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Exploring rippled scour depressions offshore Huntington Beach, CA Exploring rippled scour depressions offshore Huntington Beach, CA

Morphological model computations based on uniform (non-graded) sediment revealed an unrealistically strong scour of the sea floor in the immediate vicinity to the west of Maasvlakte 2. By means of a state-of-the-art graded sediment transport model the effect of natural armouring and sorting of bed material on the scour process has been examined. Sensitivity computations confirm that the
Authors
Eleyne L. Phillips, Curt D. Storlazzi, Peter Dartnell, Brian D. Edwards

Underwater microscope for measuring spatial and temporal changes in bed-sediment grain size Underwater microscope for measuring spatial and temporal changes in bed-sediment grain size

For more than a century, studies of sedimentology and sediment transport have measured bed-sediment grain size by collecting samples and transporting them back to the laboratory for grain-size analysis. This process is slow and expensive. Moreover, most sampling systems are not selective enough to sample only the surficial grains that interact with the flow; samples typically include...
Authors
David M. Rubin, Henry Chezar, Jodi N. Harney, David J. Topping, Theodore S. Melis, Christopher R. Sherwood

Ground motion issues for seismic analysis of tall buildings: A status report Ground motion issues for seismic analysis of tall buildings: A status report

The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) is coordinating a major multidisciplinary programme, the Tall Buildings Initiative (TBI), to address critical technical issues related to the design and analysis of new tall buildings located in coastal California. The authors of this paper, listed alphabetically, are involved in various research studies related to ground motion...
Authors
Y. Bozorgnia, K.W. Campbell, N. Luco, J.P. Moehle, F. Naeim, P. Somerville, T.Y. Yang

Highstand fans in the California borderland: The overlooked deep-water depositional systems Highstand fans in the California borderland: The overlooked deep-water depositional systems

Contrary to widely used sequence-stratigraphic models, lowstand fans are only part of the turbidite depositional record; our analysis reveals that a comparable volume of coarse-grained sediment has been deposited in California borderland deep-water basins regardless of sea level. Sedimentation rates and periods of active sediment transport have been determined for deep-water canyon...
Authors
Jacob A. Covault, William R. Normark, Brian W. Romans, Stephan A. Graham

Barrier island vulnerability to breaching: a case study on Dauphin Island, Alabama Barrier island vulnerability to breaching: a case study on Dauphin Island, Alabama

Breaching of barrier islands can adversely impact society by severing infrastructure, destroying private properties, and altering water quality in back bays and estuaries. This study provides a scheme that assesses the relative vulnerability of a barrier island to breach during storms. Dauphin Island, Alabama was selected for this study because it has a well documented history of island...
Authors
Mark Hansen, Asbury H. Sallenger

Microearthquake streaks and seismicity triggered by slow earthquakes on the mobile south flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i Microearthquake streaks and seismicity triggered by slow earthquakes on the mobile south flank of Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i

We perform waveform cross correlation and high precision relocation of both background seismicity and seismicity triggered by periodic slow earthquakes at Kilauea Volcano's mobile south flank. We demonstrate that the triggered seismicity dominantly occurs on several preexisting fault zones at the Hilina region. Regardless of the velocity model employed, the relocated earthquake...
Authors
Cecily J. Wolfe, Benjamin A. Brooks, James H. Foster, Paul G. Okubo

Bed forms created by simulated waves and currents in a large flume Bed forms created by simulated waves and currents in a large flume

The morphology and evolution of bed forms created by combinations of waves and currents were investigated using an oscillating plate in a 4-m-wide flume. Current speed ranged from 0 to 30 cm/s, maximum oscillatory velocity ranged from 20 to 48 cm/s, oscillation period was 8 s (except for one run with 12 s period), and the median grain size was 0.27 mm. The angle between oscillations and...
Authors
Jessica R. Lacy, David M. Rubin, Hiroshi Ikeda, Kuniyasu Mokudai, Daniel M. Hanes

Late Quaternary distal tephra-fall deposits in lacustrine sediments, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska Late Quaternary distal tephra-fall deposits in lacustrine sediments, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Tephra-fall deposits from Cook Inlet volcanoes were detected in sediment cores from Tustumena and Paradox Lakes, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, using magnetic susceptibility and petrography. The ages of tephra layers were estimated using 21 14C ages on macrofossils. Tephras layers are typically fine, gray ash, 1–5 mm thick, and composed of varying proportions of glass shards, pumice, and glass...
Authors
C.S. de Fontaine, D. S. Kaufman, Anderson R. Scott, A. Werner, Christopher F. Waythomas, T.A. Brown

Deglacial climate variability in central Florida, USA Deglacial climate variability in central Florida, USA

Pollen and ostracode evidence from lacustrine sediments underlying modern Tampa Bay, Florida, document frequent and abrupt climatic and hydrological events superimposed on deglacial warming in the subtropics. Radiocarbon chronology on well-preserved mollusk shells and pollen residue from core MD02-2579 documents continuous sedimentation in a variety of non-marine habitats in a karst...
Authors
Debra A. Willard, C.E. Bernhardt, G. R. Brooks, T. M. Cronin, T. Edgar, R. Larson

Hazard assessment of the Tidal Inlet landslide and potential subsequent tsunami, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska Hazard assessment of the Tidal Inlet landslide and potential subsequent tsunami, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

An unstable rock slump, estimated at 5 to 10 × 106 m3, lies perched above the northern shore of Tidal Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. This landslide mass has the potential to rapidly move into Tidal Inlet and generate large, long-period-impulse tsunami waves. Field and photographic examination revealed that the landslide moved between 1892 and 1919 after the retreat of the...
Authors
G. F. Wieczorek, E.L. Geist, R.J. Motyka, M. Jakob

Remote sensing of particle backscattering in Chesapeake Bay: a 6-year SeaWiFS retrospective view Remote sensing of particle backscattering in Chesapeake Bay: a 6-year SeaWiFS retrospective view

Traditional field techniques to monitor water quality in large estuaries, such as boat-based surveys and autonomous moored sensors, generally provide limited spatial coverage. Satellite imagery potentially can be used to address both of these limitations. Here, we show that satellite-based observations are useful for inferring total-suspended-solids (TSS) concentrations in estuarine...
Authors
D.G. Zawada, C. Hu, T. Clayton, Z. Chen, J. C. Brock, F. E. Muller-Karger

Physical criteria for distinguishing sandy tsunami and storm deposits using modern examples Physical criteria for distinguishing sandy tsunami and storm deposits using modern examples

Modern subaerial sand beds deposited by major tsunamis and hurricanes were compared at trench, transect, and sub-regional spatial scales to evaluate which attributes are most useful for distinguishing the two types of deposits. Physical criteria that may be diagnostic include: sediment composition, textures and grading, types and organization of stratification, thickness, geometry, and...
Authors
Robert A. Morton, Guy Gelfenbaum, Bruce E. Jaffe
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