Publications
Scientific reports, journal articles, and information products produced by USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists.
Filter Total Items: 1426
The development of small, cabled, real-time video based observation systems for near shore coastal marine science including three examples and lessons learned The development of small, cabled, real-time video based observation systems for near shore coastal marine science including three examples and lessons learned
The effects of climate change on the near shore coastal environment including ocean acidification, accelerated erosion, destruction of coral reefs, and damage to marine habitat have highlighted the need for improved equipment to study, monitor, and evaluate these changes [1]. This is especially true where areas of study are remote, large, or beyond depths easily accessible to divers. To...
Authors
Gerry Hatcher, Craig Okuda
Bathymetric terrain model of the Atlantic margin for marine geological investigations Bathymetric terrain model of the Atlantic margin for marine geological investigations
A bathymetric terrain model of the Atlantic margin covering almost 725,000 square kilometers of seafloor from the New England Seamounts in the north to the Blake Basin in the south is compiled from existing multibeam bathymetric data for marine geological investigations. Although other terrain models of the same area are extant, they are produced from either satellite-derived bathymetry...
Authors
Brian D. Andrews, Jason D. Chaytor, Uri S. ten Brink, Daniel S. Brothers, James V. Gardner, Elizabeth A. Lobecker, Brian R. Calder
Reconstructing surface ocean circulation with 129I time series records from corals Reconstructing surface ocean circulation with 129I time series records from corals
The long-lived radionuclide 129I (half-life: 15.7 × 106 yr) is well-known as a useful environmental tracer. At present, the global 129I in surface water is about 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than pre-1960 levels. Since the 1990s, anthropogenic 129I produced from industrial nuclear fuels reprocessing plants has been the primary source of 129I in marine surface waters of the Atlantic and...
Authors
Ching-Chih Chang, George S. Burr, A. J. Timothy Jull, Joellen L. Russell, Dana Biddulph, Lara White, Nancy G. Prouty, Yue-Gau Chen, Chuan-Chou Shen, Weijian Zhou, Doan Dinh Lam
Cobalt-rich manganese crusts Cobalt-rich manganese crusts
No abstract available.
Authors
James R. Hein
Manganese nodules Manganese nodules
The existence of manganese (Mn) nodules (Figure 1) has been known since the late 1800s when they were collected during the Challenger expedition of 1873–1876. However, it was not until after WWII that nodules were further studied in detail for their ability to adsorb metals from seawater. Many of the early studies did not distinguish Mn nodules from Mn crusts. Economic interest in Mn...
Authors
James R. Hein
Seasonal electrical resistivity surveys of a coastal bluff, Barter Island, North Slope Alaska Seasonal electrical resistivity surveys of a coastal bluff, Barter Island, North Slope Alaska
Select coastal regions of the North Slope of Alaska are experiencing high erosion rates that can be attributed in part to recent warming trends and associated increased storm intensity and frequency. The upper sediment column of the coastal North Slope of Alaska can be described as continuous permafrost underlying a thin (typically less than 1–2 m) active layer that responds variably to...
Authors
Peter W. Swarzenski, Cordell Johnson, Thomas Lorenson, Christopher H. Conaway, Ann E. Gibbs, Li H. Erikson, Bruce M. Richmond, Mark P. Waldrop
Towards forecasting the retreat of California’s coastal cliffs during the 21st century Towards forecasting the retreat of California’s coastal cliffs during the 21st century
In California, sea-level rise during the 21st century threatens to accelerate coastal cliff recession rates. To forecast such changes for managers and policymakers, models must play a key role. In this paper, we extend a ~70-year long dataset of measured historic sea cliff retreat rates in Southern California into the 21st century using a suite of simple analytical and empirical models...
Authors
Patrick W. Limber, Patrick L. Barnard, Cheryl Hapke
Mechanics of sediment suspension and transport within a fringing reef Mechanics of sediment suspension and transport within a fringing reef
Large bottom roughness is a characteristic of most coral reef environments and this has been shown to have a substantial impact on hydrodynamic processes in these environments. In this paper, we evaluate suspended sediment concentration (SSC) data as well detailed hydrodynamic data over a coral reef flat in Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, to understand how this bottom roughness affects...
Authors
A. W. M. Pomeroy, R. J. Lowe, M. Ghisalberti, Curt D. Storlazzi, M. Cutter, G. Symonds
Mechanisms of sediment flux between shallows and marshes Mechanisms of sediment flux between shallows and marshes
We conducted a field study to investigate temporal variation and forcing mechanisms of sediment flux between a salt marsh and adjacent shallows in northern San Francisco Bay. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), tidal currents, and wave properties were measured over the marsh, in marsh creeks, and in bay shallows. Cumulative sediment flux in the marsh creeks was bayward during the...
Authors
Jessica R. Lacy, L.M. Schile, J.C. Callaway, M.C. Ferner
The role of suspension events in cross-shore and longshore suspended sediment transport in the surf zone The role of suspension events in cross-shore and longshore suspended sediment transport in the surf zone
Suspension of sand in the surf zone is intermittent. Especially striking in a time series of concentration are periods of intense suspension, suspension events, when the water column suspended sediment concentration is an order of magnitude greater than the mean concentration. The prevalence, timing, and contribution of suspension events to cross-shore and longshore suspended sediment...
Authors
Bruce E. Jaffe
A comparative study of surface waves inversion techniques at strong motion recording sites in Greece A comparative study of surface waves inversion techniques at strong motion recording sites in Greece
Surface wave method was used for the estimation of Vs vs depth profile at 10 strong motion stations in Greece. The dispersion data were obtained by SASW method, utilizing a pair of electromechanical harmonic-wave source (shakers) or a random source (drop weight). In this study, three inversion techniques were used a) a recently proposed Simplified Inversion Method (SIM), b) an inversion...
Authors
Panagiotis C. Pelekis, Alexandros Savvaidis, Robert E. Kayen, Vasileios S. Vlachakis, George A. Athanasopoulos
California State Waters map series — Offshore of Pigeon Point, California California State Waters map series — Offshore of Pigeon Point, California
Introduction In 2007, the California Ocean Protection Council initiated the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP), designed to create a comprehensive seafloor map of high-resolution bathymetry, marine benthic habitats, and geology within the 3-nautical-mile limit of California’s State Waters. The CSMP approach is to create highly detailed seafloor maps through collection...
Authors
Guy R. Cochrane, Janet Watt, Peter Dartnell, H. Gary Greene, Mercedes D. Erdey, Bryan E. Dieter, Nadine E. Golden, Samuel Y. Johnson, Charles A. Endris, Stephen R. Hartwell, Rikk G. Kvitek, Clifton W. Davenport, Lisa M. Krigsman, Andrew C. Ritchie, Ray W. Sliter, David P. Finlayson, Katherine L. Maier