Guy Gelfenbaum
Oceanographer Emeritus with the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California
Ecosystem Dynamics, Project Chief: Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound - The goal of these projects is to develop scientific information and tools to support natural resource managers in the adaptive management of critical nearshore ecosystems in Puget Sound
Large-Scale Coastal Change, Project Chief: Southwest Washington Coastal Erosion Study - Research involves understanding complex relationships among sediment supply, littoral processes, and shoreline erosion or accretion in a high-energy coastal environment. Studies encompass multiple time and space scales of coastal evolution, and successfully differentiate natural and anthropogenic influences on coastal change.
Catastrophic Geologic Hazards, Co-Principal Investigator: Tsunami Hazards Study - Research effort to improve our understanding of tsunami hazards through identification and interpretation of sediments deposited from tsunamis
Professional Experience
2022: Oceanographer Emeritus, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
2017-2021: Center Director, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Education and Certifications
1988 Ph.D. Geological Oceanography - University of Washington, Seattle
1982 M.S. Geological Oceanography - University of Washington, Seattle
1978 B.S. Geology - University of Wisconsin, Madison
Science and Products
Extended abstracts from the Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) 2006 Workshop
Puget Sound shorelines and the impacts of armoring: Proceedings of a state of the science workshop, May 2009
Southwest Washington coastal erosion workshop report 2000
Sediment transport on a high-energy ebb-tidal delta
Coastal evolution and sediment budget at the mouth of the Columbia River, USA
Exploring the relationship between nearshore morphology and shoreline change
Helping coastal communities at risk from tsunamis: the role of U.S. Geological Survey research
Great earthquakes, abundant sand, and high wave energy in the Columbia Cell, USA
Bathymetric change off the Washington-Oregon coast
West-Central Florida Coastal Studies Workshop
USGS coastal studies in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico
Seasonal fluctuations in sea level on the South Carolina shelf and their relationship to the Gulf Stream
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.
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
Filter Total Items: 23No Result Found
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 49
Extended abstracts from the Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound (CHIPS) 2006 Workshop
Puget Sound is the second largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters produce and sustain biologically productive coastal habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to a significant growth in human population and associated development. This population growth, and the accompanying rural and urbPuget Sound shorelines and the impacts of armoring: Proceedings of a state of the science workshop, May 2009
The widespread extent and continued construction of seawalls and bulkheads on Puget Sound's beaches has emerged as a significant issue in shoreline management and coastal restoration in the region. Concerns about the impacts of shoreline armoring and managing the potential risks to coastal property are in many ways similar to those in other places, but Puget Sound also poses unique challenges relaSouthwest Washington coastal erosion workshop report 2000
This report is a compilation of abstracts that correspond to oral presentations and posters presented at the fifth principal investigators workshop of the Southwest Washington Coastal Erosion Study. The workshop was held November 15 - 17, 2000 at the Department of Ecology headquarters building in Olympia, WA. For the fourth consecutive year in November, the workshop convened the entire multi-disciAuthorsGuy R. GelfenbaumSediment transport on a high-energy ebb-tidal delta
Six tripods were deployed at shallow (~14-m) and deep (~24-m) sites on the northern, middle, and southern flanks of the Grays Harbor, Washington, U.S.A. ebb-tidal delta from early October through December, 1999 to measure waves, currents, temperature, and suspended-sediment concentrations as part of a wave-refraction and sediment-transport experiment. Directional wave spectra show that the generalAuthorsChristopher R. Sherwood, Guy Gelfenbaum, Peter A. Howd, Margaret L. PalmstenCoastal evolution and sediment budget at the mouth of the Columbia River, USA
The coastal morphology of the Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) has changed dramatically over the past century. Since the construction of jetties in 1914 and 1917, the inlet deepened and stabilized, the outer ebb delta migrated northward and offshore several kilometers, and the adjacent shorelines to the north and south prograded several hundreds of meters. Recently, high rates of erosion along thAuthorsGuy Gelfenbaum, Maarten C. Buijsman, Christopher R. Sherwood, Hans R. Moritz, Ann E. GibbsExploring the relationship between nearshore morphology and shoreline change
Nearshore bathymetry data collected along the US Pacific Northwest is analyzed to determine relationships between nearshore morphology and shoreline change at a variety of spatial scales. Sandbar properties are compared at three sites, locations separated by tens of kilometers but subject to similar hydrodynamic forcing and having like sediment characteristics. These three sites, an accreting coasAuthorsPeter Ruggiero, Guy Gelfenbaum, David Thompson, George M KaminskyHelping coastal communities at risk from tsunamis: the role of U.S. Geological Survey research
In 1946, 1960, and 1964, major tsunamis (giant sea waves usually caused by earthquakes or submarine landslides) struck coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean. In the U.S. alone, these tsunamis killed hundreds of people and caused many tens of millions of dollars in damage. Recent events in Papua New Guinea (1998) and elsewhere are reminders that a catastrophic tsunami could strike U.S. coasts at any tAuthorsEric L. Geist, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Bruce E. Jaffe, Jane A. ReidGreat earthquakes, abundant sand, and high wave energy in the Columbia Cell, USA
No abstract available.AuthorsCurt D. Peterson, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Harry M. Jol, Jim B. Phipps, Frank Reckendorf, Dave C. Twichell, Sandy Vanderberg, Lorraine WoxellBathymetric change off the Washington-Oregon coast
Historical hydrographic data from the Washington/Oregon shelf are compared for the first time to identify bathymetric change on a regional scale. Offshore data sets exist for four time periods: 1800s, pre-1950s, post-1950s, and 1990s. Data from only two time periods, 1868-87 and 1926-27, cover the entire offshore region between Tillamook Head, Oregon and Grays Harbor, Washington. A confidence inteAuthorsAnn E. Gibbs, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Nicholas C. Kraus, William G. McDougalWest-Central Florida Coastal Studies Workshop
No abstract available.USGS coastal studies in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico
No abstract available.AuthorsGuy R. GelfenbaumSeasonal fluctuations in sea level on the South Carolina shelf and their relationship to the Gulf Stream
Near-bottom pressure measurements obtained over a 9-month period in 1978 on the outer continental shelf off South Carolina document that sea level rose 35 to 50 cm between July and October. Records of coastal sea level showed a similar rise. When the pressure and coastal sea level records were corrected for the effects of wind stress and temperature, the largest portion of the rise in the two variAuthorsMarlene A. Noble, Guy R. GelfenbaumNon-USGS Publications**
George, D.A., Gelfenbaum, G., and Stevens, A.W., 2012, Modeling the Hydrodynamic and Morphologic Response of an Estuary Restoration: Estuaries and Coasts, v. 35 no. 6, pp. 1510–1529, doi: 10.1007/s12237-012-9541-8.**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.
- News