh Peat decomposition and erosion contribute to pond deepening in a temperate salt marsh

Salt marsh ponds expand and deepen over time, potentially reducing ecosystem carbon storage and resilience. The water filled volumes of ponds represent missing carbon due to prevented soil accumulation and removal by erosion and decomposition. Removal mechanisms have different implications as eroded carbon can be redistributed while decomposition results in loss. We constrained ponding...
Authors
Sheron Luk, Meagan J. Eagle, Giulio Mariotti, Kelsey Gosselin, Jonathan Sanderman, Amanda C. Spivak
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Climate change hotspots and implications for the global subsea telecommunications network Climate change hotspots and implications for the global subsea telecommunications network

A global network of subsea telecommunications cables underpins our daily lives, enabling >95% of global digital data transfer, $trillions/day in financial trading, and providing critical communications links, particularly to remote, low-income countries. Despite their importance, subsea cables and their landing stations are vulnerable to damage by natural hazards, including storm surges...
Authors
M.A. Clare, I.A. Yeo, L. Bricheno, Y Askenov, J. Browning, I.D. Haigh, T. Wahl, J. A. Hunter, C. Sams, Jason Chaytor, B.J. Bett, L. Carter
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Sound-side inundation and seaward erosion of a barrier island during hurricane landfall Sound-side inundation and seaward erosion of a barrier island during hurricane landfall

Barrier islands are especially vulnerable to hurricanes and other large storms, owing to their mobile composition, low elevations, and detachment from the mainland. Conceptual models of barrier-island evolution emphasize ocean-side processes that drive landward migration through overwash, inlet migration, and aeolian transport. In contrast, we found that the impact of Hurricane Dorian...
Authors
Christopher R. Sherwood, Andrew C. Ritchie, Jin-Si R. Over, Christine J. Kranenburg, Jonathan A. Warrick, Jenna A. Brown, Wayne Wright, Alfredo Aretxabaleta, Sara Zeigler, Phillipe Alan Wernette, Daniel D. Buscombe, Christie Hegermiller
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Southwest Biological Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Quantifying permanent uplift due to lithosphere-hotspot interaction Quantifying permanent uplift due to lithosphere-hotspot interaction

Vertical motions that accompany the passage of the lithosphere over a mantle hotspot can shed light on the nature of the hotspot and its effect on the lithosphere. However, quantifying the temporal vertical and spatial extent, is challenging due to the paucity of evidence in the geological record. Here, we utilize dense seismic and well data covering the intersection of the Great Meteor...
Authors
Guy Lang, Uri S. ten Brink
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Collections management plan for the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center samples repository Collections management plan for the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center samples repository

Since 2002, the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Samples Repository has been supporting U.S. Geological Survey research by providing secure storage for geological, geochemical, and biological samples, organizing and actively inventorying these sample collections, and providing researchers access to these scientific collections for study and reuse. Over the years, storage...
Authors
Brian J. Buczkowski
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Samples Repository, WHCMSC Sediment Laboratory

Deep learning for pockmark detection: Implications for quantitative seafloor characterization Deep learning for pockmark detection: Implications for quantitative seafloor characterization

Occurring globally, pockmarks are seafloor depressions associated with seabed fluid escape. Pockmark ubiquity and morphologic heterogeneity result in an irregular seafloor that can be difficult to quantitatively describe. To address this challenge, we test the hypothesis that deep-learning based object detection and segmentation can be used to develop data-driven models for pockmark...
Authors
Mark Lundine, Laura L. Brothers, Arthur Trembanis
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Integrating Bayesian networks to forecast sea-level rise impacts on barrier island characteristics and habitat availability Integrating Bayesian networks to forecast sea-level rise impacts on barrier island characteristics and habitat availability

Evaluation of sea-level rise (SLR) impacts on coastal landforms and habitats is a persistent need for informing coastal planning and management, including policy decisions, particularly those that balance human interests and habitat protection throughout the coastal zone. Bayesian networks (BNs) are used to model barrier island change under different SLR scenarios that are relevant to...
Authors
Benjamin T. Gutierrez, Sara Zeigler, Erika E. Lentz, Emily J. Sturdivant, Nathaniel Plant
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
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