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Modeled extreme total water levels along the U.S. west coast

May 25, 2021

This dataset contains information on the probabilities of storm-induced erosion (collision, inundation and overwash) for each 100-meter (m) section of the United States Pacific coast for return period storm scenarios. The analysis is based on a storm-impact scaling model that uses observations of beach morphology combined with sophisticated hydrodynamic models to predict how the coast will respond to the hydrodynamic forcing. Storm-induced water levels, due to both surge and waves, are compared to coastal elevations to determine the probabilities of three types of coastal change: collision (dune erosion), overwash, and inundation. Data on morphology (dune crest and toe elevation) and hydrodynamics (storm surge, wave setup and runup) are also included in this dataset. As new beach morphology observations and storm predictions become available, this analysis will be updated to describe how coastal vulnerability to storms will vary in the future. The data presented here include the dune morphology observations, as derived from lidar surveys.

Publication Year 2021
Title Modeled extreme total water levels along the U.S. west coast
DOI 10.5066/P95FBGZ1
Authors James B. Shope, Li Erikson, Patrick Barnard, Curt D. Storlazzi
Product Type Data Release
Record Source USGS Digital Object Identifier Catalog
USGS Organization Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center