Curt Storlazzi, PhD
My interests span the coastal zone, from seacliff erosional processes to sediment dynamics in the shallow coastal ocean. My research focuses on the quantitative study of hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and geomorphology in coastal and marine environments.
Research Topics
Coral reef morphology, hydrodynamics, and sediment, nutrient, contaminant, and larval transport
The role of coral reefs and other coastal ecosystems in coastal hazard risk reduction
The interplay between geologic structure, climatic fluctuations, and coastal processes
High-resolution oceanographic instrumentation and coastal mapping techniques
The influence of physical processes on coral reef ecosystems
Many tropical coastal environments have been impacted by infrastructure development, nutrient and contaminant delivery, and natural and human-induced sedimentation. The high geomorphic and hydrodynamic complexity both within and between coral reefs, in conjunction with past technical restrictions, has limited our understanding of the nature of flow and the resulting flux of physical, chemical, and biologic material in these ecosystems. Understanding the physical controls on the timing and magnitude of flow and sediment, larvae, nutrient, and contaminant transport, along with their impact on seafloor geomorphology, stability, and sedimentation in these refugia are essential to assessing modern anthropogenic impacts (climate change, etc.) on these ecosystems and help guide how restoration can increase the resiliency of coral reef-lined coastal communities.
See: Coral Reef Project and The Value of U.S. Coral Reefs for Risk Reduction (links below)
The influence of climate change and sea-level rise on coral reef-lined coasts
Observations show that sea level is rising and recent projections indicate sea level will exceed 1.0 m, and may reach 2.0 m, above 2000 levels by the end of the 21st century. The amount of land and water available for human habitation, water and food sources, and ecosystems along coral reef-lined coasts is limited and vulnerable to wave-driven flooding during storms. Rising sea levels will further exacerbate the impacts of storms on coral reef-lined coasts by reducing wave breaking (and thus energy dissipation) over reefs and result in greater wave energy impacting the shoreline, causing increased flooding and changes to the coast such as erosion. Understanding the physical controls on the timing and magnitude of flooding, along with their impact on coastal geomorphology, are essential to assessing impacts on, and the future sustainability of, coastal infrastructure, agriculture, freshwater availability, and ecosystems.
See: Low-lying areas of tropical Pacific islands (links below)
Professional Experience
2002-present: Research Geologist and Oceanographer, USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program
2002-present: Research Associate, University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) Institute for Marine Sciences
Education and Certifications
2002-2004: Research Fellow, Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans Consortium
2000-2002: Post-doctoral Researcher, UCSC Institute for Marine Sciences
2000: Ph.D., UCSC, Earth Sciences Department
1996: B.Sc., University of Delaware, Geology Department
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 26
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Water level and velocity measurements from the 2012 University of Western Australia Fringing Reef Experiment (UWAFRE)
This data release contains water level and velocity measurements from wave runup experiments performed in a laboratory flume setting. Wave-driven water level variability (and runup at the shoreline) is a significant cause of coastal flooding induced by storms. Wave runup is challenging to predict, particularly along tropical coral reef-fringed coastlines due to the steep bathymetric profiles and l
BEWARE database: A Bayesian-based system to assess wave-driven flooding hazards on coral reef-lined coasts
A process-based wave-resolving hydrodynamic model (XBeach Non-Hydrostatic, XBNH) was used to create a large synthetic database for use in a Bayesian Estimator for Wave Attack in Reef Environments (BEWARE), relating incident hydrodynamics and coral reef geomorphology to coastal flooding hazards on reef-lined coasts. Building on previous work, BEWARE improves system understanding of reef hydrodynami
Data from coastal circulation and water-column properties in the National Park of American Samoa, February-July 2015
In 2015, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. National Park Service (NPS) researchers began a collaborative study to determine coastal circulation patterns and water-column properties along north-central Tutuila, in an area focused on NPSAs Tutuila Unit and its coral reef ecosystem. The continuous measurements of waves, currents, tides, and water-column properties (temperature and salinity) from
Physics-based numerical circulation model outputs of ocean surface circulation during the 2010-2013 summer coral-spawning seasons in Maui Nui, Hawaii, USA
Here we present surface current results from a physics-based, 3-dimensional coupled ocean-atmosphere numerical model that was generated to understand coral larval dispersal patterns in Maui Nui, Hawaii, USA. The model was used to simulate coral larval dispersal patterns from a number of existing State-managed reefs and large tracks of reefs with high coral coverage that might be good candidates fo
Wave projections for United States mainland coasts
Coastal managers and ocean engineers rely heavily on projected average and extreme wave conditions for planning and design purposes, but when working on a local or regional scale, are faced with much uncertainty as changes in the global climate impart spatially-varying trends. Future storm conditions are likely to evolve in a fashion that is unlike past conditions and is ultimately dependent on th
Wave and Orbital Velocity Model Data for the California Continental Shelf
The oceanographic processes that disturb the continental shelf include the actions of surface waves, internal waves, and currents (tidal, density, wave-driven, wind-driven, and geostrophic). Because the North Pacific Ocean can generate extremely large surface waves that yield relatively high near-bed wave orbital velocities, wave-generated near-bed currents are often considered to be the dominant
Filter Total Items: 26
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The contribution of currents, sea-swell waves, and infragravity waves to suspended-sediment transport across a coral reef-lagoon system.
Coral reefs generate substantial volumes of carbonate sediment, which is redistributed throughout the reef‐lagoon system. However, there is little understanding of the specific processes that transport this sediment produced on the outer portions of coral reefs throughout a reef‐lagoon system. Furthermore, the separate contributions of currents, sea‐swell waves, and infragravity waves to transport
Authors
Andrew Pomeroy, Curt Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Ryan Lowe, Jeff Hansen, Mark L. Buckley
Role of future reef growth on morphological response of coral reef islands to sea-level rise
Coral reefs are widely recognised for providing a natural breakwater effect that modulates erosion and flooding hazards on low‐lying sedimentary reef islands. Increased water depth across reef platforms due sea‐level rise (SLR) can compromise this breakwater effect and enhance island exposure to these hazards, but reef accretion in response to SLR may positively contribute to island resilience. Mo
Authors
Gerd Masselink, Robert T. McCall, Eddie Beetham, Paul Kench, Curt Storlazzi
Editorial: Flooding on coral reef-lined coasts: Current state of knowledge and future challenges
No abstract available.
Authors
William Skirving, Andrew Pomeroy, Robert T. McCall, John Marra, Curt Storlazzi
Changing storm conditions in response to projected 21st century climate change and the potential impact on an arctic barrier island–lagoon system—A pilot study for Arey Island and Lagoon, eastern Arctic Alaska
Executive SummaryArey Lagoon, located in eastern Arctic Alaska, supports a highly productive ecosystem, where soft substrate and coastal wet sedge fringing the shores are feeding grounds and nurseries for a variety of marine fish and waterfowl. The lagoon is partially protected from the direct onslaught of Arctic Ocean waves by a barrier island chain (Arey Island) which in itself provides importan
Authors
Li H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Bruce M. Richmond, Curt D. Storlazzi, Benjamin M. Jones, Karin Ohman
Spectral wave-driven bedload transport across a coral reef flat/lagoon complex
Coral reefs are an important source of sediment for reef-lined coasts by helping to maintain beaches while also providing protection in the form of wave energy dissipation. Understanding the mechanisms by which sediment is delivered to the coast as well as better constraining the total volumes generated are critical for projecting future coastal change. A month-long hydrodynamics and sediment tran
Authors
Kurt J. Rosenberger, Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Cheriton, Andrew Pomeroy, Jeff E. Hansen, Ryan Lowe, Mark Buckley
Modeling three-dimensional flow over spur-and-groove morphology
Spur-and-groove (SAG) morphology characterizes the fore reef of many coral reefs worldwide. Although the existence and geometrical properties of SAG have been well documented, an understanding of the hydrodynamics over them is limited. Here, the three-dimensional flow patterns over SAG formations, and a sensitivity of those patterns to waves, currents, and SAG geometry were characterized using the
Authors
Renan da Silva, Curt D. Storlazzi, Justin S. Rogers, Johan Reyns, Robert T. McCall
The impacts of a changing climate to DOD coastal facilities in the tropical Pacific Ocean
The USGS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Deltares, and the University of Hawaii (UH) recently completed a study investigating the impact of a changing climate and sea-level rise on Roi-Namur Island on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS). The isolated location of RTS makes
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi
Sea‐level rise will drive divergent sediment transport patterns on fore reefs and reef flats, potentially causing erosion on atoll islands
Atoll reef islands primarily consist of unconsolidated sediment, and their ocean‐facing shorelines are maintained by sediment produced and transported across their reefs. Changes in incident waves can alter cross‐shore sediment exchange and, thus, affect the sediment budget and morphology of atoll reef islands. Here we investigate the influence of sea level rise and projected wave climate change o
Authors
James F Bramante, Andrew D Ashton, Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Cheriton, Jeffrey P. Donnelly
Internal tides can provide thermal refugia that will buffer some coral reefs from future global warming
Observations show ocean temperatures are rising due to climate change, resulting in a fivefold increase in the incidence of regional-scale coral bleaching events since the 1980s; analyses based on global climate models forecast bleaching will become an annual event for most of the world’s coral reefs within 30–50 yr. Internal waves at tidal frequencies can regularly flush reefs with cooler waters,
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Cheriton, Ruben Van Hooidonk, Zhongxiang Zhao, Russell E. Brainard
The importance of explicitly modelling sea-swell waves for runup on reef-lined coasts
The importance of explicitly modelling sea-swell waves for runup was examined using a 2D XBeach short wave-averaged (surfbeat, “XB-SB”) and a wave-resolving (non-hydrostatic, “XB-NH”) model of Roi-Namur Island on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of Marshall Islands. Field observations on water levels, wave heights, and wave runup were used to drive and evaluate both models, which were subsequently
Authors
Ellen Quataert, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ap van Dongeren, Robert T. McCall
In situ observations of wave transformation and infragravity bore development across reef flats of varying geomorphology
The character and energetics of infragravity (IG, 25 s < period < 250 s) and very-low frequency (VLF, period > 250 s) waves over coral reef flats can enhance shoreline erosion or accretion, and also govern extreme shoreline events such as runup, overwash, and flooding on coral reef-lined coasts. Here we use in situ wave measurements collected along cross-reef transects at 7 sites on Pacific island
Authors
Olivia Cheriton, Curt D. Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger
Hydro-morphological characterization of coral reefs for wave runup prediction
Many coral reef-lined coasts are low-lying with elevations <4 m above mean sea level. Climate-change-driven sea-level rise, coral reef degradation, and changes in storm wave climate will lead to greater occurrence and impacts of wave-driven flooding. This poses a significant threat to their coastal communities. While greatly at risk, the complex hydrodynamics and bathymetry of reef-lined coasts ma
Authors
Fred Scott, Jose A. A. Antolinez, Robert T. McCall, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ad Reiners, Stuart Pearson
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Water level and velocity measurements from the 2012 University of Western Australia Fringing Reef Experiment (UWAFRE)
This data release contains water level and velocity measurements from wave runup experiments performed in a laboratory flume setting. Wave-driven water level variability (and runup at the shoreline) is a significant cause of coastal flooding induced by storms. Wave runup is challenging to predict, particularly along tropical coral reef-fringed coastlines due to the steep bathymetric profiles and lBEWARE database: A Bayesian-based system to assess wave-driven flooding hazards on coral reef-lined coasts
A process-based wave-resolving hydrodynamic model (XBeach Non-Hydrostatic, XBNH) was used to create a large synthetic database for use in a Bayesian Estimator for Wave Attack in Reef Environments (BEWARE), relating incident hydrodynamics and coral reef geomorphology to coastal flooding hazards on reef-lined coasts. Building on previous work, BEWARE improves system understanding of reef hydrodynamiData from coastal circulation and water-column properties in the National Park of American Samoa, February-July 2015
In 2015, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. National Park Service (NPS) researchers began a collaborative study to determine coastal circulation patterns and water-column properties along north-central Tutuila, in an area focused on NPSAs Tutuila Unit and its coral reef ecosystem. The continuous measurements of waves, currents, tides, and water-column properties (temperature and salinity) fromPhysics-based numerical circulation model outputs of ocean surface circulation during the 2010-2013 summer coral-spawning seasons in Maui Nui, Hawaii, USA
Here we present surface current results from a physics-based, 3-dimensional coupled ocean-atmosphere numerical model that was generated to understand coral larval dispersal patterns in Maui Nui, Hawaii, USA. The model was used to simulate coral larval dispersal patterns from a number of existing State-managed reefs and large tracks of reefs with high coral coverage that might be good candidates foWave projections for United States mainland coasts
Coastal managers and ocean engineers rely heavily on projected average and extreme wave conditions for planning and design purposes, but when working on a local or regional scale, are faced with much uncertainty as changes in the global climate impart spatially-varying trends. Future storm conditions are likely to evolve in a fashion that is unlike past conditions and is ultimately dependent on thWave and Orbital Velocity Model Data for the California Continental Shelf
The oceanographic processes that disturb the continental shelf include the actions of surface waves, internal waves, and currents (tidal, density, wave-driven, wind-driven, and geostrophic). Because the North Pacific Ocean can generate extremely large surface waves that yield relatively high near-bed wave orbital velocities, wave-generated near-bed currents are often considered to be the dominant - Maps
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The contribution of currents, sea-swell waves, and infragravity waves to suspended-sediment transport across a coral reef-lagoon system.
Coral reefs generate substantial volumes of carbonate sediment, which is redistributed throughout the reef‐lagoon system. However, there is little understanding of the specific processes that transport this sediment produced on the outer portions of coral reefs throughout a reef‐lagoon system. Furthermore, the separate contributions of currents, sea‐swell waves, and infragravity waves to transportAuthorsAndrew Pomeroy, Curt Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Ryan Lowe, Jeff Hansen, Mark L. BuckleyRole of future reef growth on morphological response of coral reef islands to sea-level rise
Coral reefs are widely recognised for providing a natural breakwater effect that modulates erosion and flooding hazards on low‐lying sedimentary reef islands. Increased water depth across reef platforms due sea‐level rise (SLR) can compromise this breakwater effect and enhance island exposure to these hazards, but reef accretion in response to SLR may positively contribute to island resilience. MoAuthorsGerd Masselink, Robert T. McCall, Eddie Beetham, Paul Kench, Curt StorlazziEditorial: Flooding on coral reef-lined coasts: Current state of knowledge and future challenges
No abstract available.AuthorsWilliam Skirving, Andrew Pomeroy, Robert T. McCall, John Marra, Curt StorlazziChanging storm conditions in response to projected 21st century climate change and the potential impact on an arctic barrier island–lagoon system—A pilot study for Arey Island and Lagoon, eastern Arctic Alaska
Executive SummaryArey Lagoon, located in eastern Arctic Alaska, supports a highly productive ecosystem, where soft substrate and coastal wet sedge fringing the shores are feeding grounds and nurseries for a variety of marine fish and waterfowl. The lagoon is partially protected from the direct onslaught of Arctic Ocean waves by a barrier island chain (Arey Island) which in itself provides importanAuthorsLi H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Bruce M. Richmond, Curt D. Storlazzi, Benjamin M. Jones, Karin OhmanSpectral wave-driven bedload transport across a coral reef flat/lagoon complex
Coral reefs are an important source of sediment for reef-lined coasts by helping to maintain beaches while also providing protection in the form of wave energy dissipation. Understanding the mechanisms by which sediment is delivered to the coast as well as better constraining the total volumes generated are critical for projecting future coastal change. A month-long hydrodynamics and sediment tranAuthorsKurt J. Rosenberger, Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Cheriton, Andrew Pomeroy, Jeff E. Hansen, Ryan Lowe, Mark BuckleyModeling three-dimensional flow over spur-and-groove morphology
Spur-and-groove (SAG) morphology characterizes the fore reef of many coral reefs worldwide. Although the existence and geometrical properties of SAG have been well documented, an understanding of the hydrodynamics over them is limited. Here, the three-dimensional flow patterns over SAG formations, and a sensitivity of those patterns to waves, currents, and SAG geometry were characterized using theAuthorsRenan da Silva, Curt D. Storlazzi, Justin S. Rogers, Johan Reyns, Robert T. McCallThe impacts of a changing climate to DOD coastal facilities in the tropical Pacific Ocean
The USGS, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Deltares, and the University of Hawaii (UH) recently completed a study investigating the impact of a changing climate and sea-level rise on Roi-Namur Island on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which is part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS). The isolated location of RTS makesAuthorsCurt D. StorlazziSea‐level rise will drive divergent sediment transport patterns on fore reefs and reef flats, potentially causing erosion on atoll islands
Atoll reef islands primarily consist of unconsolidated sediment, and their ocean‐facing shorelines are maintained by sediment produced and transported across their reefs. Changes in incident waves can alter cross‐shore sediment exchange and, thus, affect the sediment budget and morphology of atoll reef islands. Here we investigate the influence of sea level rise and projected wave climate change oAuthorsJames F Bramante, Andrew D Ashton, Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Cheriton, Jeffrey P. DonnellyInternal tides can provide thermal refugia that will buffer some coral reefs from future global warming
Observations show ocean temperatures are rising due to climate change, resulting in a fivefold increase in the incidence of regional-scale coral bleaching events since the 1980s; analyses based on global climate models forecast bleaching will become an annual event for most of the world’s coral reefs within 30–50 yr. Internal waves at tidal frequencies can regularly flush reefs with cooler waters,AuthorsCurt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Cheriton, Ruben Van Hooidonk, Zhongxiang Zhao, Russell E. BrainardThe importance of explicitly modelling sea-swell waves for runup on reef-lined coasts
The importance of explicitly modelling sea-swell waves for runup was examined using a 2D XBeach short wave-averaged (surfbeat, “XB-SB”) and a wave-resolving (non-hydrostatic, “XB-NH”) model of Roi-Namur Island on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of Marshall Islands. Field observations on water levels, wave heights, and wave runup were used to drive and evaluate both models, which were subsequentlyAuthorsEllen Quataert, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ap van Dongeren, Robert T. McCallIn situ observations of wave transformation and infragravity bore development across reef flats of varying geomorphology
The character and energetics of infragravity (IG, 25 s < period < 250 s) and very-low frequency (VLF, period > 250 s) waves over coral reef flats can enhance shoreline erosion or accretion, and also govern extreme shoreline events such as runup, overwash, and flooding on coral reef-lined coasts. Here we use in situ wave measurements collected along cross-reef transects at 7 sites on Pacific islandAuthorsOlivia Cheriton, Curt D. Storlazzi, Kurt J. RosenbergerHydro-morphological characterization of coral reefs for wave runup prediction
Many coral reef-lined coasts are low-lying with elevations <4 m above mean sea level. Climate-change-driven sea-level rise, coral reef degradation, and changes in storm wave climate will lead to greater occurrence and impacts of wave-driven flooding. This poses a significant threat to their coastal communities. While greatly at risk, the complex hydrodynamics and bathymetry of reef-lined coasts maAuthorsFred Scott, Jose A. A. Antolinez, Robert T. McCall, Curt D. Storlazzi, Ad Reiners, Stuart PearsonNon-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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