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
Bathymetry and topography data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2010
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, March 2013
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2013
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, April and May 2014
Digital seafloor images and sediment grain size from the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2014
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2014
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, January 2015
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2016
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2015
Bathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, February 2016
Bathymetry and Backscatter from 2013 Interferometric Swath Bathymetry Systems Survey of Columbia River Mouth, Oregon and Washington
Fluidized-sediment pipes in Gale crater, Mars, and possible Earth analogs
Is “morphodynamic equilibrium” an oxymoron?
Investigation of input reduction techniques for morphodynamic modeling of complex inlets with baroclinic forcing
Uncertainty in tsunami sediment transport modeling
Morphodynamics of prograding beaches: A synthesis of seasonal- to century-scale observations of the Columbia River littoral cell
Unusually large tsunamis frequent a currently creeping part of the Aleutian megathrust
Coastal change from a massive sediment input: Dam removal, Elwha River, Washington, USA
Tsunami recurrence in the eastern Alaska-Aleutian arc: A Holocene stratigraphic record from Chirikof Island, Alaska
Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: coastal geomorphic change
Large-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: source-to-sink sediment budget and synthesis
Understanding landscape responses to sediment supply changes constitutes a fundamental part of many problems in geomorphology, but opportunities to study such processes at field scales are rare. The phased removal of two large dams on the Elwha River, Washington, exposed 21 ± 3 million m3, or ~ 30 million tonnes (t), of sediment that had been deposited in the two former reservoirs, allowing a comp
USGS ecosystem research for the next decade: advancing discovery and application in parks and protected areas through collaboration
A survey of benthic sediment contaminants in reaches of the Columbia River Estuary based on channel sedimentation characteristics
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
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Filter Total Items: 23
Bathymetry and topography data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2010
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, March 2013
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2013
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, April and May 2014
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemDigital seafloor images and sediment grain size from the mouth of the Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2014
Geo-referenced digital imagery of in-situ seafloor sediments in the mouth of the Columbia River was collected and analyzed to determine median grain size of the surface sediments. Digital imagery of the seafloor was collected with a flying eyeball (Rubin and others, 2007) from the R/V Parke Snavely from September 11 to September 13, 2014 (USGS Field Activity 2014-642-FA). The flying eyeball consisBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, September 2014
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, January 2015
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2016
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, July 2015
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry, topography, and sediment grain-size data from the Elwha River delta, Washington, February 2016
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million cubic meters of sediment, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams between 2011 and 2014 induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the response of a delta systemBathymetry and Backscatter from 2013 Interferometric Swath Bathymetry Systems Survey of Columbia River Mouth, Oregon and Washington
High-resolution swath bathymetry and backscatter were collected in the Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) as part of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded River and Inlet Dynamics Experiment in 2013. The goal of the U.S. Geological Survey's component of the research was to evaluate the various hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes in the Columbia River estuary entrance using a combinati - Multimedia
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Filter Total Items: 49
Fluidized-sediment pipes in Gale crater, Mars, and possible Earth analogs
Since landing in Gale crater, the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity has traversed fluvial, lacustrine, and eolian sedimentary rocks that were deposited within the crater ∼3.6 to 3.2 b.y. ago. Here we describe structures interpreted to be pipes formed by vertical movement of fluidized sediment. Like many pipes on Earth, those in Gale crater are more resistant to erosion than the host rock; thAuthorsDavid M. Rubin, A.G. Fairen, J. Frydenvang, O. Gasnault, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, W. Goetz, J.P. Grotzinger, S. Le Mouélic, N. Mangold, H. Newsom, D. Z. Oehler, W. Rapin, J. Schieber, R. C. WiensIs “morphodynamic equilibrium” an oxymoron?
Morphodynamic equilibrium is a widely adopted yet elusive concept in the field of geomorphology of coasts, rivers and estuaries. Based on the Exner equation, an expression of mass conservation of sediment, we distinguish three types of equilibrium defined as static and dynamic, of which two different types exist. Other expressions such as statistical and quasi-equilibrium which do not strictly satAuthorsZeng Zhou, Giovanni Coco, Ian Townend, Maitane Olabarrieta, Mick van der Wegen, Zheng Gong, Andrea D'Alpaos, Shu Gao, Bruce E. Jaffe, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Qing He, Yaping Wang, Stefano Lanzoni, Zhengbing Wang, Han Winterwerp, Changkuan ZhangInvestigation of input reduction techniques for morphodynamic modeling of complex inlets with baroclinic forcing
The Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) is a complex estuary inlet system characterized by a buoyant plume created by high freshwater flows from the Columbia River into the Pacific Ocean. Data obtained during two major field campaigns have resulted in a comprehensive dataset of hydrodynamics and sediment transport under high (2013) and low (2005) river flow conditions. Through the analysis of this dAuthorsGuy R. Gelfenbaum, Edwin Elias, Andrew W. StevensUncertainty in tsunami sediment transport modeling
Erosion and deposition from tsunamis record information about tsunami hydrodynamics and size that can be interpreted to improve tsunami hazard assessment. We explore sources and methods for quantifying uncertainty in tsunami sediment transport modeling. Uncertainty varies with tsunami, study site, available input data, sediment grain size, and model. Although uncertainty has the potential to be laAuthorsBruce E. Jaffe, Kazuhisa Goto, Daisuke Sugawara, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, SeanPaul M. La SelleMorphodynamics of prograding beaches: A synthesis of seasonal- to century-scale observations of the Columbia River littoral cell
Findings from nearly two decades of research focused on the Columbia River littoral cell (CRLC), a set of rapidly prograding coastal barriers and strand-plains in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, are synthesized to investigate the morphodynamics associated with prograding beaches. Due to a large sediment supply from the Columbia River, the CRLC is the only extensive stretch of shoreline on the U.S. wesAuthorsPeter Ruggiero, George Kaminsky, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Nicholas CohnUnusually large tsunamis frequent a currently creeping part of the Aleutian megathrust
Current models used to assess earthquake and tsunami hazards are inadequate where creep dominates a subduction megathrust. Here we report geological evidence for large tsunamis, occurring on average every 300–340 years, near the source areas of the 1946 and 1957 Aleutian tsunamis. These areas bookend a postulated seismic gap over 200 km long where modern geodetic measurements indicate that the megAuthorsRobert C. Witter, G. A. Carver, Richard W. Briggs, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, R.D. Koehler, SeanPaul M. La Selle, Adrian M. Bender, S.E. Engelhart, E. Hemphill-Haley, Troy D. HillCoastal change from a massive sediment input: Dam removal, Elwha River, Washington, USA
The removal of two large dams on the Elwha River, Washington, provides an ideal opportunity to study coastal morphodynamics during increased sediment supply. The dam removal project exposed ~21 million cubic meters (~30 million tonnes) of sediment in the former reservoirs, and this sediment was allowed to erode by natural river processes. Elevated rates of sand and gravel sediment transport in theAuthorsJonathan A. Warrick, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Andrew W. Stevens, Ian M. Miller, George M. Kaminsky, Melissa M. FoleyTsunami recurrence in the eastern Alaska-Aleutian arc: A Holocene stratigraphic record from Chirikof Island, Alaska
Despite the role of the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust as the source of some of the largest earthquakes and tsunamis, the history of its pre–twentieth century tsunamis is largely unknown west of the rupture zone of the great (magnitude, M 9.2) 1964 earthquake. Stratigraphy in core transects at two boggy lowland sites on Chirikof Island’s southwest coast preserves tsunami deposits dating from the postgAuthorsAlan R. Nelson, Richard W. Briggs, Tina Dura, Simon E. Engelhart, Guy Gelfenbaum, Lee-Ann Bradley, S.L. Forman, Christopher H. Vane, K.A. KelleyLarge-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: coastal geomorphic change
Two dams on the Elwha River, Washington State, USA trapped over 20 million m3 of mud, sand, and gravel since 1927, reducing downstream sediment fluxes and contributing to erosion of the river's coastal delta. The removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams, initiated in September 2011, induced massive increases in river sediment supply and provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the geomoAuthorsGuy R. Gelfenbaum, Andrew W. Stevens, Ian M. Miller, Jonathan A. Warrick, Andrea S. Ogston, Emily EidamLarge-scale dam removal on the Elwha River, Washington, USA: source-to-sink sediment budget and synthesis
Understanding landscape responses to sediment supply changes constitutes a fundamental part of many problems in geomorphology, but opportunities to study such processes at field scales are rare. The phased removal of two large dams on the Elwha River, Washington, exposed 21 ± 3 million m3, or ~ 30 million tonnes (t), of sediment that had been deposited in the two former reservoirs, allowing a comp
AuthorsJonathan A. Warrick, Jennifer A. Bountry, Amy E. East, Christopher S. Magirl, Timothy J. Randle, Guy R. Gelfenbaum, Andrew C. Ritchie, George R. Pess, Vivian Leung, Jeff J. DudaUSGS ecosystem research for the next decade: advancing discovery and application in parks and protected areas through collaboration
Ecosystems within parks and protected areas in the United States and throughout the world are being transformed at an unprecedented rate. Changes associated with natural hazards, greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing demands for water, food, land, energy and mineral resources are placing urgency on sound decision making that will help sustain our Nation’s economic and environmental well-being (AuthorsCharles van Riper, James D. Nichols, G. Lynn Wingard, Jeffrey L. Kershner, James E. Cloern, Robert B. Jacobson, Robin P. White, Anthony D. McGuire, Byron K. Williams, Guy Gelfenbaum, Carl D. ShapiroA survey of benthic sediment contaminants in reaches of the Columbia River Estuary based on channel sedimentation characteristics
While previous studies have documented contaminants in fish, sediments, water, and wildlife, few specifics are known about the spatial distribution of contaminants in the Columbia River Estuary (CRE). Our study goal was to characterize sediment contaminant detections and concentrations in reaches of the CRE that were concurrently being sampled to assess contaminants in water, invertebrates, fish,AuthorsTimothy D. Counihan, Ian R. Waite, Elena B. Nilsen, Jill M. Hardiman, Edwin Elias, Guy Gelfenbaum, Steven D. ZauggNon-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.
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