Publications
Scientific reports, journal articles, and information products produced by USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists.
Filter Total Items: 1426
Seafloor video footage and still-frame grabs from U.S. Geological Survey cruises in Hawaiian nearshore waters Seafloor video footage and still-frame grabs from U.S. Geological Survey cruises in Hawaiian nearshore waters
Underwater video footage was collected in nearshore waters (
Authors
Ann E. Gibbs, Susan A. Cochran, Peter W. Tierney
Integration of bed characteristics, geochemical tracers, current measurements, and numerical modeling for assessing the provenance of beach sand in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System Integration of bed characteristics, geochemical tracers, current measurements, and numerical modeling for assessing the provenance of beach sand in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System
Over 150 million m3 of sand-sized sediment has disappeared from the central region of the San Francisco Bay Coastal System during the last half century. This enormous loss may reflect numerous anthropogenic influences, such as watershed damming, bay-fill development, aggregate mining, and dredging. The reduction in Bay sediment also appears to be linked to a reduction in sediment supply...
Authors
Patrick L. Barnard, Amy C. Foxgrover, Edwin P.L. Elias, Li H. Erikson, James R. Hein, Mary McGann, Kira Mizell, Robert J. Rosenbauer, Peter W. Swarzenski, Renee K. Takesue, Florence L. Wong, Don Woodrow
Mw 8.6 Sumatran earthquake of 11 April 2012: rare seaward expression of oblique subduction Mw 8.6 Sumatran earthquake of 11 April 2012: rare seaward expression of oblique subduction
The magnitude 8.6 and 8.2 earthquakes off northwestern Sumatra on 11 April 2012 generated small tsunami waves that were recorded by stations around the Indian Ocean. Combining differential travel-time modeling of tsunami waves with results from back projection of seismic data reveals a complex source with a significant trench-parallel component. The oblique plate convergence indicates...
Authors
Miaki Ishii, Eric Kiser, Eric L. Geist
Quantifying landscape change in an arctic coastal lowland using repeat airborne LiDAR Quantifying landscape change in an arctic coastal lowland using repeat airborne LiDAR
Increases in air, permafrost, and sea surface temperature, loss of sea ice, the potential for increased wave energy, and higher river discharge may all be interacting to escalate erosion of arctic coastal lowland landscapes. Here we use airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data acquired in 2006 and 2010 to detect landscape change in a 100 km2 study area on the Beaufort Sea...
Authors
Benjamin M. Jones, Jason M. Stoker, Ann E. Gibbs, Guido Grosse, Vladimir E. Romanovsky, Thomas A. Douglas, Nichole E.M. Kinsman, Bruce M. Richmond
Seafloor off Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California Seafloor off Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California
The seafloor off Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California, is extremely varied, with sandy flats, boulder fields, faults, and complex bedrock ridges. These ridges support rich marine ecosystems; some of them form the "reefs" that produce world-class surf breaks. Colors indicate seafloor depth, from red-orange (about 2 meters or 7 feet) to magenta (25 meters or 82 feet).
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Nadine E. Golden, Helen Gibbons
Dispersal of fine sediment in nearshore coastal waters Dispersal of fine sediment in nearshore coastal waters
Fine sediment (silt and clay) plays an important role in the physical, ecological, and environmental conditions of coastal systems, yet little is known about the dispersal and fate of fine sediment across coastal margin settings outside of river mouths. Here I provide simple physical scaling and detailed monitoring of a beach nourishment project near Imperial Beach, California, with a...
Authors
Jonathan A. Warrick
Seafloor off Lighthouse Point Park, Santa Cruz, California Seafloor off Lighthouse Point Park, Santa Cruz, California
The seafloor off Lighthouse Point Park, Santa Cruz, California, is extremely varied, with sandy flats, boulder fields, faults, and complex bedrock ridges. These ridges support rich marine ecosystems; some of them form the "reefs" that produce world-class surf breaks. Colors indicate seafloor depth, from red-orange (about 2 meters or 7 feet) to magenta (25 meters or 82 feet).
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Nadine E. Golden, Helen Gibbons
Photography applications Photography applications
Photographic imaging is the oldest form of remote sensing used in coral reef studies. This chapter briefly explores the history of photography from the 1850s to the present, and delves into its application for coral reef research. The investigation focuses on both photographs collected from low-altitude fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, and those collected from space by astronauts...
Authors
Susan A. Cochran
U.S. Geological Survey Energy and Minerals science strategy: A resource lifecycle approach U.S. Geological Survey Energy and Minerals science strategy: A resource lifecycle approach
Executive Summary The economy, national security, and standard of living of the United States depend heavily on adequate and reliable supplies of energy and mineral resources. Based on population and consumption trends, the Nation’s use of energy and minerals can be expected to grow, driving the demand for ever broader scientific understanding of resource formation, location, and...
Authors
Richard C. Ferrero, Jonathan J. Kolak, Donald J. Bills, Zachary H. Bowen, Daniel J. Cordier, Tanya J. Gallegos, James R. Hein, Karen D. Kelley, Philip H. Nelson, Vito F. Nuccio, Jeanine M. Schmidt, Robert R. Seal
Deep-ocean mineral deposits as a source of critical metals for high- and green-technology applications: Comparison with land-based deposits Deep-ocean mineral deposits as a source of critical metals for high- and green-technology applications: Comparison with land-based deposits
No abstract available.
Authors
James R. Hein, Kira Mizell, Andrea Koschinsky, Tracey Conrad
Drivers of circulation in a fringing coral reef embayment: A wave-flow coupled numerical modeling study of Hanalei Bay, Hawaii Drivers of circulation in a fringing coral reef embayment: A wave-flow coupled numerical modeling study of Hanalei Bay, Hawaii
A coupled wave-circulation numerical model of Hanalei Bay, Hawaii, was constructed to investigate controls on nearshore hydrodynamics and overall circulation of a bathymetrically-complex coral reef embayment that is exposed to large waves and river floods several times per annum. The model was calibrated using in situ data representative of the two conditions that dominate the region's...
Authors
Ron Hoeke, Curt D. Storlazzi, Peter V. Ridd
Southwest Washington littoral drift restoration—Beach and nearshore morphological monitoring Southwest Washington littoral drift restoration—Beach and nearshore morphological monitoring
A morphological monitoring program has documented the placement and initial dispersal of beach nourishment material (280,000 m3) placed between the Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) North Jetty and North Head, at the southern end of the Long Beach Peninsula in southwestern Washington State. A total of 21 topographic surveys and 8 nearshore bathymetric surveys were performed between July...
Authors
Andrew W. Stevens, Guy Gelfenbaum, Peter Ruggiero, George M. Kaminsky