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Hazards

Ocean hazard events, like tsunamis triggered by earthquakes and landslides, storm surges associated with hurricanes and extreme storms, oil and gas spills, and floods and associated watershed contaminants, affect the health and safety of our Nation's ocean and coastal communities and ecosystems. USGS scientists study the causes, distribution, and hazard potential of these events including

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CoSMoS 3.1: Central California

CoSMoS v3.1 for central California shows projections for future climate scenarios (sea-level rise and storms)
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CoSMoS 3.1: Central California

CoSMoS v3.1 for central California shows projections for future climate scenarios (sea-level rise and storms)
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Real-Time Storm Response

Coastal change forecasts and pre- and post-storm photos documenting coastal change for landfalling storms. Currently responding to Hurricane Dorian.
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Real-Time Storm Response

Coastal change forecasts and pre- and post-storm photos documenting coastal change for landfalling storms. Currently responding to Hurricane Dorian.
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Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Isla Verde

USGS scientists installed video cameras atop a building and oceanographic instruments off San Juan, Puerto Rico, to better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines.
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Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Isla Verde

USGS scientists installed video cameras atop a building and oceanographic instruments off San Juan, Puerto Rico, to better understand how waves move across coral reefs and cause flooding on tropical shorelines.
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Sea-Level Rise Hazards and Decision Support

The Sea-Level Rise Hazards and Decision-Support project assesses present and future coastal vulnerability to provide actionable information for management of our Nation’s coasts. Through multidisciplinary research and collaborative partnerships with decision-makers, physical, biological, and social factors that describe landscape and habitat changes are incorporated in a probabilistic modeling...
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Sea-Level Rise Hazards and Decision Support

The Sea-Level Rise Hazards and Decision-Support project assesses present and future coastal vulnerability to provide actionable information for management of our Nation’s coasts. Through multidisciplinary research and collaborative partnerships with decision-makers, physical, biological, and social factors that describe landscape and habitat changes are incorporated in a probabilistic modeling...
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Seeking the Seeps

From June 12 to July 3, 2019, the USGS sailed onboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor with several other partners, seeking methane seeps along the seafloor of several underwater canyons off the coast of Oregon and Washington. On this cruise, USGS scientists will seek to understand how much methane is coming out of these seeps, how it travels through the water column, and its ultimate fate in...
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Seeking the Seeps

From June 12 to July 3, 2019, the USGS sailed onboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor with several other partners, seeking methane seeps along the seafloor of several underwater canyons off the coast of Oregon and Washington. On this cruise, USGS scientists will seek to understand how much methane is coming out of these seeps, how it travels through the water column, and its ultimate fate in...
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The Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System

To responsibly manage our coastal resources requires an understanding of the processes responsible for coastal change. The CMHRP developed a Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere–Wave–Sediment Transport (COAWST) modeling system that allows the user to evaluate how different processes such as winds and waves, combined with sediment transport, interact with coastlines to modify them. Users can change model...
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The Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System

To responsibly manage our coastal resources requires an understanding of the processes responsible for coastal change. The CMHRP developed a Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere–Wave–Sediment Transport (COAWST) modeling system that allows the user to evaluate how different processes such as winds and waves, combined with sediment transport, interact with coastlines to modify them. Users can change model...
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in the Field

In the Field; Land, Sea, and Air Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists and staff study coastal and ocean resources and processes from the land, sea, and air, to shorelines and estuaries to the continental shelf, deep sea, lake floor, river bottoms and shallow subsurfaces environments. We have implemented new safety and fieldwork processes to maintain social distancing to ensure...
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in the Field

In the Field; Land, Sea, and Air Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists and staff study coastal and ocean resources and processes from the land, sea, and air, to shorelines and estuaries to the continental shelf, deep sea, lake floor, river bottoms and shallow subsurfaces environments. We have implemented new safety and fieldwork processes to maintain social distancing to ensure...
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Sea Floor Stress and Sediment Mobility Database

The U.S. Geological Survey Sea Floor Stress and Sediment Mobility Database contains estimates of wave-current bottom stress and sediment mobility for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coast continental shelf regions.
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Sea Floor Stress and Sediment Mobility Database

The U.S. Geological Survey Sea Floor Stress and Sediment Mobility Database contains estimates of wave-current bottom stress and sediment mobility for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coast continental shelf regions.
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Employment Opportunities

Join the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center team! The Center is part of the USGS Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program, which is the primary federal marine geology and physical science research program. The Center's staff of 100 provides scientific information that contributes to decisions by other federal agencies, state and local entities, private organizations, industry, and...
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Employment Opportunities

Join the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center team! The Center is part of the USGS Coastal/Marine Hazards and Resources Program, which is the primary federal marine geology and physical science research program. The Center's staff of 100 provides scientific information that contributes to decisions by other federal agencies, state and local entities, private organizations, industry, and...
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Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Barter Island, Alaska

For a short study period, two video cameras overlooked the coast from atop the coastal bluff of Barter Island in northern Alaska. The purpose was to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes.
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Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Barter Island, Alaska

For a short study period, two video cameras overlooked the coast from atop the coastal bluff of Barter Island in northern Alaska. The purpose was to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes.
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Preliminary Analysis of the April 2007 Solomon Islands Tsunami, Southwest Pacific Ocean

Information focused on geologic aspects of the April 2007 disaster.
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Preliminary simulations of the 2011 Japan tsunami

Preliminary simulations of the tsunami from the March 11, 2011 M=9.1 subduction zone earthquake offshore of Honshu, Japan.
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Preliminary simulations of the 2011 Japan tsunami

Preliminary simulations of the tsunami from the March 11, 2011 M=9.1 subduction zone earthquake offshore of Honshu, Japan.
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