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Johnathan Woodruff, Ph.D.

Johnathan Woodruff is a Research Oceanographer at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center.

Johnathan specializes in coastal hazards research, specifically the numerical modeling of flooding caused by tropical cyclones. In his PhD, Johnathan incorporated subgrid corrections into the ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) hydrodynamic model and demonstrated their accuracy and efficiency for ocean-scale simulations of storm driven coastal flooding. At USGS, Johnathan is a part of the Total Water Level and Coastal Change (TWL&CC) team, and researches ways to improve the predictions of coastal hazards with numerical models and field data.

Professional Experience

  • Research Oceanographer, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg, FL 2023 -- Present

  • Research Assistant, North Carolina State University, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering 2018-2023

Education and Certifications

  • North Carolina State University, Civil Engineering, Ph.D., 2023

  • Georgia Institute of Technology, Civil Engineering, M.S., 2018

  • University of Florida, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, B.S., 2016

Science and Products

Left: Map of Tampa Bay area and Gulf of Mexico. Colored balloons along shore. Right: total-water-level graph (top) and diagram.

Operational Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecasts

The viewer shows predictions of the timing and magnitude of water levels at the shoreline and potential impacts to coastal dunes.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities
Operational Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecasts

Operational Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecasts

The viewer shows predictions of the timing and magnitude of water levels at the shoreline and potential impacts to coastal dunes.
Learn More

Demonstrating the Effects of Subgrid Corrections in an Ocean-scale Hydrodynamic Model: Inputs and Outputs Demonstrating the Effects of Subgrid Corrections in an Ocean-scale Hydrodynamic Model: Inputs and Outputs

This data release contains model inputs and outputs of water level elevations resulting from deterministic simulations along the South Atlantic Bight (SAB), which extends roughly from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to the Upper Florida Keys, Florida, USA. For further information regarding model input generation and visualization of model output topography and bathymetry, refer to Woodruff...
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer

Total water level (TWL) at the shoreline is the combination of tides, surge, and wave runup. A forecast of TWL is an estimate of the elevation where the ocean will meet the coast and can provide guidance on potential coastal erosion and flooding hazards.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities, Hurricane Dorian, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Isaias, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Marco, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Nate, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricanes

Resolution sensitivities for subgrid modeling of coastal flooding Resolution sensitivities for subgrid modeling of coastal flooding

Flooding due to storm surge can propagate through coastal regions to threaten the built and natural environments. This propagation is controlled by geographic features of varying scales, from the largest oceans to the smallest marsh channels and sandy dunes. Numerical models to predict coastal flooding have been improved via the use of subgrid corrections, which use information about the...
Authors
Johnathan Lucas Woodruff, Joel C. Dietrich, Damrongsak Wirasaet, Andrew B. Kennedy, Diogo Bolster, Richard A. Luettich
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Johnathan L. Woodruff, J.C. Dietrich, D. Wirasaet, A.B. Kennedy, D. Bolster, Z. Silver, S.D. Medlin, and R.L. Kolar, 2021, Subgrid corrections in finite-element modeling of storm-driven coastal flooding: Ocean Modelling, v. 167, art. 101887, doi: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2021.101887.
Woodruff, J., Dietrich, J.C., Wirasaet, D., Kennedy, A.B., and Bolster,D., 2023, Storm surge predictions from ocean to subgrid scales: Natural Hazards, v. 117, p. 2989–3019, doi:10.1007/s11069-023-05975-2.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Science and Products

Left: Map of Tampa Bay area and Gulf of Mexico. Colored balloons along shore. Right: total-water-level graph (top) and diagram.

Operational Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecasts

The viewer shows predictions of the timing and magnitude of water levels at the shoreline and potential impacts to coastal dunes.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities
Operational Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecasts

Operational Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecasts

The viewer shows predictions of the timing and magnitude of water levels at the shoreline and potential impacts to coastal dunes.
Learn More

Demonstrating the Effects of Subgrid Corrections in an Ocean-scale Hydrodynamic Model: Inputs and Outputs Demonstrating the Effects of Subgrid Corrections in an Ocean-scale Hydrodynamic Model: Inputs and Outputs

This data release contains model inputs and outputs of water level elevations resulting from deterministic simulations along the South Atlantic Bight (SAB), which extends roughly from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to the Upper Florida Keys, Florida, USA. For further information regarding model input generation and visualization of model output topography and bathymetry, refer to Woodruff...
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer

Total water level (TWL) at the shoreline is the combination of tides, surge, and wave runup. A forecast of TWL is an estimate of the elevation where the ocean will meet the coast and can provide guidance on potential coastal erosion and flooding hazards.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities, Hurricane Dorian, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Isaias, Hurricane Jose, Hurricane Laura, Hurricane Marco, Hurricane Maria, Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Nate, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricanes

Resolution sensitivities for subgrid modeling of coastal flooding Resolution sensitivities for subgrid modeling of coastal flooding

Flooding due to storm surge can propagate through coastal regions to threaten the built and natural environments. This propagation is controlled by geographic features of varying scales, from the largest oceans to the smallest marsh channels and sandy dunes. Numerical models to predict coastal flooding have been improved via the use of subgrid corrections, which use information about the...
Authors
Johnathan Lucas Woodruff, Joel C. Dietrich, Damrongsak Wirasaet, Andrew B. Kennedy, Diogo Bolster, Richard A. Luettich
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Johnathan L. Woodruff, J.C. Dietrich, D. Wirasaet, A.B. Kennedy, D. Bolster, Z. Silver, S.D. Medlin, and R.L. Kolar, 2021, Subgrid corrections in finite-element modeling of storm-driven coastal flooding: Ocean Modelling, v. 167, art. 101887, doi: 10.1016/j.ocemod.2021.101887.
Woodruff, J., Dietrich, J.C., Wirasaet, D., Kennedy, A.B., and Bolster,D., 2023, Storm surge predictions from ocean to subgrid scales: Natural Hazards, v. 117, p. 2989–3019, doi:10.1007/s11069-023-05975-2.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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