Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Coastal Changes and Impacts

Coastal Changes and Impacts

Climate change is a significant factor that affects both the natural and human components of the coastal landscape. Therefore, assessments and monitoring of vulnerable coastal lands are needed in locations where an ever-increasing population lives in communities at risk from sea-level rise, inundation, and storm surge.

CoNED

CoNED - Topobathymetric Digital Elevation Model (TBDEM)

Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) Applications

View Website

Topographic Change

Topographic Change Viewer

Significant Topographic Changes in the United States

View Website

GMTED2010

GMTED2010 Viewer

GMTED2010 Viewer

Launch Viewer

 

Download Contour & Preliminary Contour Data

The objective of the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal Changes and Impacts focus area at the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center is to conduct research and applications to assess the interactions between human inhabitants, natural features, and environmental conditions in coastal landscapes. This work focuses on the geographic nature of coastal changes through use of high- resolution, high-accuracy imagery and elevation data that are critical for mapping sea-level rise, flood hazard and inundation, and for characterizing storm surge dynamics.

 

News

link

National Ocean Month

link

Wetland Word: Blue Carbon

link

Wetland Word: Hydrophyte

View All

Publications

Hydrologic connectivity: Quantitative assessments of hydrologic-enforced drainage structures in an elevation model

Elevation data derived from light detection and ranging present challenges for hydrologic modeling as the elevation surface includes bridge decks and elevated road features overlaying culvert drainage structures. In reality, water is carried through these structures; however, in the elevation surface these features impede modeled overland surface flow. Thus, a hydrologically-enforced elevation sur
Authors
Sandra K. Poppenga, Bruce B. Worstell
By
Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Coastal Changes and Impacts, Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) Applications Project

Topobathymetric elevation model development using a new methodology: Coastal National Elevation Database

During the coming decades, coastlines will respond to widely predicted sea-level rise, storm surge, and coastalinundation flooding from disastrous events. Because physical processes in coastal environments are controlled by the geomorphology of over-the-land topography and underwater bathymetry, many applications of geospatial data in coastal environments require detailed knowledge of the near-sho
Authors
Jeffrey J. Danielson, Sandra K. Poppenga, John Brock, Gayla A. Evans, Dean J. Tyler, Dean B. Gesch, Cindy A. Thatcher, John Barras
By
Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Coastal Changes and Impacts, Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) Applications Project

Modeling and simulation of storm surge on Staten Island to understand inundation mitigation strategies

Hurricane Sandy made landfall on October 29, 2012, near Brigantine, New Jersey, and had a transformative impact on Staten Island and the New York Metropolitan area. Of the 43 New York City fatalities, 23 occurred on Staten Island. The borough, with a population of approximately 500,000, experienced some of the most devastating impacts of the storm. Since Hurricane Sandy, protective dunes have been
Authors
Michael E. Kress, Alan I. Benimoff, William J. Fritz, Cindy A. Thatcher, Brian O. Blanton, Eugene Dzedzits
By
Coastal Changes and Impacts, Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) Applications Project
View All

Science

link
Topographic Change SRTM NED Vertical Differencing

Topographic Change

The USGS has developed a national inventory of significant topographic changes based on seamless multi-temporal elevation data and land cover data. The NED and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data form a unique pair of seamless elevation datasets that can be used to detect and analyze 20th century topographic surface changes in the United States.
By
Core Science Systems Mission Area, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Coastal Changes and Impacts, Coastal Changes and Impacts
link

Topographic Change

The USGS has developed a national inventory of significant topographic changes based on seamless multi-temporal elevation data and land cover data. The NED and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data form a unique pair of seamless elevation datasets that can be used to detect and analyze 20th century topographic surface changes in the United States.
Learn More
link
LA Basin boundaries

Creating a System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) for Coastal Louisiana

USGS researchers will provide technical guidance to inform the development of monitoring plans for the western coast of Louisiana.
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Coastal Changes and Impacts
link

Creating a System-Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) for Coastal Louisiana

USGS researchers will provide technical guidance to inform the development of monitoring plans for the western coast of Louisiana.
Learn More