Most of the world’s beaches have regular cycles of erosion and recovery, but new USGS research is showing that these cycles may be considerably different from common perceptions.
What is marine geology?
Geology is the study of the Earth. This includes how the Earth was formed, how the Earth has changed since it was formed, the materials that make up the Earth, and the processes that act on it. Marine Geology focuses on areas affected by our oceans including the deep ocean floor, the shallower slopes and shelves that surround the continents, and coastal areas like beaches and estuaries. USGS marine geologists also study some coastal river areas and some large lakes.
More than half of our nation's population lives within 50 miles of the coast. Healthy coastal and offshore resources are vital to our nation's economy. The USGS studies coastal change, hazards that impact coastal areas, ocean resources, and coastal and marine ecosystems.
Learn more: Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
Related
Why is the ocean salty? Why is the ocean salty?
Oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth's surface and about 97 percent of all water on and in the Earth is saline—there's a lot of salty water on our planet. By some estimates, if the salt in the ocean could be removed and spread evenly over the Earth’s land surface it would form a layer more than 500 feet (166 meters) thick, about the height of a 40-story office building. But, where did all...
Where can I get current sea-surface temperature data? Where can I get current sea-surface temperature data?
The USGS has studied sea-surface temperature in many areas around the globe; you can find publications from these studies in the USGS Publications Warehouse and by searching on the Internet. World maps and data are available from other agencies, particularly at the NOAA's Sea Surface Temperature , and at the JPL Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center. For specific data covering...
Why are coral reefs in peril and what is being done to protect them? Why are coral reefs in peril and what is being done to protect them?
Coral reefs can be damaged by natural processes, such as storms, but they are increasingly at risk from human activities. Oil spills and pollutants can threaten entire reefs. Excessive nutrients from land sources, such as sewage and agricultural fertilizers, promote the growth of algae that can smother corals. Other organisms harmful to corals, such as crown-of-thorns starfish, multiply when the...
Where can I find bathymetric data? Where can I find bathymetric data?
The USGS has made bathymetric surveys for many coastal areas and for a few selected rivers and lakes in the U.S., including Yellowstone Lake, Crater Lake, and Lake Tahoe. Information and data for some of those studies is on the USGS Maps of America's Submerged Lands website. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is the primary source of bathymetric data for the world's oceans. See...
Shoreline Seasonality of California's Beaches
Most of the world’s beaches have regular cycles of erosion and recovery, but new USGS research is showing that these cycles may be considerably different from common perceptions.
A seafloor massive sulfide at Escanaba Trough
A seafloor massive sulfide at Escanaba Trough covered with sponges, shrimp, squat lobsters, and other deep-sea fauna.
A seafloor massive sulfide at Escanaba Trough covered with sponges, shrimp, squat lobsters, and other deep-sea fauna.
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources ProgramWe are the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program. Our mission is to provide science for sustainable stewardship of Earth’s precious resources.
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources ProgramWe are the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program. Our mission is to provide science for sustainable stewardship of Earth’s precious resources.
Marine Terraces of California: Landscapes from the Waves
Marine Terraces of California: Landscapes from the Waves- Did you know soils on California’s marine terraces can be over a million years old?
- Have you wondered why California’s rugged shorelines are terraced?
- Soils on marine terraces aid our understanding of soil formation, water movement, and carbon transformations under changing climate.
Marine Terraces of California: Landscapes from the Waves
Marine Terraces of California: Landscapes from the Waves- Did you know soils on California’s marine terraces can be over a million years old?
- Have you wondered why California’s rugged shorelines are terraced?
- Soils on marine terraces aid our understanding of soil formation, water movement, and carbon transformations under changing climate.
PubTalk 6/2014 — Into the Abyss
Living Without Light
by Nancy Prouty, Research Oceanographer
Living Without Light
by Nancy Prouty, Research Oceanographer
PubTalk 6/2012 — Scanning the Seafloor with Sound
--modern sonar reveals hidden hazards and resources
by David Finlayson, Marine Geologist
--modern sonar reveals hidden hazards and resources
by David Finlayson, Marine Geologist
PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor
PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor--the visionary California Seafloor Mapping Program
by Sam Johnson, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor
PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor--the visionary California Seafloor Mapping Program
by Sam Johnson, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
PubTalk 2/2011 — Is Our Coast in Jeopardy?
-predicting the impact of extreme storms on the California Coast
By Patrick Barnard, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
-predicting the impact of extreme storms on the California Coast
By Patrick Barnard, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
California seafloor photos
Top left: Seafloor photograph of a boulder, cobbles, and shell debris taken during the northern California ground-truthing cruise. Image is about 2 m (7 ft) across. Top right: Seafloor photograph of a rock outcrop covered with strawberry anemones, taken near Reading Rock in northern California.
Top left: Seafloor photograph of a boulder, cobbles, and shell debris taken during the northern California ground-truthing cruise. Image is about 2 m (7 ft) across. Top right: Seafloor photograph of a rock outcrop covered with strawberry anemones, taken near Reading Rock in northern California.
Puget Sound Seafloor
This photograph is of the Puget Sound seafloor and shows an area mixed with mud, gravel and cobble that is occupied by bivalve molluscs with exposed siphons, a sea star and metridium. This image was collected as part of USGS efforts to help with rockfish recovery in the Puget Sound.
This photograph is of the Puget Sound seafloor and shows an area mixed with mud, gravel and cobble that is occupied by bivalve molluscs with exposed siphons, a sea star and metridium. This image was collected as part of USGS efforts to help with rockfish recovery in the Puget Sound.
Rhode Island Seafloor
This photograph is of the seafloor on the Rhode Island coast and shows a skate on a fine-grained, likely silty or muddy seafloor. This photograph was collected to support research and management activities (e.g., wind farms and fisheries) along the Rhode Island inner continental shelf.
This photograph is of the seafloor on the Rhode Island coast and shows a skate on a fine-grained, likely silty or muddy seafloor. This photograph was collected to support research and management activities (e.g., wind farms and fisheries) along the Rhode Island inner continental shelf.
Photo of the seafloor off San Gregorio, California
Photo of the seafloor off San Gregorio, CaliforniaBoulders and biota off San Gregorio, California, in water approximately 30 meters (100 feet) deep. Organisms include bat stars, small sea anemones, strawberry anemone, cup corals, and frilly sea cucumbers.
Photo of the seafloor off San Gregorio, California
Photo of the seafloor off San Gregorio, CaliforniaBoulders and biota off San Gregorio, California, in water approximately 30 meters (100 feet) deep. Organisms include bat stars, small sea anemones, strawberry anemone, cup corals, and frilly sea cucumbers.
Massachusetts Seafloor
This photograph is of the seafloor off the Massachusetts coast and shows sea stars, blood stars, blood drop tunicates, mussels and barnacles on cobbles and boulders covered with bubblegum algae and red filamentous algae.
This photograph is of the seafloor off the Massachusetts coast and shows sea stars, blood stars, blood drop tunicates, mussels and barnacles on cobbles and boulders covered with bubblegum algae and red filamentous algae.
PubTalk 5/2007 — Alchemy in the Abyss
Probing the mysteries of deep-ocean minerals
By James R. Hein, Marine Geologist
Probing the mysteries of deep-ocean minerals
By James R. Hein, Marine Geologist
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden Gate
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden GateHow tides, currents, and humans have created an array of sea-floor features
By Patrick Barnard, Marine Geologist, and Peter Dartnell, Physical Scientist
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden Gate
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden GateHow tides, currents, and humans have created an array of sea-floor features
By Patrick Barnard, Marine Geologist, and Peter Dartnell, Physical Scientist
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian Ocean
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian OceanThis image shows gas hydrates (the white material) in marine sediments from a test well drilled in the Indian Ocean in 2006 during the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) Expedition 01.
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian Ocean
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian OceanThis image shows gas hydrates (the white material) in marine sediments from a test well drilled in the Indian Ocean in 2006 during the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) Expedition 01.
PubTalk 8/2002 — Revealing the Hidden World Beneath Monterey Bay
PubTalk 8/2002 — Revealing the Hidden World Beneath Monterey BayExplore the diverse features on and below the sea floor in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
by Steve Eittreim, Marine Geologist
PubTalk 8/2002 — Revealing the Hidden World Beneath Monterey Bay
PubTalk 8/2002 — Revealing the Hidden World Beneath Monterey BayExplore the diverse features on and below the sea floor in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
by Steve Eittreim, Marine Geologist
Related
Why is the ocean salty? Why is the ocean salty?
Oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth's surface and about 97 percent of all water on and in the Earth is saline—there's a lot of salty water on our planet. By some estimates, if the salt in the ocean could be removed and spread evenly over the Earth’s land surface it would form a layer more than 500 feet (166 meters) thick, about the height of a 40-story office building. But, where did all...
Where can I get current sea-surface temperature data? Where can I get current sea-surface temperature data?
The USGS has studied sea-surface temperature in many areas around the globe; you can find publications from these studies in the USGS Publications Warehouse and by searching on the Internet. World maps and data are available from other agencies, particularly at the NOAA's Sea Surface Temperature , and at the JPL Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center. For specific data covering...
Why are coral reefs in peril and what is being done to protect them? Why are coral reefs in peril and what is being done to protect them?
Coral reefs can be damaged by natural processes, such as storms, but they are increasingly at risk from human activities. Oil spills and pollutants can threaten entire reefs. Excessive nutrients from land sources, such as sewage and agricultural fertilizers, promote the growth of algae that can smother corals. Other organisms harmful to corals, such as crown-of-thorns starfish, multiply when the...
Where can I find bathymetric data? Where can I find bathymetric data?
The USGS has made bathymetric surveys for many coastal areas and for a few selected rivers and lakes in the U.S., including Yellowstone Lake, Crater Lake, and Lake Tahoe. Information and data for some of those studies is on the USGS Maps of America's Submerged Lands website. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is the primary source of bathymetric data for the world's oceans. See...
Shoreline Seasonality of California's Beaches
Most of the world’s beaches have regular cycles of erosion and recovery, but new USGS research is showing that these cycles may be considerably different from common perceptions.
Most of the world’s beaches have regular cycles of erosion and recovery, but new USGS research is showing that these cycles may be considerably different from common perceptions.
A seafloor massive sulfide at Escanaba Trough
A seafloor massive sulfide at Escanaba Trough covered with sponges, shrimp, squat lobsters, and other deep-sea fauna.
A seafloor massive sulfide at Escanaba Trough covered with sponges, shrimp, squat lobsters, and other deep-sea fauna.
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources ProgramWe are the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program. Our mission is to provide science for sustainable stewardship of Earth’s precious resources.
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
We are the Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources ProgramWe are the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program. Our mission is to provide science for sustainable stewardship of Earth’s precious resources.
Marine Terraces of California: Landscapes from the Waves
Marine Terraces of California: Landscapes from the Waves- Did you know soils on California’s marine terraces can be over a million years old?
- Have you wondered why California’s rugged shorelines are terraced?
- Soils on marine terraces aid our understanding of soil formation, water movement, and carbon transformations under changing climate.
Marine Terraces of California: Landscapes from the Waves
Marine Terraces of California: Landscapes from the Waves- Did you know soils on California’s marine terraces can be over a million years old?
- Have you wondered why California’s rugged shorelines are terraced?
- Soils on marine terraces aid our understanding of soil formation, water movement, and carbon transformations under changing climate.
PubTalk 6/2014 — Into the Abyss
Living Without Light
by Nancy Prouty, Research Oceanographer
Living Without Light
by Nancy Prouty, Research Oceanographer
PubTalk 6/2012 — Scanning the Seafloor with Sound
--modern sonar reveals hidden hazards and resources
by David Finlayson, Marine Geologist
--modern sonar reveals hidden hazards and resources
by David Finlayson, Marine Geologist
PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor
PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor--the visionary California Seafloor Mapping Program
by Sam Johnson, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor
PubTalk 6/2011 — Exploring California's Amazing Seafloor--the visionary California Seafloor Mapping Program
by Sam Johnson, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
PubTalk 2/2011 — Is Our Coast in Jeopardy?
-predicting the impact of extreme storms on the California Coast
By Patrick Barnard, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
-predicting the impact of extreme storms on the California Coast
By Patrick Barnard, USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center
California seafloor photos
Top left: Seafloor photograph of a boulder, cobbles, and shell debris taken during the northern California ground-truthing cruise. Image is about 2 m (7 ft) across. Top right: Seafloor photograph of a rock outcrop covered with strawberry anemones, taken near Reading Rock in northern California.
Top left: Seafloor photograph of a boulder, cobbles, and shell debris taken during the northern California ground-truthing cruise. Image is about 2 m (7 ft) across. Top right: Seafloor photograph of a rock outcrop covered with strawberry anemones, taken near Reading Rock in northern California.
Puget Sound Seafloor
This photograph is of the Puget Sound seafloor and shows an area mixed with mud, gravel and cobble that is occupied by bivalve molluscs with exposed siphons, a sea star and metridium. This image was collected as part of USGS efforts to help with rockfish recovery in the Puget Sound.
This photograph is of the Puget Sound seafloor and shows an area mixed with mud, gravel and cobble that is occupied by bivalve molluscs with exposed siphons, a sea star and metridium. This image was collected as part of USGS efforts to help with rockfish recovery in the Puget Sound.
Rhode Island Seafloor
This photograph is of the seafloor on the Rhode Island coast and shows a skate on a fine-grained, likely silty or muddy seafloor. This photograph was collected to support research and management activities (e.g., wind farms and fisheries) along the Rhode Island inner continental shelf.
This photograph is of the seafloor on the Rhode Island coast and shows a skate on a fine-grained, likely silty or muddy seafloor. This photograph was collected to support research and management activities (e.g., wind farms and fisheries) along the Rhode Island inner continental shelf.
Photo of the seafloor off San Gregorio, California
Photo of the seafloor off San Gregorio, CaliforniaBoulders and biota off San Gregorio, California, in water approximately 30 meters (100 feet) deep. Organisms include bat stars, small sea anemones, strawberry anemone, cup corals, and frilly sea cucumbers.
Photo of the seafloor off San Gregorio, California
Photo of the seafloor off San Gregorio, CaliforniaBoulders and biota off San Gregorio, California, in water approximately 30 meters (100 feet) deep. Organisms include bat stars, small sea anemones, strawberry anemone, cup corals, and frilly sea cucumbers.
Massachusetts Seafloor
This photograph is of the seafloor off the Massachusetts coast and shows sea stars, blood stars, blood drop tunicates, mussels and barnacles on cobbles and boulders covered with bubblegum algae and red filamentous algae.
This photograph is of the seafloor off the Massachusetts coast and shows sea stars, blood stars, blood drop tunicates, mussels and barnacles on cobbles and boulders covered with bubblegum algae and red filamentous algae.
PubTalk 5/2007 — Alchemy in the Abyss
Probing the mysteries of deep-ocean minerals
By James R. Hein, Marine Geologist
Probing the mysteries of deep-ocean minerals
By James R. Hein, Marine Geologist
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden Gate
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden GateHow tides, currents, and humans have created an array of sea-floor features
By Patrick Barnard, Marine Geologist, and Peter Dartnell, Physical Scientist
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden Gate
PubTalk 1/2007 — The Hidden World of the Golden GateHow tides, currents, and humans have created an array of sea-floor features
By Patrick Barnard, Marine Geologist, and Peter Dartnell, Physical Scientist
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian Ocean
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian OceanThis image shows gas hydrates (the white material) in marine sediments from a test well drilled in the Indian Ocean in 2006 during the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) Expedition 01.
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian Ocean
Gas Hydrates in Marine Sediments from the Indian OceanThis image shows gas hydrates (the white material) in marine sediments from a test well drilled in the Indian Ocean in 2006 during the Indian National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) Expedition 01.
PubTalk 8/2002 — Revealing the Hidden World Beneath Monterey Bay
PubTalk 8/2002 — Revealing the Hidden World Beneath Monterey BayExplore the diverse features on and below the sea floor in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
by Steve Eittreim, Marine Geologist
PubTalk 8/2002 — Revealing the Hidden World Beneath Monterey Bay
PubTalk 8/2002 — Revealing the Hidden World Beneath Monterey BayExplore the diverse features on and below the sea floor in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
by Steve Eittreim, Marine Geologist
Updated Date: September 12, 2025