Buildings destroyed during Hurricane Maria in Rincón, Puerto Rico. Photograph taken on August 28, 2021, almost four years after the hurricane.
Coastal Hazards and Resilience
Coastal hazards such as hurricanes, sea-level rise, flooding, erosion, and extreme storms can threaten lives and health, property, and valuable habitats along our nation’s coasts. USGS science, products, and tools provide the Nation with robust and accessible scientific research to help partners anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate coastal hazards.
While coastal change is natural, hazards arise when these changes threaten lives or put communities and habitats at risk. Some of these hazards can occur abruptly such as earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis; or within short periods of time such as hurricanes and extreme storms. Others happen gradually over time like sea-level rise, erosion, or saltwater intrusion into groundwater. The USGS is a leader in natural hazards research and addresses coastal hazards by conducting basic and applied research, developing tools to assess risk, and providing data and information to stakeholders and partners to enhance preparedness.
Tools and Technology for Coastal Resilience
The USGS collection of coastal tools provides information on coastal hazards at scales useful for local communities, regional managers, and decision makers. For example, the USGS Coastal Change Hazards Portal allows users to explore the potential for storm-induced coastal erosion, forecasts of extreme water levels, historical shoreline change, and vulnerability to sea-level rise. These data and products are immensely valuable for assisting communities with efforts to bolster coastal resilience and reduce vulnerability to coastal hazards.
Hurricane Response
Hurricanes are an example of one type of hazard that can cause significant changes to the coast. When a storm is approaching, USGS activates the Coastal Storm Response team, which is comprised of scientists and technicians with multidisciplinary expertise to share information, forecast impacts, and help communities in the storm’s track prepare for and recover from powerful storms. Take a quiz to learn about the breadth of USGS science that goes into helping storm forecasters, emergency responders, communities, resource managers and other decision-makers prepare for, cope with, and recover from storms.
Water and Flooding
The USGS maintains a nationwide network of permanent water gages to measure and monitor surface water flow, groundwater levels and more. USGS also deploys rapid response water level gages and hurricane storm tide sensors when extreme storms or other hazardous conditions threaten our coast. Data from these sensors are displayed on the USGS Flood Event Viewer. In collaboration with stakeholders, USGS has constructed a national Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics (SWaTH) Network that monitors and documents the height, extent, and timing of storm surge. These data are provided to scientists, stakeholders, and the public in real time through the National Water Dashboard.
Coastal Geologic Hazards
The nation's coastlines are also vulnerable to more abrupt, interrelated hazards posed by earthquakes, tsunamis, and land-based failures like landslides. USGS studies the processes and effects of earthquakes, landslides, and modern-day and prehistoric tsunamis using a variety of methods. These data are used to generate models, simulations, and probabilities of the likelihood of these hazards with the goal of providing relevant scientific information that can be used to help prevent loss of life, injuries, and property damage.
Other long-term hazardous processes studied by USGS include the seasonal freezing, thawing, and erosion of permafrost coasts that threaten coastal communities and infrastructure in Arctic Alaska.
Natural Barriers
While many hazards threaten our coasts, Earth has provided numerous natural structures to protect them such as barrier islands, wetlands, and reefs. For instance, coral reefs act as very effective buffers that break waves and limit flooding in tropical states and U.S. territories. USGS research has quantified the economic benefits of these natural ecosystems, as well as the predicted effects of restoration, which will help inform partners working to protect and conserve coral reefs around the world.
Invisible Hazards
Less visible hazards such as toxins, pathogens, saltwater intrusion, and wastewater discharge threaten coastal ecosystems and wildlife as well as the people who live, work, and play along our coasts. These contaminants can enter our coastal waterways through seepage, spills, runoff, or through groundwater discharge. These substances can also become entrained in sediments that can impact ecological health. The USGS monitors water quality, sediments, and living organisms in our coastal regions to track whether contamination has occurred in our waterways to help inform water managers when to treat, close, or otherwise mitigate these hazardous scenarios.
Publications
Fire (plus) flood (equals) beach: Coastal response to an exceptional river sediment discharge event
Global and regional sea level rise scenarios for the United States
Action plan for restoration of coral reef coastal protection services: Case study example and workbook
Drivers, dynamics and impacts of changing Arctic coasts
Digital Twin Earth - Coasts: Developing a fast and physics-informed surrogate model for coastal floods via neural operators
Science
Coastal Climate Impacts
Dynamic coastlines along the western U.S.
Role of Reefs in Coastal Protection
Low-lying areas of tropical Pacific islands
Landscape Response to Disturbance
Multimedia
Buildings destroyed during Hurricane Maria in Rincón, Puerto Rico. Photograph taken on August 28, 2021, almost four years after the hurricane.
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
A mudslide near the 2020 Dolan Fire's ignition point chopped through a chunk of California's scenic State Highway 1 in late January.
The Dolan Fire began near Big Sur on August 18th, 2020. It scarred nearly 125,000 acres before being fully contained in December.
A mudslide near the 2020 Dolan Fire's ignition point chopped through a chunk of California's scenic State Highway 1 in late January.
The Dolan Fire began near Big Sur on August 18th, 2020. It scarred nearly 125,000 acres before being fully contained in December.
Marine engineering technician Pete Dal Ferro sets up a newly acquired, portable, single-beam echo sounder on the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, California. The new device, called CEESCOPE, collects bathymetric (depth) data and also records features of the subsurface.
Marine engineering technician Pete Dal Ferro sets up a newly acquired, portable, single-beam echo sounder on the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, California. The new device, called CEESCOPE, collects bathymetric (depth) data and also records features of the subsurface.
This video demonstrates a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion. This demonstration is conducted at outreach events by scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. The activity can also be re-created at home or in the classroom.
This video demonstrates a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion. This demonstration is conducted at outreach events by scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. The activity can also be re-created at home or in the classroom.
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards during storms. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision-making.
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards during storms. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision-making.
Map showing the simulated flooding for a 100-year storm event with (blue) and without (red) coral reefs in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The red area thus represents the area protected by coral reefs.
Map showing the simulated flooding for a 100-year storm event with (blue) and without (red) coral reefs in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The red area thus represents the area protected by coral reefs.
In the aftermath of the 2018 Carr Fire, northern California, sediment has eroded from burned hillslopes and accumulated in some areas of Whiskeytown Lake. A recent sediment deposit is shown here in the Whiskey Creek section of the lake.
In the aftermath of the 2018 Carr Fire, northern California, sediment has eroded from burned hillslopes and accumulated in some areas of Whiskeytown Lake. A recent sediment deposit is shown here in the Whiskey Creek section of the lake.
USGS scientists examining landslides in the Tuolumne watershed, California, caused by an extreme rain event in 2018.
USGS scientists examining landslides in the Tuolumne watershed, California, caused by an extreme rain event in 2018.
News
Hurricane or Bust: How DUNEX Found Consolation in the Middle
USGS Scientists Add Another Piece to Puzzle of How Hurricanes Can Gain Strength
USGS provides Rapid Post-Hurricane Isaias Coastal Change Data to Assist National Park Service partners
Twenty-first-century projections of shoreline change along inlet-interrupted coastlines
Recency of faulting and subsurface architecture of the San Diego Bay pull-apart basin, California, USA
Coral reef restorations can be optimized to reduce coastal flooding hazards
The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction
The impacts of the 2015/2016 El Niño on California's sandy beaches
In‐situ mass balance estimates offshore Costa Rica
Probabilistic patterns of inundation and biogeomorphic changes due to sea-level rise along the northeastern U.S. Atlantic coast
Sediment export and impacts associated with river delta channelization compound estuary vulnerability to sea-level rise, Skagit River Delta, Washington, USA
Sediment transport in a restored, river-influenced Pacific Northwest estuary
Predicting the success of future investments in coastal and estuarine ecosystem restorations is limited by scarce data quantifying sediment budgets and transport processes of prior restorations. This study provides detailed analyses of the hydrodynamics and sediment fluxes of a recently restored U.S. Pacific Northwest estuary, a 61 ha former agricultural area near the mouth of the Stillaguamish Ri
Relationships between regional coastal land cover distributions and elevation reveal data uncertainty in a sea-level rise impacts model
Coastal knickpoints and the competition between fluvial and wave-driven erosion on rocky coastlines
Smartphone technologies and Bayesian networks to assess shorebird habitat selection
Sea-Level Rise Hazards and Decision Support
Coastal Landscape Response to Sea-Level Rise Assessment for the Northeastern United States
A sailboat gets stuck under the Murray Street bridge over Santa Cruz Harbor in California, after it was washed free of its dock due to the strength of the tsunami wave from Japan. While the tsunami energy that hit the coast of California was relatively low, the wave energy is concentrated in narrow spaces like harbors.
A sailboat gets stuck under the Murray Street bridge over Santa Cruz Harbor in California, after it was washed free of its dock due to the strength of the tsunami wave from Japan. While the tsunami energy that hit the coast of California was relatively low, the wave energy is concentrated in narrow spaces like harbors.
USGS researcher Benjamin Jones examines a collapsed block of ice-rich permafrost on Barter Island along Alaska's Arctic coast.
USGS researcher Benjamin Jones examines a collapsed block of ice-rich permafrost on Barter Island along Alaska's Arctic coast.
This nearly century-old whaling boat rests along the Beaufort Sea coast near Lonely, Alaska in July, 2007. The boat was washed away to sea just a few months later.
This nearly century-old whaling boat rests along the Beaufort Sea coast near Lonely, Alaska in July, 2007. The boat was washed away to sea just a few months later.
Storms create large waves during an El Niño season, causing flooding along waterfronts like this one in Capitola, California.
Storms create large waves during an El Niño season, causing flooding along waterfronts like this one in Capitola, California.
Homes along the edge of the coast in Isla Vista, California, Santa Barbara County, face a short lifespan because of eroding bluffs that support them.
Homes along the edge of the coast in Isla Vista, California, Santa Barbara County, face a short lifespan because of eroding bluffs that support them.
Sonar-generated image showing underwater topography and the potential for landslides near the head of Resurrection Bay, Alaska. The terrain looks three times as steep as it occurs naturally. The arrow points to underwater landslide debris from the collapse of a fan-delta following the great Alaskan earthquake of 1964.
Sonar-generated image showing underwater topography and the potential for landslides near the head of Resurrection Bay, Alaska. The terrain looks three times as steep as it occurs naturally. The arrow points to underwater landslide debris from the collapse of a fan-delta following the great Alaskan earthquake of 1964.
Waves crashing against a seawall at Stinson Beach near Bolinas, California.
Waves crashing against a seawall at Stinson Beach near Bolinas, California.
Conceptual diagram demonstrating how Bayesian networks used in this project incorporate data and knowledge to provide predictions with decision-support applications
Conceptual diagram demonstrating how Bayesian networks used in this project incorporate data and knowledge to provide predictions with decision-support applications
Two photographs of Mitchell Cove beach on the west side of Santa Cruz during the 1997-1998 ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) winter. The top photo was taken under relatively normal conditions in November 1997, prior to the big storms. The bottom photo was taken during an El Niño storm in February 1998.
Two photographs of Mitchell Cove beach on the west side of Santa Cruz during the 1997-1998 ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) winter. The top photo was taken under relatively normal conditions in November 1997, prior to the big storms. The bottom photo was taken during an El Niño storm in February 1998.
USGS geologist Bruce Richmond prepares to deploy a pipe dredge that will be dragged along the seabed to collect sediment.
USGS geologist Bruce Richmond prepares to deploy a pipe dredge that will be dragged along the seabed to collect sediment.
Research geologist Amy East confers with physical scientist Josh Logan, preparing to conduct a lidar survey near the mouth of the Elwha River in Washington.
Research geologist Amy East confers with physical scientist Josh Logan, preparing to conduct a lidar survey near the mouth of the Elwha River in Washington.
Aerial photograph of Satawan Atoll, Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia showing low-lying atoll islets perched on the reef rim.
Aerial photograph of Satawan Atoll, Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia showing low-lying atoll islets perched on the reef rim.
The waterfront in Capitola, California, underwent severe flooding from a large storm in March 2014.
The waterfront in Capitola, California, underwent severe flooding from a large storm in March 2014.
Typical wetland in Puget Sound that now faces “squeeze” as rising sea level meets human infrastructure.
Typical wetland in Puget Sound that now faces “squeeze” as rising sea level meets human infrastructure.
Aerial photograph of the Skagit River delta, in the Puget Sound area of Washington, superimposed with geographic information system (GIS) data that illustrate changes between 1850 and 2010. In 1850 the delta included extensive wetlands providing important habitat for salmon spawning (orange color).
Aerial photograph of the Skagit River delta, in the Puget Sound area of Washington, superimposed with geographic information system (GIS) data that illustrate changes between 1850 and 2010. In 1850 the delta included extensive wetlands providing important habitat for salmon spawning (orange color).
Coastal hazards such as hurricanes, sea-level rise, flooding, erosion, and extreme storms can threaten lives and health, property, and valuable habitats along our nation’s coasts. USGS science, products, and tools provide the Nation with robust and accessible scientific research to help partners anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate coastal hazards.
While coastal change is natural, hazards arise when these changes threaten lives or put communities and habitats at risk. Some of these hazards can occur abruptly such as earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis; or within short periods of time such as hurricanes and extreme storms. Others happen gradually over time like sea-level rise, erosion, or saltwater intrusion into groundwater. The USGS is a leader in natural hazards research and addresses coastal hazards by conducting basic and applied research, developing tools to assess risk, and providing data and information to stakeholders and partners to enhance preparedness.
Tools and Technology for Coastal Resilience
The USGS collection of coastal tools provides information on coastal hazards at scales useful for local communities, regional managers, and decision makers. For example, the USGS Coastal Change Hazards Portal allows users to explore the potential for storm-induced coastal erosion, forecasts of extreme water levels, historical shoreline change, and vulnerability to sea-level rise. These data and products are immensely valuable for assisting communities with efforts to bolster coastal resilience and reduce vulnerability to coastal hazards.
Hurricane Response
Hurricanes are an example of one type of hazard that can cause significant changes to the coast. When a storm is approaching, USGS activates the Coastal Storm Response team, which is comprised of scientists and technicians with multidisciplinary expertise to share information, forecast impacts, and help communities in the storm’s track prepare for and recover from powerful storms. Take a quiz to learn about the breadth of USGS science that goes into helping storm forecasters, emergency responders, communities, resource managers and other decision-makers prepare for, cope with, and recover from storms.
Water and Flooding
The USGS maintains a nationwide network of permanent water gages to measure and monitor surface water flow, groundwater levels and more. USGS also deploys rapid response water level gages and hurricane storm tide sensors when extreme storms or other hazardous conditions threaten our coast. Data from these sensors are displayed on the USGS Flood Event Viewer. In collaboration with stakeholders, USGS has constructed a national Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics (SWaTH) Network that monitors and documents the height, extent, and timing of storm surge. These data are provided to scientists, stakeholders, and the public in real time through the National Water Dashboard.
Coastal Geologic Hazards
The nation's coastlines are also vulnerable to more abrupt, interrelated hazards posed by earthquakes, tsunamis, and land-based failures like landslides. USGS studies the processes and effects of earthquakes, landslides, and modern-day and prehistoric tsunamis using a variety of methods. These data are used to generate models, simulations, and probabilities of the likelihood of these hazards with the goal of providing relevant scientific information that can be used to help prevent loss of life, injuries, and property damage.
Other long-term hazardous processes studied by USGS include the seasonal freezing, thawing, and erosion of permafrost coasts that threaten coastal communities and infrastructure in Arctic Alaska.
Natural Barriers
While many hazards threaten our coasts, Earth has provided numerous natural structures to protect them such as barrier islands, wetlands, and reefs. For instance, coral reefs act as very effective buffers that break waves and limit flooding in tropical states and U.S. territories. USGS research has quantified the economic benefits of these natural ecosystems, as well as the predicted effects of restoration, which will help inform partners working to protect and conserve coral reefs around the world.
Invisible Hazards
Less visible hazards such as toxins, pathogens, saltwater intrusion, and wastewater discharge threaten coastal ecosystems and wildlife as well as the people who live, work, and play along our coasts. These contaminants can enter our coastal waterways through seepage, spills, runoff, or through groundwater discharge. These substances can also become entrained in sediments that can impact ecological health. The USGS monitors water quality, sediments, and living organisms in our coastal regions to track whether contamination has occurred in our waterways to help inform water managers when to treat, close, or otherwise mitigate these hazardous scenarios.
Publications
Fire (plus) flood (equals) beach: Coastal response to an exceptional river sediment discharge event
Global and regional sea level rise scenarios for the United States
Action plan for restoration of coral reef coastal protection services: Case study example and workbook
Drivers, dynamics and impacts of changing Arctic coasts
Digital Twin Earth - Coasts: Developing a fast and physics-informed surrogate model for coastal floods via neural operators
Science
Coastal Climate Impacts
Dynamic coastlines along the western U.S.
Role of Reefs in Coastal Protection
Low-lying areas of tropical Pacific islands
Landscape Response to Disturbance
Multimedia
Buildings destroyed during Hurricane Maria in Rincón, Puerto Rico. Photograph taken on August 28, 2021, almost four years after the hurricane.
Buildings destroyed during Hurricane Maria in Rincón, Puerto Rico. Photograph taken on August 28, 2021, almost four years after the hurricane.
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
A mudslide near the 2020 Dolan Fire's ignition point chopped through a chunk of California's scenic State Highway 1 in late January.
The Dolan Fire began near Big Sur on August 18th, 2020. It scarred nearly 125,000 acres before being fully contained in December.
A mudslide near the 2020 Dolan Fire's ignition point chopped through a chunk of California's scenic State Highway 1 in late January.
The Dolan Fire began near Big Sur on August 18th, 2020. It scarred nearly 125,000 acres before being fully contained in December.
Marine engineering technician Pete Dal Ferro sets up a newly acquired, portable, single-beam echo sounder on the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, California. The new device, called CEESCOPE, collects bathymetric (depth) data and also records features of the subsurface.
Marine engineering technician Pete Dal Ferro sets up a newly acquired, portable, single-beam echo sounder on the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz, California. The new device, called CEESCOPE, collects bathymetric (depth) data and also records features of the subsurface.
This video demonstrates a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion. This demonstration is conducted at outreach events by scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. The activity can also be re-created at home or in the classroom.
This video demonstrates a simulation of how storms can impact sandy coastlines through processes such as erosion. This demonstration is conducted at outreach events by scientists at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center. The activity can also be re-created at home or in the classroom.
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards during storms. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision-making.
The degradation of coastal habitats, particularly coral reefs, raises risks by increasing the exposure of coastal communities to flooding hazards during storms. The protective services of these natural defenses are not assessed in the same rigorous economic terms as artificial defenses, such as seawalls, and therefore often are not considered in decision-making.
Map showing the simulated flooding for a 100-year storm event with (blue) and without (red) coral reefs in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The red area thus represents the area protected by coral reefs.
Map showing the simulated flooding for a 100-year storm event with (blue) and without (red) coral reefs in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The red area thus represents the area protected by coral reefs.
In the aftermath of the 2018 Carr Fire, northern California, sediment has eroded from burned hillslopes and accumulated in some areas of Whiskeytown Lake. A recent sediment deposit is shown here in the Whiskey Creek section of the lake.
In the aftermath of the 2018 Carr Fire, northern California, sediment has eroded from burned hillslopes and accumulated in some areas of Whiskeytown Lake. A recent sediment deposit is shown here in the Whiskey Creek section of the lake.
USGS scientists examining landslides in the Tuolumne watershed, California, caused by an extreme rain event in 2018.
USGS scientists examining landslides in the Tuolumne watershed, California, caused by an extreme rain event in 2018.
News
Hurricane or Bust: How DUNEX Found Consolation in the Middle
USGS Scientists Add Another Piece to Puzzle of How Hurricanes Can Gain Strength
USGS provides Rapid Post-Hurricane Isaias Coastal Change Data to Assist National Park Service partners
Twenty-first-century projections of shoreline change along inlet-interrupted coastlines
Recency of faulting and subsurface architecture of the San Diego Bay pull-apart basin, California, USA
Coral reef restorations can be optimized to reduce coastal flooding hazards
The value of US coral reefs for flood risk reduction
The impacts of the 2015/2016 El Niño on California's sandy beaches
In‐situ mass balance estimates offshore Costa Rica
Probabilistic patterns of inundation and biogeomorphic changes due to sea-level rise along the northeastern U.S. Atlantic coast
Sediment export and impacts associated with river delta channelization compound estuary vulnerability to sea-level rise, Skagit River Delta, Washington, USA
Sediment transport in a restored, river-influenced Pacific Northwest estuary
Predicting the success of future investments in coastal and estuarine ecosystem restorations is limited by scarce data quantifying sediment budgets and transport processes of prior restorations. This study provides detailed analyses of the hydrodynamics and sediment fluxes of a recently restored U.S. Pacific Northwest estuary, a 61 ha former agricultural area near the mouth of the Stillaguamish Ri
Relationships between regional coastal land cover distributions and elevation reveal data uncertainty in a sea-level rise impacts model
Coastal knickpoints and the competition between fluvial and wave-driven erosion on rocky coastlines
Smartphone technologies and Bayesian networks to assess shorebird habitat selection
Sea-Level Rise Hazards and Decision Support
Coastal Landscape Response to Sea-Level Rise Assessment for the Northeastern United States
A sailboat gets stuck under the Murray Street bridge over Santa Cruz Harbor in California, after it was washed free of its dock due to the strength of the tsunami wave from Japan. While the tsunami energy that hit the coast of California was relatively low, the wave energy is concentrated in narrow spaces like harbors.
A sailboat gets stuck under the Murray Street bridge over Santa Cruz Harbor in California, after it was washed free of its dock due to the strength of the tsunami wave from Japan. While the tsunami energy that hit the coast of California was relatively low, the wave energy is concentrated in narrow spaces like harbors.
USGS researcher Benjamin Jones examines a collapsed block of ice-rich permafrost on Barter Island along Alaska's Arctic coast.
USGS researcher Benjamin Jones examines a collapsed block of ice-rich permafrost on Barter Island along Alaska's Arctic coast.
This nearly century-old whaling boat rests along the Beaufort Sea coast near Lonely, Alaska in July, 2007. The boat was washed away to sea just a few months later.
This nearly century-old whaling boat rests along the Beaufort Sea coast near Lonely, Alaska in July, 2007. The boat was washed away to sea just a few months later.
Storms create large waves during an El Niño season, causing flooding along waterfronts like this one in Capitola, California.
Storms create large waves during an El Niño season, causing flooding along waterfronts like this one in Capitola, California.
Homes along the edge of the coast in Isla Vista, California, Santa Barbara County, face a short lifespan because of eroding bluffs that support them.
Homes along the edge of the coast in Isla Vista, California, Santa Barbara County, face a short lifespan because of eroding bluffs that support them.
Sonar-generated image showing underwater topography and the potential for landslides near the head of Resurrection Bay, Alaska. The terrain looks three times as steep as it occurs naturally. The arrow points to underwater landslide debris from the collapse of a fan-delta following the great Alaskan earthquake of 1964.
Sonar-generated image showing underwater topography and the potential for landslides near the head of Resurrection Bay, Alaska. The terrain looks three times as steep as it occurs naturally. The arrow points to underwater landslide debris from the collapse of a fan-delta following the great Alaskan earthquake of 1964.
Waves crashing against a seawall at Stinson Beach near Bolinas, California.
Waves crashing against a seawall at Stinson Beach near Bolinas, California.
Conceptual diagram demonstrating how Bayesian networks used in this project incorporate data and knowledge to provide predictions with decision-support applications
Conceptual diagram demonstrating how Bayesian networks used in this project incorporate data and knowledge to provide predictions with decision-support applications
Two photographs of Mitchell Cove beach on the west side of Santa Cruz during the 1997-1998 ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) winter. The top photo was taken under relatively normal conditions in November 1997, prior to the big storms. The bottom photo was taken during an El Niño storm in February 1998.
Two photographs of Mitchell Cove beach on the west side of Santa Cruz during the 1997-1998 ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) winter. The top photo was taken under relatively normal conditions in November 1997, prior to the big storms. The bottom photo was taken during an El Niño storm in February 1998.
USGS geologist Bruce Richmond prepares to deploy a pipe dredge that will be dragged along the seabed to collect sediment.
USGS geologist Bruce Richmond prepares to deploy a pipe dredge that will be dragged along the seabed to collect sediment.
Research geologist Amy East confers with physical scientist Josh Logan, preparing to conduct a lidar survey near the mouth of the Elwha River in Washington.
Research geologist Amy East confers with physical scientist Josh Logan, preparing to conduct a lidar survey near the mouth of the Elwha River in Washington.
Aerial photograph of Satawan Atoll, Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia showing low-lying atoll islets perched on the reef rim.
Aerial photograph of Satawan Atoll, Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia showing low-lying atoll islets perched on the reef rim.
The waterfront in Capitola, California, underwent severe flooding from a large storm in March 2014.
The waterfront in Capitola, California, underwent severe flooding from a large storm in March 2014.
Typical wetland in Puget Sound that now faces “squeeze” as rising sea level meets human infrastructure.
Typical wetland in Puget Sound that now faces “squeeze” as rising sea level meets human infrastructure.
Aerial photograph of the Skagit River delta, in the Puget Sound area of Washington, superimposed with geographic information system (GIS) data that illustrate changes between 1850 and 2010. In 1850 the delta included extensive wetlands providing important habitat for salmon spawning (orange color).
Aerial photograph of the Skagit River delta, in the Puget Sound area of Washington, superimposed with geographic information system (GIS) data that illustrate changes between 1850 and 2010. In 1850 the delta included extensive wetlands providing important habitat for salmon spawning (orange color).