Bruce Jaffe
Science and Products
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
Our research goals are to provide the scientific information, knowledge, and tools required to ensure that decisions about land and resource use, management practices, and future development in the coastal zone and adjacent watersheds can be evaluated with a complete understanding of the probable effects on coastal ecosystems and communities, and a full assessment of their vulnerability to...
San Francisco Bay Bathymetry
Bathymetry of a dynamic tidal estuary, such as San Francisco Bay, provides the observable linkage between anthropogenic modifications of the landscape—such as evolving land use practices, flood control, and water diversions—and natural forces of climate-driven river flow, sea level change, tides, and wind. By examining our record of hydrographic surveys, spanning over 150 years, we can gain...
San Francisco Bay geomorphology
This research is part of the project “Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments”
Tsunami Hazards, Modeling, and the Sedimentary Record
Basic research to develop the geologic record of paleotsunamis and improve the ability to interpret that record is needed to mitigate tsunami risk in the U.S.
Tsunami Field Studies
Our tsunami scientists work on international teams to study the aftermath of tsunamis around the world, to gain a better understanding the impact of potential tsunamis on coastal communities of the United States. Their work helps inform local, state, and federal coastal planning, protection, and resiliency.
Effects of Sea-Level Rise and Extreme Storms on California Coastal Habitats: Part 1
In California, the near-shore area where the ocean meets the land is a highly productive yet sensitive region that supports a wealth of wildlife, including several native bird species. These saltmarshes, mudflats, and shallow bays are not only critical for wildlife, but they also provide economic and recreational benefits to local communities. Today, sea-level rise, more frequent and stronger...
USGS Scientists in Samoa and American Samoa Studying Impacts of Tsunami in 2009
On September 29, 2009, an M 8.1 earthquake in the Samoa Islands region of the South Pacific Ocean caused a tsunami that resulted in 100's of lost lives. A rapid-response team of USGS scientists traveled to the Samoa Islands in October-November 2009 to collect time-sensitive data that would have been quickly...
Preliminary Analysis of Sedimentary Deposits from the June 23, 2001 Peru Tsunami
A Cooperative Study by the USGS, la Dirección de Hidrografía y Navegación de la Marina de Guerra del Perú, Instituto Geofísico del Perú, Instituto Geologico, Minero y Metalurgico, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Southern California, and University of San Agustin.
September 4 - September 18, 2001
Preliminary Analysis of Sedimentary Deposits from the July 17, 1998 Papua New Guinea Tsunami
Preliminary analysis of sedimentary deposits from the tsunami caused by the July 17, 1998 Papua New Guinea earthquake.
The role of surges during periods of very shallow water on sediment transport over tidal flats
Periods of very shallow water (water depth in the order of 10 cm) occur daily on tidal flats because of the propagation of tides over very gently sloping beds, leading to distinct morphodynamical phenomena. To improve the understanding of the characteristics of velocity and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) surges and their contribution to...
Zhang, Qian; Gong, Zheng; Zhang, Changkuan; Lacy, Jessica R.; Jaffe, Bruce E.; Xu, Beibei; Chen, Xindi Selective sediment transport during Hurricane Sandy on Fire Island (New York, USA): Inferences from heavy-mineral assemblages
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused severe erosion on beaches and dunes of Fire Island (New York, USA). Major shoreline changes occurred with erosional dominance in the upper shoreline and aggradation in the lowermost section of the beach due to the deposition of eroded upper beach and dune sediment. Sand laminations with a high concentration...
Cascalho, João; Costa, Pedro; Gelfenbaum, Guy R.; La Selle, Seanpaul; Jaffe, Bruce E. Sedimentary evidence of prehistoric distant-source tsunamis in the Hawaiian Islands
Over the past 200 years of written records, the Hawaiian Islands have experienced tens of tsunamis generated by earthquakes in the subduction zones of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" (e.g., Alaska-Aleutian, Kuril-Kamchatka, Chile, and Japan). Mapping and dating anomalous beds of sand and silt deposited by tsunamis in low-lying areas along Pacific...
La Selle, Seanpaul; Richmond, Bruce M.; Jaffe, Bruce E.; Nelson, Alan; Griswold, Frances; Arcos, Maria E.M.; Chague, Catherine; Bishop, James M.; Bellanova, Piero; Kane, Haunani H.; Lunghino, Brent D.; Gelfenbaum, Guy R. Organic geochemical investigation of far‐field tsunami deposits of the Kahana Valley, O'ahu, Hawai'i
Far‐field tsunami deposits observed in the Kahana Valley, O'ahu, Hawai'i (USA), were investigated for their organic‐geochemical content. During short high‐energy events, (tsunamis and storms) organic and chemical components are transported with sediment from marine to terrestrial areas. This study investigates the use of anthropogenic based...
Bellanova, Piero; Frenken, Mike; Richmond, Bruce M.; Schwarzbauer, Jan; La Selle, Seanpaul; Griswold, Frances; Jaffe, Bruce E.; Nelson, Alan R.; Reicherter, Klaus Morphodynamic resilience of intertidal mudflats on a seasonal time scale
Intertidal mudflats are morphodynamic features present in many estuaries worldwide. Often located between vegetated shores and deep channels they comprise valuable ecosystems and serve to protect the hinterland by attenuating waves. Although mudflats are persistently present on yearly to decadal time scales, little is known on their morphodynamic...
Van der Wegen, Mick; Roelvink, Dano; Jaffe, Bruce E. The roles of flow acceleration and deceleration in sediment suspension in the surf zone
Prediction of sediment suspension in the surf zone remains elusive. We explore how suspended sediment concentration at 19 cm above the bed in the mid-surf zone during a storm is influenced by flow acceleration and deceleration. There is a tendency for higher suspended sediment concentrations during onshore flow, with decelerating onshore flows...
Jaffe, Bruce E.; La Selle, Seanpaul A revised continuous surface elevation model for modeling
A digital elevation model (DEM) is an essential component of any hydrodynamic model. The Delta Modeling Section (Section) has maintained a database of bathymetry soundings and levee surveys for decades and published a 10-meter (10m) DEM for the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) (California Department of Water Resources...
Wang, Rueen-Fang; Ateljevich, Eli; Fregoso, Theresa A.; Jaffe, Bruce E. Slough evolution and legacy mercury remobilization induced by wetland restoration in South San Francisco Bay
Coastal wetlands have a long history of degradation and destruction due to human development. Now recognized as one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, substantial efforts are being made to restore this critical habitat. While wetland restoration efforts are generally viewed as beneficial in terms of providing wildlife habitat and...
Foxgrover, Amy C.; Marvin-DiPasquale, Mark C.; Jaffe, Bruce E.; Fregoso, Theresa A. Bed shear stress estimation under wave conditions using near-bottom measurements: Comparison of methods
Understanding the influence of waves on bed shear stress is critical for predicting morphodynamical behaviours in coastal areas. Near-bed flow was measured on the middle and lower intertidal mudflats along the Jiangsu coast, China, using a three-dimensional acoustic velocimeter that collected a 3.5-cm vertical profile at 1mm resolution and sample...
Zhang, Qian; Gong, Zheng; Zhang, Changkuan; Lacy, Jessica R.; Jaffe, Bruce E.; Xu, Beibei The application of microtextural and heavy mineral analysis to discriminate between storm and tsunami deposits
Recent work has applied microtextural and heavy mineral analyses to sandy storm and tsunami deposits from Portugal, Scotland, Indonesia and the USA. We looked at the interpretation of microtextural imagery (scanning electron microscopy) of quartz grains and heavy mineral compositions. We consider inundation events of different chronologies and...
Costa, Pedro J.M.; Gelfenbaum, Guy R.; Dawson, Sue; La Selle, Seanpaul; Milne, F; Cascalho, J.; Ponte Lira, C.; Andrade, C.; Freitas, M. C.; Jaffe, Bruce E. How can climate change and engineered water conveyance affect sediment dynamics in the San Francisco Bay-Delta system?
Suspended sediment concentration is an important estuarine health indicator. Estuarine ecosystems rely on the maintenance of habitat conditions, which are changing due to direct human impact and climate change. This study aims to evaluate the impact of climate change relative to engineering measures on estuarine fine sediment dynamics and sediment...
Achete, Fernanda; Van der Wegen, Mick; Roelvink, Jan Adriaan; Jaffe, Bruce E.
Description of gravity cores from San Pablo Bay and Carquinez Strait, San Francisco Bay, California
Seventy-two gravity cores were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1990, 1991, and 2000 from San Pablo Bay and Carquinez Strait, California. The gravity cores collected within San Pablo Bay contain bioturbated laminated silts and sandy clays, whole and broken bivalve shells (mostly mussels), fossil tube structures, and fine-grained plant or...
Woodrow, Donald L.; John L. Chin; Wong, Florence L.; Fregoso, Theresa A.; Jaffe, Bruce E.
Remembering Bruce Richmond
We pay tribute to friend and colleague Bruce Richmond, who passed away in May surrounded by his family near his home in Las Lomas, CA. A group of us put together this remembrance of Bruce, AKA “BR.”
Surprises from the Deadly September 29, 2009, Samoa Tsunami
The Samoa tsunami of September 29, 2009, was the fifth tsunami studied by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) field teams in 15 years, and yet it presented many surprises.