Two video cameras are mounted on a bluff above Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA. Every half hour during daylight hours, the video camera collects imagery for 10 minutes and processes it. This is the snapshot image, like a photo, taken at the beginning of the 10-minute window and looking northeast.
Remote Sensing Coastal Change
Active
By Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
August 31, 2022
USGS Remote Sensing Data Tracks Coastal Erosion from California Storms
Fire plus Flood equals Beach
A new study combines decades of coastal satellite imagery with hydrologic and oceanographic data to look at how changes on land affect coastlines in Big Sur, California
A new study combines decades of coastal satellite imagery with hydrologic and oceanographic data to look at how changes on land affect coastlines in Big Sur, California
Eyes in the Sky
How Satellite Imagery Transforms Shoreline Monitoring From “Data-Poor” to “Data-Rich”
How Satellite Imagery Transforms Shoreline Monitoring From “Data-Poor” to “Data-Rich”
We use remote-sensing technologies—such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)—to measure coastal change along U.S. shorelines.
Quantifying coastal change is essential for calculating trends in erosion, evaluating processes that shape coastal landscapes, and predicting how the coast will respond to future storms and sea-level rise, all critical for U.S. coastal communities.
Rapid developments have occurred in remote-sensing technologies during the 21st century. With our collaborators in and beyond the Department of the Interior, we seek to apply these technologies in innovative ways to advance understanding of coastal systems and their hazards.
Seafloor mapping technology
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Ocean Engineer Gerry Hatcher of the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) and Dave Zawada of the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) are two of the lead scientists behind the creation of the “Structure-from-Motion Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with 5 Cameras” system, or SQUID-5. The SQUID-5 is the product of a cross-center partnership. The Remote Sensing Coastal Change team at PCMSC has engineered the device, and the the Processes Impacting Seafloor Change and Ecosystem Services team (PISCES) at SPCMSC is tasked with its deployment and data collection.
Using video imagery to study coastal change
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Currently, video cameras are installed at these locations:
- Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California
- Head of the Meadow Beach, Massachusetts
- Marconi Beach, Massachusetts
- Norton Sound, Unalakleet, Alaska
- Nuvuk (Point Barrow), Alaska
- Sunset State Beach, California
USGS researchers analyze the imagery and video collected from these cameras in order to remotely sense a range of processes, which include shoreline position, sandbar migration, rip-channel formation, wave run-up on the beach, alongshore current, and nearshore bathymetry.
USGS plans to install additional systems at other U.S. locations. The knowledge gained will improve computer-derived simulations of coastal flooding and shoreline change that communities can use to plan for sea-level rise, changing storm patterns, and other threats to beaches.
Photogrammetry of California’s Big Sur coast
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
On May 20, 2017, the steep slopes at Mud Creek on California’s Big Sur coast, about 140 miles south of San Francisco, suffered a catastrophic collapse. USGS scientists from the Pacific Coastal and Marine and the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Centers continue to monitor this section of the coastline, in collaboration with the California Department of Transportation.
On January 28, 2021, following a two-day deluge of heavy rain totalling more than 8 inches, another catastrophic failure and complete washout of Highway 1 occurred at Rat Creek, about 12 miles north of Mud Creek. USGS once again flew a reconnaissance flight along the coast on January 29, collecting highly detailed photography of much of the Big Sur coastline.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
We are using video imagery, scanned aerial photographs, digital images collected from fixed-wing aircraft, and digital images collected from multi-rotor UAS to study coastal processes.
SQUID-5 camera system
The SQUID-5 is a Structure-from-Motion Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with 5 cameras.
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Santa Cruz Beaches
Two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. One camera looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk, while the other looks southward over Cowells Beach.
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Sunset State Beach
Two video cameras overlook the coast at Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, California. Camera 1 looks northwest while Camera 2 looks north. The cameras are part of the Remote Sensing Coastal Change project.
Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Unalakleet
USGS scientists installed two video cameras atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska, pointing westward over Norton Sound, to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes.
Using Video Imagery to Study Sediment Transport and Wave Dynamics: Nuvuk (Point Barrow)
Two coastal observing video cameras are installed atop a utility pole near the northernmost point of land in the United States, at Nuvuk (Point Barrow), Alaska. The cameras point northwest toward the Arctic Ocean and the boundary between the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, and will be used to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, bluff erosion, movement of sandbars and ice floes...
Using Video Imagery to Study Marconi Beach
Two video cameras are mounted on a bluff above Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA. One camera looks alongshore toward the northeast, and the second looks directly offshore (east). The cameras are part of a U.S. Geological Survey research project to study the beach and nearshore environment shared by beachgoers, shorebirds, seals, and sharks. The work is being conducted under...
Big Sur Landslides
On California’s Big Sur coast, the steep slopes at Mud Creek suffered a catastrophic collapse (May 20, 2017). On January 28, 2021, heavy rains from a two-day storm caused debris from fire-scarred slopes to wash out another section of road at Rat Creek. USGS scientists are monitoring this 100-mile section of the California coastline, in collaboration with the CA Department of Transportation.
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.
The Mud Creek landslide on California’s Big Sur coast
On May 20, 2017, the steep slopes at Mud Creek on California’s Big Sur coast, about 140 miles south of San Francisco, suffered a catastrophic collapse. USGS Scientists from the Pacific Coastal and Marine and the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Centers are monitoring this section of the coastline, in collaboration with the California Department of Transportation.
Big Sur Coastal Landslides
Information about USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center studies on coastal landslides in the Big Sur area
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Tracking Coastal Change with Photogrammetry
Monitoring coastal changes is important for the millions of people that live along coasts in the United States, particularly as climate change hastens coastal erosion by raising sea levels and fueling powerful storms. The USGS uses remote-sensing technologies—such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)—to measure coastal...
Marconi Beach shoreline
Two video cameras are mounted on a bluff above Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA. Every half hour during daylight hours, the video camera collects imagery for 10 minutes and processes it. This is the snapshot image, like a photo, taken at the beginning of the 10-minute window and looking northeast.
California Coastal Highway 1 in Big Sur south of Rat Creek
A section of Highway 1 along the California coast in Big Sur with more examples of the numerous debris flows and mudslides that occur following a heavy rain. This section is just south of the Rat Creek debris flow that completely washed out a large chunk of the highway.
A section of Highway 1 along the California coast in Big Sur with more examples of the numerous debris flows and mudslides that occur following a heavy rain. This section is just south of the Rat Creek debris flow that completely washed out a large chunk of the highway.
Highway 1 washout at Rat Creek
The atmospheric river, a narrow, powerful track of water vapor that can deliver tremendous volumes of rain, hit the central California coast and stalled there between January 26 and 28, 2021 — with catastrophic consequences.
The atmospheric river, a narrow, powerful track of water vapor that can deliver tremendous volumes of rain, hit the central California coast and stalled there between January 26 and 28, 2021 — with catastrophic consequences.
Camera 1 Snapshot at Tres Palmas, Puerto Rico
Video camera snapshot at Tres Palmas in Rincón, on the west coast of Puerto Rico.
Video camera snapshot at Tres Palmas in Rincón, on the west coast of Puerto Rico.
Isla Verde Video Camera 1 Snapshot
Snapshot of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a coastal video monitoring station
Snapshot of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a coastal video monitoring station
Video camera setup at Isla Verde
Shawn Harrison stands near video cameras on top of a building overlooking Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The cameras measure wave run-up and flooding as part of a study in response to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.
Shawn Harrison stands near video cameras on top of a building overlooking Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The cameras measure wave run-up and flooding as part of a study in response to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.
Unalakleet video camera snapshot
Two video cameras overlook the coast from atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska where they look westward over Norton Sound. This is a snapshot taken from one of the cameras.
Two video cameras overlook the coast from atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska where they look westward over Norton Sound. This is a snapshot taken from one of the cameras.
Sunset State Beach Video Camera 1 snapshot
Two video cameras overlook the coast at Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, California. Camera 1 looks northwest while Camera 2 looks north. Every half hour during daylight hours, the cameras collect snapshots and video for 10 minutes. The various imagery collected:
Two video cameras overlook the coast at Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, California. Camera 1 looks northwest while Camera 2 looks north. Every half hour during daylight hours, the cameras collect snapshots and video for 10 minutes. The various imagery collected:
Camera 1, Main Beach Snapshot, Santa Cruz
The view from one of two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, that overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. This view, from camera 1, looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk.
The view from one of two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, that overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. This view, from camera 1, looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk.
We use remote-sensing technologies—such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)—to measure coastal change along U.S. shorelines.
Quantifying coastal change is essential for calculating trends in erosion, evaluating processes that shape coastal landscapes, and predicting how the coast will respond to future storms and sea-level rise, all critical for U.S. coastal communities.
Rapid developments have occurred in remote-sensing technologies during the 21st century. With our collaborators in and beyond the Department of the Interior, we seek to apply these technologies in innovative ways to advance understanding of coastal systems and their hazards.
Seafloor mapping technology
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Ocean Engineer Gerry Hatcher of the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) and Dave Zawada of the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) are two of the lead scientists behind the creation of the “Structure-from-Motion Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with 5 Cameras” system, or SQUID-5. The SQUID-5 is the product of a cross-center partnership. The Remote Sensing Coastal Change team at PCMSC has engineered the device, and the the Processes Impacting Seafloor Change and Ecosystem Services team (PISCES) at SPCMSC is tasked with its deployment and data collection.
Using video imagery to study coastal change
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Currently, video cameras are installed at these locations:
- Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California
- Head of the Meadow Beach, Massachusetts
- Marconi Beach, Massachusetts
- Norton Sound, Unalakleet, Alaska
- Nuvuk (Point Barrow), Alaska
- Sunset State Beach, California
USGS researchers analyze the imagery and video collected from these cameras in order to remotely sense a range of processes, which include shoreline position, sandbar migration, rip-channel formation, wave run-up on the beach, alongshore current, and nearshore bathymetry.
USGS plans to install additional systems at other U.S. locations. The knowledge gained will improve computer-derived simulations of coastal flooding and shoreline change that communities can use to plan for sea-level rise, changing storm patterns, and other threats to beaches.
Photogrammetry of California’s Big Sur coast
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
On May 20, 2017, the steep slopes at Mud Creek on California’s Big Sur coast, about 140 miles south of San Francisco, suffered a catastrophic collapse. USGS scientists from the Pacific Coastal and Marine and the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Centers continue to monitor this section of the coastline, in collaboration with the California Department of Transportation.
On January 28, 2021, following a two-day deluge of heavy rain totalling more than 8 inches, another catastrophic failure and complete washout of Highway 1 occurred at Rat Creek, about 12 miles north of Mud Creek. USGS once again flew a reconnaissance flight along the coast on January 29, collecting highly detailed photography of much of the Big Sur coastline.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
We are using video imagery, scanned aerial photographs, digital images collected from fixed-wing aircraft, and digital images collected from multi-rotor UAS to study coastal processes.
SQUID-5 camera system
The SQUID-5 is a Structure-from-Motion Quantitative Underwater Imaging Device with 5 cameras.
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Santa Cruz Beaches
Two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. One camera looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk, while the other looks southward over Cowells Beach.
Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Sunset State Beach
Two video cameras overlook the coast at Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, California. Camera 1 looks northwest while Camera 2 looks north. The cameras are part of the Remote Sensing Coastal Change project.
Using Video Imagery to Study Wave Dynamics: Unalakleet
USGS scientists installed two video cameras atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska, pointing westward over Norton Sound, to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes.
Using Video Imagery to Study Sediment Transport and Wave Dynamics: Nuvuk (Point Barrow)
Two coastal observing video cameras are installed atop a utility pole near the northernmost point of land in the United States, at Nuvuk (Point Barrow), Alaska. The cameras point northwest toward the Arctic Ocean and the boundary between the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, and will be used to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, bluff erosion, movement of sandbars and ice floes...
Using Video Imagery to Study Marconi Beach
Two video cameras are mounted on a bluff above Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA. One camera looks alongshore toward the northeast, and the second looks directly offshore (east). The cameras are part of a U.S. Geological Survey research project to study the beach and nearshore environment shared by beachgoers, shorebirds, seals, and sharks. The work is being conducted under...
Big Sur Landslides
On California’s Big Sur coast, the steep slopes at Mud Creek suffered a catastrophic collapse (May 20, 2017). On January 28, 2021, heavy rains from a two-day storm caused debris from fire-scarred slopes to wash out another section of road at Rat Creek. USGS scientists are monitoring this 100-mile section of the California coastline, in collaboration with the CA Department of Transportation.
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.
The Mud Creek landslide on California’s Big Sur coast
On May 20, 2017, the steep slopes at Mud Creek on California’s Big Sur coast, about 140 miles south of San Francisco, suffered a catastrophic collapse. USGS Scientists from the Pacific Coastal and Marine and the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Centers are monitoring this section of the coastline, in collaboration with the California Department of Transportation.
Big Sur Coastal Landslides
Information about USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center studies on coastal landslides in the Big Sur area
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Tracking Coastal Change with Photogrammetry
Monitoring coastal changes is important for the millions of people that live along coasts in the United States, particularly as climate change hastens coastal erosion by raising sea levels and fueling powerful storms. The USGS uses remote-sensing technologies—such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)—to measure coastal...
Marconi Beach shoreline
Two video cameras are mounted on a bluff above Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA. Every half hour during daylight hours, the video camera collects imagery for 10 minutes and processes it. This is the snapshot image, like a photo, taken at the beginning of the 10-minute window and looking northeast.
Two video cameras are mounted on a bluff above Marconi Beach, Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet, MA. Every half hour during daylight hours, the video camera collects imagery for 10 minutes and processes it. This is the snapshot image, like a photo, taken at the beginning of the 10-minute window and looking northeast.
California Coastal Highway 1 in Big Sur south of Rat Creek
A section of Highway 1 along the California coast in Big Sur with more examples of the numerous debris flows and mudslides that occur following a heavy rain. This section is just south of the Rat Creek debris flow that completely washed out a large chunk of the highway.
A section of Highway 1 along the California coast in Big Sur with more examples of the numerous debris flows and mudslides that occur following a heavy rain. This section is just south of the Rat Creek debris flow that completely washed out a large chunk of the highway.
Highway 1 washout at Rat Creek
The atmospheric river, a narrow, powerful track of water vapor that can deliver tremendous volumes of rain, hit the central California coast and stalled there between January 26 and 28, 2021 — with catastrophic consequences.
The atmospheric river, a narrow, powerful track of water vapor that can deliver tremendous volumes of rain, hit the central California coast and stalled there between January 26 and 28, 2021 — with catastrophic consequences.
Camera 1 Snapshot at Tres Palmas, Puerto Rico
Video camera snapshot at Tres Palmas in Rincón, on the west coast of Puerto Rico.
Video camera snapshot at Tres Palmas in Rincón, on the west coast of Puerto Rico.
Isla Verde Video Camera 1 Snapshot
Snapshot of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a coastal video monitoring station
Snapshot of Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from a coastal video monitoring station
Video camera setup at Isla Verde
Shawn Harrison stands near video cameras on top of a building overlooking Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The cameras measure wave run-up and flooding as part of a study in response to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.
Shawn Harrison stands near video cameras on top of a building overlooking Isla Verde in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The cameras measure wave run-up and flooding as part of a study in response to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria.
Unalakleet video camera snapshot
Two video cameras overlook the coast from atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska where they look westward over Norton Sound. This is a snapshot taken from one of the cameras.
Two video cameras overlook the coast from atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska where they look westward over Norton Sound. This is a snapshot taken from one of the cameras.
Sunset State Beach Video Camera 1 snapshot
Two video cameras overlook the coast at Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, California. Camera 1 looks northwest while Camera 2 looks north. Every half hour during daylight hours, the cameras collect snapshots and video for 10 minutes. The various imagery collected:
Two video cameras overlook the coast at Sunset State Beach in Watsonville, California. Camera 1 looks northwest while Camera 2 looks north. Every half hour during daylight hours, the cameras collect snapshots and video for 10 minutes. The various imagery collected:
Camera 1, Main Beach Snapshot, Santa Cruz
The view from one of two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, that overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. This view, from camera 1, looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk.
The view from one of two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, that overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. This view, from camera 1, looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk.