253-year coral record reveals Maui reef’s long history of land-use impacts
Coral core from Olowalu Reef spans pre-colonial period through modern coastal development
Coral core from Olowalu Reef spans pre-colonial period through modern coastal development
Deep-sea sulfide minerals can spontaneously heat and combust when exposed to air
Study focuses on sulfide minerals from Escanaba Trough
Study focuses on sulfide minerals from Escanaba Trough
A Case Study for Radon as a Tracer of Seabed Minerals
Blog post from the 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration expedition
Blog post from the 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration expedition
A previously undocumented process of hydrothermal manganese mineralization
Study focusing on samples from American Samoa finds that manganese-rich deposits formed beneath the seafloor by warm fluids replacing ancient carbonate sediments
Study focusing on samples from American Samoa finds that manganese-rich deposits formed beneath the seafloor by warm fluids replacing ancient carbonate sediments
Mapping Rocky Reef Habitats Along the U.S. West Coast
High-resolution bathymetry of Lake Chelan, Washington (Video)
Data reveal pervasive morphological evidence of slope failure and mass-transport deposits
Data reveal pervasive morphological evidence of slope failure and mass-transport deposits
In SF Bay, even an exceptionally wet year can't supply enough sediment to keep pace with rising seas
Study highlights a paradox for coastal managers: climate change may trigger more landslides, but most of that sediment doesn't reach coastlines
Study highlights a paradox for coastal managers: climate change may trigger more landslides, but most of that sediment doesn't reach coastlines
Beach nourishment morphodynamics at the Columbia River Mouth
Decades of satellite imagery show how groins reshape California beaches
Long-term observations reveal how human-built coastal structures influence sediment transport
Long-term observations reveal how human-built coastal structures influence sediment transport
Morphodynamics of dune-based coastal flood mitigation under sea-level rise
Process-based modeling focuses on two beaches in Santa Cruz County
Process-based modeling focuses on two beaches in Santa Cruz County
A mid-ocean ridge revealed by 3D magnetic modeling
Study presents new geologic map of Escanaba Trough
Study presents new geologic map of Escanaba Trough
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
PCMSC is one of three centers serving the mission of the USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program—the primary Federal marine geology and physical science research program responsible for the Nation’s entire coastal and marine landscape.
What We Do: Coastal and Marine Science at USGS Santa Cruz
What We Do: Coastal and Marine Science at USGS Santa Cruz
Get an overview of the coastal and marine research conducted by the USGS in Santa Cruz, California in our downloadable booklet.
Research Projects
Research Projects
Read about our science projects, find out where we are working, and discover the reasons why our research matters.
News
USGS monitors California's coastal hazards ahead of the 2026-2027 El Niño event
USGS monitors California's coastal hazards ahead of the 2026-2027 El Niño event
253-year coral record reveals Maui reef’s long history of land-use impacts
253-year coral record reveals Maui reef’s long history of land-use impacts
Deep-sea sulfide minerals can spontaneously heat and combust when exposed to air
Deep-sea sulfide minerals can spontaneously heat and combust when exposed to air
Publications
Spontaneous combustion of metal sulfide minerals and implications for seafloor massive sulfide mining Spontaneous combustion of metal sulfide minerals and implications for seafloor massive sulfide mining
Metal sulfide minerals are abundant phases in many environments on earth, including seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits, which occur at hydrothermal vents throughout the global ocean. These deep-sea settings are currently undergoing exploration for potential future mining. Here, we describe rocks from Escanaba Trough on the southern Gorda Ridge that underwent spontaneous combustion...
Effect of land-use change and climate on coral calcification and geochemistry: A 253-year time series from west Maui Effect of land-use change and climate on coral calcification and geochemistry: A 253-year time series from west Maui
Land-use change and climate variability both regulate land-based inputs of sediment and nutrient delivery to coral reefs, yet few records in Hawaii can identify when these land-based inputs began or how they have evolved through time. We present a 253-year (1760–2013) coral core record from Olowalu reef, Maui, spanning pre-colonial settlement through the rise and decline of sugarcane...
Dimensionality reduction techniques for analyzing tsunami simulations in hazard assessment and forecasting applications Dimensionality reduction techniques for analyzing tsunami simulations in hazard assessment and forecasting applications
A wide selection of linear and non-linear dimensionality reduction techniques is evaluated on synthetic tsunami data that is the basis for tsunami hazard assessment and computational forecasting. The data were computed from earthquake rupture forecasts (ERFs) supplying initial generation conditions and a linear long-wave Green's function approach to efficiently calculate tsunami...
Science
El Niño Coastal Hazards (2026-2027)
The 2026-2027 El Niño is projected to be the largest and most intense on record. Pacific storms during previous El Niño events have caused widespread coastal hazards along the California coast from flooding and erosion. The USGS is uniquely positioned to assist with coastal monitoring, data collection, science and communications with partners about these pending hazards.
Typhoon Merbok Disaster Recovery Project: Accomplishments
The Typhoon Merbok Disaster Emergency Recovery Efforts project addresses critical data and capacity gaps in coastal Alaska by generating high resolution environmental datasets, hazard analyses, and monitoring tools needed to quantify erosion, flooding, and permafrost-related risks at the community scale.
Geologic Mapping for Landscape Resiliency in California, Oregon, and Washington
This project uses geologic and geomorphic mapping in the context of societally relevant problems in the Earth’s critical zone. Leveraging interdisciplinary research ties and interagency collaborations, it utilizes remote sensing data, corroborated with field observations, to determine i) the spatial distribution of geomorphic processes and ages of Quaternary deposits in the context of active...
By
Earthquake Hazards Program, Landslide Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Big Sur Landslides