The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.
Coastal Change
Our Nation has many kinds of coastal ecosystems: from wetlands and sandy beaches to reef-lined coasts and icy permafrost cliffs. While each of these coasts are unique, they have one thing in common—they are constantly changing. The USGS studies the processes that shape our coastal systems and predicts the resulting changes and geological, ecological, and economic consequences.
What is coastal change?
Sediments are the foundation of coastal systems, and the movement of these sediments can result in the evolution of entire ecosystems. USGS measures the amount of sediment present, and how it moves in various environments, such as wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and barrier islands. Processes such as erosion—sediments being taken away from one area of coastline—and deposition—when they are moved to another place—are driven by natural forces, including waves, wind, tides, and currents. These processes can shift shorelines in various directions and change the elevation of coastal environments, therefore influencing the areas that are habitable by people, plants, and animals.
How does USGS study coastal change?
Our scientists use many methods, both through direct measurements like coastal elevation profiles and indirectly using remote sensing, to characterize the shape of our coasts and how they are shifting over time. Some methods include light detection and ranging (LiDAR); amphibious tools and vehicles (technology suited for both land and water) for nearshore seafloor mapping; and satellite imagery, as well as elevation data collected on foot.
USGS measures and monitors the position of shorelines along the entire U.S. coastline and how they have changed since the 1800s using a combination of historical and satellite imagery. These data are used to develop tools such as the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) for users to both visualize and track these changes on their own. The Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) provides high-resolution digital coastal elevation data, and topobathymetric maps that are used to identify coastal features, hazard zones, changes in ecosystems and to form the foundation for developing models that simulate sediment transport and storm surge. These data help coastal managers, engineers, planners, and resource managers understand how coastal change and its associated hazards will influence our coastal habitats and communities.
Changes to the coastline can affect where and how severely flooding may occur and how this could impact biodiversity persistence. USGS experts use a host of different high-tech devices to gather scientific data before, during, and after extreme storms. This information improves flood forecasting models, is used to update nationwide flood zone maps, helps emergency managers plan for future flooding events, and is critical for managing coastal species with specific habitat requirements.
Visualizing Change
Modeling and Predicting Coastal Change
Predictive modeling techniques are used to forecast how the coast will change in response to both natural processes and anthropogenic influences, as well as how these changes may affect the availability and distribution of habitat for coastal species of concern like piping plovers and sea turtles. This information is useful for informing conservation strategies for partners such as the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Some coastal change model forecasts are provided in real-time to show areas that are expected to erode, where sand washes away; overwash, where water overtops the dunes of a beach and pushes sand inland; or inundate, where the coast is completely and continuously submerged by high water levels like storm surge. These predictive models are tested and verified using remote sensing techniques including satellites, aerial imagery, and a collection of cameras that monitor coastal areas of interest.
Publications
Chandeleur Islands to Breton Island bathymetric and topographic datasets and operational sediment budget development: Methodology and analysis report
Global and regional sea level rise scenarios for the United States
The potential of wave energy conversion to mitigate coastal erosion from hurricanes
Drivers, dynamics and impacts of changing Arctic coasts
Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 5.1 user guide
Science
Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS)
Remote Sensing Coastal Change
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
Coastal Climate Impacts
Dynamic coastlines along the western U.S.
Multimedia
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.
Hydrologic technicians prepare for Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements on Connecticut River, Maidstone, Vermont.
Hydrologic technicians prepare for Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements on Connecticut River, Maidstone, Vermont.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Two high-resolution, digital cameras were mounted on towers overlooking the beach, dunes, and instrument arrays in the Outer Banks of North Carolina on September 18, 2021, as part of the DUring Nea
Two high-resolution, digital cameras were mounted on towers overlooking the beach, dunes, and instrument arrays in the Outer Banks of North Carolina on September 18, 2021, as part of the DUring Nea
USGS scientists mounted this high-resolution digital camera on an observation tower in the dune at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The camera overlooks the beach, dune, and an instrument array, and collects images throughout calm and storm conditions.
USGS scientists mounted this high-resolution digital camera on an observation tower in the dune at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The camera overlooks the beach, dune, and an instrument array, and collects images throughout calm and storm conditions.
A novel stereo CoastCam will be installed on at dune at Pea Island for the duration of the experiment.
A novel stereo CoastCam will be installed on at dune at Pea Island for the duration of the experiment.
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
News
Determining how high floodwaters reached helps communities prepare for future floods
Changes to the Coastline Can Affect Where, and How Severely, Flooding Occurs
Coasts, Storms, and Sea Level Rise Geonarratives
COAWST: A Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System
Coastal Change Hazards
Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux (CSAF)
Sea-Level Rise Hazards and Decision Support
Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program (BICM)
Coastal Landscape Response to Sea-Level Rise Assessment for the Northeastern United States
Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Project
Hurricane Sandy Response- Linking the Delmarva Peninsula's Geologic Framework to Coastal Vulnerability
Sea Level Rise and Climate: Impacts on the Greater Everglades Ecosystem and Restoration
Aerial Imaging and Mapping
Hurricane Sandy Response - Storm Impacts and Vulnerability of Coastal Beaches
Hurricane Sandy Response - Barrier Island and Estuarine Wetland Physical Change Assessment
Massachusetts Shoreline Change Project, 2018 Update: A GIS Compilation of Shoreline Change Rates Calculated Using Digital Shoreline Analysis System Version 5.0, With Supplementary Intersects and Baselines for Massachusetts
COAWST: A Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave- Sediment Transport Modeling System
To better identify the significant processes affecting our coastlines and how those processes create coastal change we have developed a Coupled Ocean – Atmosphere – Wave – Sediment Transport (COAWST) Modeling System, which is integrated by the Model Coupling Toolkit to exchange data fields between the ocean model ROMS, the atmosphere model WRF, the wave model SWAN, and the sedime
Coastal Change Hazards Portal
Interactive access to coastal change science and data for our Nation’s coasts. Information and products are organized within three coastal change hazard themes: 1) extreme storms, 2) shoreline change, and 3) sea-level rise. Displays probabilities of coastal erosion.
U.S. Geological Survey scientists collecting beach elevation data in Alaska
U.S. Geological Survey scientists collecting beach elevation data in Alaska
Our Nation has many kinds of coastal ecosystems: from wetlands and sandy beaches to reef-lined coasts and icy permafrost cliffs. While each of these coasts are unique, they have one thing in common—they are constantly changing. The USGS studies the processes that shape our coastal systems and predicts the resulting changes and geological, ecological, and economic consequences.
What is coastal change?
Sediments are the foundation of coastal systems, and the movement of these sediments can result in the evolution of entire ecosystems. USGS measures the amount of sediment present, and how it moves in various environments, such as wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and barrier islands. Processes such as erosion—sediments being taken away from one area of coastline—and deposition—when they are moved to another place—are driven by natural forces, including waves, wind, tides, and currents. These processes can shift shorelines in various directions and change the elevation of coastal environments, therefore influencing the areas that are habitable by people, plants, and animals.
How does USGS study coastal change?
Our scientists use many methods, both through direct measurements like coastal elevation profiles and indirectly using remote sensing, to characterize the shape of our coasts and how they are shifting over time. Some methods include light detection and ranging (LiDAR); amphibious tools and vehicles (technology suited for both land and water) for nearshore seafloor mapping; and satellite imagery, as well as elevation data collected on foot.
USGS measures and monitors the position of shorelines along the entire U.S. coastline and how they have changed since the 1800s using a combination of historical and satellite imagery. These data are used to develop tools such as the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) for users to both visualize and track these changes on their own. The Coastal National Elevation Database (CoNED) provides high-resolution digital coastal elevation data, and topobathymetric maps that are used to identify coastal features, hazard zones, changes in ecosystems and to form the foundation for developing models that simulate sediment transport and storm surge. These data help coastal managers, engineers, planners, and resource managers understand how coastal change and its associated hazards will influence our coastal habitats and communities.
Changes to the coastline can affect where and how severely flooding may occur and how this could impact biodiversity persistence. USGS experts use a host of different high-tech devices to gather scientific data before, during, and after extreme storms. This information improves flood forecasting models, is used to update nationwide flood zone maps, helps emergency managers plan for future flooding events, and is critical for managing coastal species with specific habitat requirements.
Visualizing Change
Modeling and Predicting Coastal Change
Predictive modeling techniques are used to forecast how the coast will change in response to both natural processes and anthropogenic influences, as well as how these changes may affect the availability and distribution of habitat for coastal species of concern like piping plovers and sea turtles. This information is useful for informing conservation strategies for partners such as the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Some coastal change model forecasts are provided in real-time to show areas that are expected to erode, where sand washes away; overwash, where water overtops the dunes of a beach and pushes sand inland; or inundate, where the coast is completely and continuously submerged by high water levels like storm surge. These predictive models are tested and verified using remote sensing techniques including satellites, aerial imagery, and a collection of cameras that monitor coastal areas of interest.
Publications
Chandeleur Islands to Breton Island bathymetric and topographic datasets and operational sediment budget development: Methodology and analysis report
Global and regional sea level rise scenarios for the United States
The potential of wave energy conversion to mitigate coastal erosion from hurricanes
Drivers, dynamics and impacts of changing Arctic coasts
Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 5.1 user guide
Science
Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS)
Remote Sensing Coastal Change
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
Coastal Climate Impacts
Dynamic coastlines along the western U.S.
Multimedia
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.
Hydrologic technicians prepare for Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements on Connecticut River, Maidstone, Vermont.
Hydrologic technicians prepare for Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements on Connecticut River, Maidstone, Vermont.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Join the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center as they uncover the secrets of the sediment on barrier islands in Pinellas County, Florida. This video was originally created for use at the 2021 virtual St. Petersburg Science Festival.
Two high-resolution, digital cameras were mounted on towers overlooking the beach, dunes, and instrument arrays in the Outer Banks of North Carolina on September 18, 2021, as part of the DUring Nea
Two high-resolution, digital cameras were mounted on towers overlooking the beach, dunes, and instrument arrays in the Outer Banks of North Carolina on September 18, 2021, as part of the DUring Nea
USGS scientists mounted this high-resolution digital camera on an observation tower in the dune at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The camera overlooks the beach, dune, and an instrument array, and collects images throughout calm and storm conditions.
USGS scientists mounted this high-resolution digital camera on an observation tower in the dune at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Field Research Facility near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The camera overlooks the beach, dune, and an instrument array, and collects images throughout calm and storm conditions.
A novel stereo CoastCam will be installed on at dune at Pea Island for the duration of the experiment.
A novel stereo CoastCam will be installed on at dune at Pea Island for the duration of the experiment.
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team works to identify and address the Nation’s coastal change hazards problems. By integrating research, technical capabilities and applications, and stakeholder engagement and communications, the Coastal Change Hazards team develops robust and accessible coastal change assessments, forecasts, and tools that help improve the lives,
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
Dan Ciarletta (right) working alongside Julie Bernier (left) to collect a sediment core on Mullet Key, an island within Fort de Soto Park in Pinellas County, Florida. The core will be used to reconstruct the geologic history of the island.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
The importance of our Nation’s coasts is indisputable. They provide homes for people and animals alike, and support the Nation’s economy. The USGS Coastal Change Hazards team studies how our shorelines change over time, especially following extreme events such as storms and hurricanes.
News
Determining how high floodwaters reached helps communities prepare for future floods
Changes to the Coastline Can Affect Where, and How Severely, Flooding Occurs
Coasts, Storms, and Sea Level Rise Geonarratives
COAWST: A Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport Modeling System
Coastal Change Hazards
Coastal Sediment Availability and Flux (CSAF)
Sea-Level Rise Hazards and Decision Support
Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring Program (BICM)
Coastal Landscape Response to Sea-Level Rise Assessment for the Northeastern United States
Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics Project
Hurricane Sandy Response- Linking the Delmarva Peninsula's Geologic Framework to Coastal Vulnerability
Sea Level Rise and Climate: Impacts on the Greater Everglades Ecosystem and Restoration
Aerial Imaging and Mapping
Hurricane Sandy Response - Storm Impacts and Vulnerability of Coastal Beaches
Hurricane Sandy Response - Barrier Island and Estuarine Wetland Physical Change Assessment
Massachusetts Shoreline Change Project, 2018 Update: A GIS Compilation of Shoreline Change Rates Calculated Using Digital Shoreline Analysis System Version 5.0, With Supplementary Intersects and Baselines for Massachusetts
COAWST: A Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave- Sediment Transport Modeling System
To better identify the significant processes affecting our coastlines and how those processes create coastal change we have developed a Coupled Ocean – Atmosphere – Wave – Sediment Transport (COAWST) Modeling System, which is integrated by the Model Coupling Toolkit to exchange data fields between the ocean model ROMS, the atmosphere model WRF, the wave model SWAN, and the sedime
Coastal Change Hazards Portal
Interactive access to coastal change science and data for our Nation’s coasts. Information and products are organized within three coastal change hazard themes: 1) extreme storms, 2) shoreline change, and 3) sea-level rise. Displays probabilities of coastal erosion.
U.S. Geological Survey scientists collecting beach elevation data in Alaska
U.S. Geological Survey scientists collecting beach elevation data in Alaska