Test track from 1970’s commercial dredging equipment trials through a nodule field on the Blake Plateau, imaged in 2022 from an autonomous underwater vehicle (BOEM/USGS).
Jason Chaytor, PhD
I work on a variety of marine geological and geohazard topics including sedimentary processes and geochronology of submarine slope failures, deep-sea sedimentary systems, submarine geomorphology, and neotectonics in marine and near-shore environments.
Dr. Jason Chaytor is a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center. Jason conducts research on issues related to marine geohazards including submarine landslides, tsunamis, earthquakes, and plate tectonics and shallow- and deep-water sedimentary processes on Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Pacific margins of the U.S. and in the northeast Caribbean. He is the current principle scientist for the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Sediments Laboratory.
Research Interests
Marine Geohazards
Marine geohazards are sudden and extreme geologic events that affect coastal areas and seabed infrastructure on regional and transoceanic scales. The hazards include submarine earthquakes, submarine slope failures, and tsunami generation. The sediment record of past offshore and coastal hazardous events is generally more complete in the marine environment than on land and can be investigated with geological and geophysical tools. My research involves the identification and characterization of areas of the seafloor and subseafloor within and adjacent to the U.S. EEZ that record a history of fault movement or slope failure (or have the potential to be effected by these processes in the future). Included in this work is the development of conceptual models of seafloor movement and local/regional sedimentation patterns and supporting geochronological frameworks, formulation, planning and performance of field sampling and geophysical imaging activities and laboratory analyses, investigation of local and regional sedimentation processes, and communication of event characteristics to modelers and other stake holders to aid in developing hazard assessments.
Marine Sedimentation Processes and Framework Geology
I investigate dynamic shallow-water (< 200 m) and deep-water sedimentary environments to characterize physical properties affecting acoustic propagation (ONR Mud Patch Project), to evaluate the hazard of recurring seafloor motion to critical offshore infrastructure, and in the development of regional geologic analysis of surfical geologic processes across multiple potential areas of interest in to the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project.
Education and Certifications
2006-2009: Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA
2006: PhD, Geological Oceanography, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon,
Science and Products
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos
USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
DISCOVRE: Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems
Stable isotope data and terrain variables for isoscape modeling around two submarine canyons in the western Atlantic sampled in 2012-2013
Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals
Sedimentological and geotechnical analyses of marine sediment cores from the Currituck Landslide Complex and upper slope adjacent to Baltimore Canyon collected on USGS Field Activity 2012-007-FA
Carbonate chemistry measurements of authigenic carbonates collected offshore the U.S. Mid- and South Atlantic in 2018 and 2019 as part of the DEEPSEARCH Project
Sedimentological and geotechnical analyses of marine sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch
Multichannel seismic-reflection and navigation data collected using SIG ELC1200 and Applied Acoustics Delta Sparkers and Geometrics GeoEel digital streamers during USGS field activity 2020-014-FA.
Demersal fish assemblages on seamounts and other rugged features in the northeastern Caribbean
Test track from 1970’s commercial dredging equipment trials through a nodule field on the Blake Plateau, imaged in 2022 from an autonomous underwater vehicle (BOEM/USGS).
First recovered core using the new mega multicorer during a survey of the Mississippi River Delta Front on the R/V Pelican, September 2022. A total of 1.13 m of sediment was recovered in this core, with a fully preserved sediment-water interface.
First recovered core using the new mega multicorer during a survey of the Mississippi River Delta Front on the R/V Pelican, September 2022. A total of 1.13 m of sediment was recovered in this core, with a fully preserved sediment-water interface.
USGS Marine Operations Specialist, Chuck Worley, assisting with the recovery of the first successful deployment of the new mega multicorer during a survey of the Mississippi River Delta Front on the R/V Pelican, September 2022.
USGS Marine Operations Specialist, Chuck Worley, assisting with the recovery of the first successful deployment of the new mega multicorer during a survey of the Mississippi River Delta Front on the R/V Pelican, September 2022.
New customized USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program “mega multicorer” fabricated by OSIL and instrumented by WHCMSC marine technicians ready for deployment on the R/V Pelican on the Mississippi River Delta Front, September 2022.
New customized USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program “mega multicorer” fabricated by OSIL and instrumented by WHCMSC marine technicians ready for deployment on the R/V Pelican on the Mississippi River Delta Front, September 2022.
Annotated view of the Instruments attached to the new customized USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program mega multicorer.
Annotated view of the Instruments attached to the new customized USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program mega multicorer.
Deep water camera and light installed in the head weight of the upgraded USGS jumbo piston corer. In the background, USGS Marine Engineering Technician Daniel Powers is preparing the core liner for sediment collection.
Deep water camera and light installed in the head weight of the upgraded USGS jumbo piston corer. In the background, USGS Marine Engineering Technician Daniel Powers is preparing the core liner for sediment collection.
Pete Dal Ferro, USGS Marine Engineering Technician and lead fabricator on the JPC upgrade, monitors the testing of the coring system on R/V Hugh R. Sharp in March 2022.
Pete Dal Ferro, USGS Marine Engineering Technician and lead fabricator on the JPC upgrade, monitors the testing of the coring system on R/V Hugh R. Sharp in March 2022.
Upgraded USGS jumbo piston corer being readied for deployment off the research vessel Hugh R. Sharp in April 2022.
Upgraded USGS jumbo piston corer being readied for deployment off the research vessel Hugh R. Sharp in April 2022.
Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes
Short-term sediment dispersal on a large retreating coastal river delta via 234Th and 7Be sediment geochronology: The Mississippi River Delta Front
Sedimentary processes and instability on the Mississippi River Delta Front near the shipwreck of the SS Virginia
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Acoustic ducting by shelf water streamers at the New England shelfbreak
Late Pleistocene-Holocene age and stratigraphy of the Currituck Slide Complex, U.S. mid-Atlantic continental slope: Implications for landslide triggering
Seafloor observations eliminate a landslide as the source of the 1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami
Climate change hotspots and implications for the global subsea telecommunications network
Measurements of Geologic Characteristics and Geophysical Properties of Sediments From the New England Mud Patch
Mature diffuse tectonic block boundary revealed by the 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence
Distributed faulting typically tends to coalesce into one or a few faults with repeated deformation. The progression of clustered medium-sized (≥Mw4.5) earthquakes during the 2020 seismic sequence in southwestern Puerto Rico (SWPR), modeling shoreline subsidence from InSAR, and sub-seafloor mapping by high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, suggest that the 2020 SWPR seismic sequence was dist
Subaqueous mass movements in the context of observations of contemporary slope failure
Science and Products
- Science
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos
USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos
Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...USGS Role in DEEP SEARCH: Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, and Cold-seep Habitats
USGS scientists are collaborating with multiple agencies to provide the esssential foundation for understanding these deep-sea environments.ByEcosystems Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Gulf of MexicoDISCOVRE: Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems
DISCOVRE ( DI versity, S ystematics and CO nnectivity of V ulnerable R eef E cosystems) is an integrated, multidisciplinary, international effort investigating the unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level. - Data
Stable isotope data and terrain variables for isoscape modeling around two submarine canyons in the western Atlantic sampled in 2012-2013
Terrain variables extracted from bathymetry were used in combination with stable isotope datasets to construct geospatially-explicit isoscapes that predicted variation in carbon and nitrogen isotopes across the canyon-slope seascape, providing insights into the distribution and flow of energy resources, relevant to understanding whole community function.Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals
Cold-water corals create complex structures, but our incomplete knowledge of their niche space limits our ability to understand their distribution and therefore the impact of the ecosystem services they provide in the ocean. The Richardson reef complex consists of over 150 km of linear reef tracts within an area of 75 km2 between 700-900 m depth. This reef experiences rapid shifts in temperature,Sedimentological and geotechnical analyses of marine sediment cores from the Currituck Landslide Complex and upper slope adjacent to Baltimore Canyon collected on USGS Field Activity 2012-007-FA
Twenty-four piston cores (and associated trigger cores) were collected from the source zone of the Currituck Landslide Complex and upper slope adjacent to Baltimore Canyon by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Rhode Island Department of Ocean Engineering during an eight-day cruise aboard the R/V Hugh R. Sharp in September/October of 2012. These cores were analyzed for evidence of seaCarbonate chemistry measurements of authigenic carbonates collected offshore the U.S. Mid- and South Atlantic in 2018 and 2019 as part of the DEEPSEARCH Project
Geochemical analysis of carbonate rock samples collected from seep fields on the RB1903 and AT41 research expeditions in the U.S. Mid- and South Atlantic. Samples were collected as a fingerprint to past hydrocarbon seep activity, fluid source, and depositional environment.Sedimentological and geotechnical analyses of marine sediment cores from the New England Mud Patch
Variability in sediment properties with depth and the thickness of individual sedimentary layers are critical determinants of seabed acoustic response. The New England Mud Patch, located south of Cape Cod, is an unusual feature on the U.S. Continental Shelf in that it is composed of fine-grained sediment layers containing a relatively-homogeneous mix of sand, silt, and clay-sized particles boundedMultichannel seismic-reflection and navigation data collected using SIG ELC1200 and Applied Acoustics Delta Sparkers and Geometrics GeoEel digital streamers during USGS field activity 2020-014-FA.
In March 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (UPRM) Department of Marine Sciences conducted a marine seismic-reflection experiment focused on observing geophysical evidence of submarine faulting and mass wasting related to the southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence of 2019-20. The seismic sequence culminated with a magnitude 6.4 earthquake centered beneatDemersal fish assemblages on seamounts and other rugged features in the northeastern Caribbean
Recent investigations of demersal fish communities in deep (less than 50 m) rugged habitats have considerably increased our knowledge of the factors that influence the assemblage structure of fishes across mesophotic to deep-sea depths. Although habitat types influence deepwater fish distribution, whether different rugged seafloor features provide functionally equivalent habitat for fishes is poor - Multimedia
Blake DVI test track
Test track from 1970’s commercial dredging equipment trials through a nodule field on the Blake Plateau, imaged in 2022 from an autonomous underwater vehicle (BOEM/USGS).
Test track from 1970’s commercial dredging equipment trials through a nodule field on the Blake Plateau, imaged in 2022 from an autonomous underwater vehicle (BOEM/USGS).
Mega MulticorerFirst recovered core using the new mega multicorer during a survey of the Mississippi River Delta Front on the R/V Pelican, September 2022. A total of 1.13 m of sediment was recovered in this core, with a fully preserved sediment-water interface.
First recovered core using the new mega multicorer during a survey of the Mississippi River Delta Front on the R/V Pelican, September 2022. A total of 1.13 m of sediment was recovered in this core, with a fully preserved sediment-water interface.
Mega Multicorer RecoveryUSGS Marine Operations Specialist, Chuck Worley, assisting with the recovery of the first successful deployment of the new mega multicorer during a survey of the Mississippi River Delta Front on the R/V Pelican, September 2022.
USGS Marine Operations Specialist, Chuck Worley, assisting with the recovery of the first successful deployment of the new mega multicorer during a survey of the Mississippi River Delta Front on the R/V Pelican, September 2022.
Mega Multicorer Rigged for DeploymentNew customized USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program “mega multicorer” fabricated by OSIL and instrumented by WHCMSC marine technicians ready for deployment on the R/V Pelican on the Mississippi River Delta Front, September 2022.
New customized USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program “mega multicorer” fabricated by OSIL and instrumented by WHCMSC marine technicians ready for deployment on the R/V Pelican on the Mississippi River Delta Front, September 2022.
Annotated Mega Multicorer Rigged for DeploymentAnnotated view of the Instruments attached to the new customized USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program mega multicorer.
Annotated view of the Instruments attached to the new customized USGS Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program mega multicorer.
Jumbo Piston CorerDeep water camera and light installed in the head weight of the upgraded USGS jumbo piston corer. In the background, USGS Marine Engineering Technician Daniel Powers is preparing the core liner for sediment collection.
Deep water camera and light installed in the head weight of the upgraded USGS jumbo piston corer. In the background, USGS Marine Engineering Technician Daniel Powers is preparing the core liner for sediment collection.
Jumbo Piston CorerPete Dal Ferro, USGS Marine Engineering Technician and lead fabricator on the JPC upgrade, monitors the testing of the coring system on R/V Hugh R. Sharp in March 2022.
Pete Dal Ferro, USGS Marine Engineering Technician and lead fabricator on the JPC upgrade, monitors the testing of the coring system on R/V Hugh R. Sharp in March 2022.
Jumbo Piston CorerUpgraded USGS jumbo piston corer being readied for deployment off the research vessel Hugh R. Sharp in April 2022.
Upgraded USGS jumbo piston corer being readied for deployment off the research vessel Hugh R. Sharp in April 2022.
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 45
Consumer isoscapes reveal heterogeneous food webs in deep-sea submarine canyons and adjacent slopes
The deep sea is the largest biome on earth, but one of the least studied despite its critical role in global carbon cycling and climate buffering. Deep-sea organisms largely rely on particulate organic matter from the surface ocean for energy – these organisms in turn play critical roles in energy transport, transformation, storage, and sequestration of carbon. Within the deep sea, submarine canyoAuthorsAmanda Demopoulos, Brian J. Smith, Jill Bourque, Jason Chaytor, Jennifer McClain Counts, Nancy G. Prouty, Steve W. Ross, Sandra Brooke, Gerard Duineveld, Furu MienisShort-term sediment dispersal on a large retreating coastal river delta via 234Th and 7Be sediment geochronology: The Mississippi River Delta Front
Many Mississippi River Delta studies have shown recent declines in fluvial sediment load from the river and associated land loss. In contrast, recent sedimentary processes on the subaqueous delta are less documented. To help address this knowledge gap, multicores were collected offshore from the three main river outlets at water depths of 25–280 m in June 2017 just after the peak river discharge pAuthorsAndrew Courtois, Samuel J. Bentley, Jillian Maloney, Kehui Xu, Jason Chaytor, Ioannis Y. Georgiou, Michael Miner, Jeffery Obelcz, Navid H. Jafari, Melanie DamourSedimentary processes and instability on the Mississippi River Delta Front near the shipwreck of the SS Virginia
Sediment cores were collected from a mudflow lobe (80 m water depth) offshore of the Mississippi River’s Southwest Pass in 2017 to better understand the sedimentology near the lobe entraining the SS Virginia shipwreck (sunk by a German U-boat in 1942) and surrounding Mississippi River delta front. Core analyses included 210Pb/137Cs geochronology, granulometry, and X-radiography. Sediment accumulatAuthorsNathan Figueredo, Samuel J. Bentley, Jason Chaytor, Kehui Xu, Navid H. Jafari, Iaonnis Georgiou, Melanie D'amour, Jeffrey Duxbury, Jeffrey B. Obelcz, Jillian MaloneyExpanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake PlateauAuthorsErik E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew J. Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria C. Rhoads, Elizabeth Loebeker, Derek Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis M. Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey T. Sutton, Catherine S. McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa J. Betters, Peter J. Etnoyer, Gary A. Wolff, Bernie B. Bernard, James M. Brooks, Michael K. Rasser, Caitlin AdamsExpanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat
Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake PlateauAuthorsErick E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria Rhoads, Elizabeth Lobecker, Dereck Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey Sutton, Catherine McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa Betters, Peter Etnoyer, Gary Wolff, Bernie Bernard, James Brooks, Michael Rasser, Caitlin AdamsAcoustic ducting by shelf water streamers at the New England shelfbreak
Greater sound speed variability has been observed at the New England shelfbreak due to a greater influence from the Gulf Stream with increased meander amplitudes and frequency of Warm Core Ring (WCR) generation. Consequently, underwater sound propagation in the area also becomes more variable. This paper presents field observations of an acoustic near-surface ducting condition induced by shelf watAuthorsJennifer J. Johnson, Ying-Tsong Lin, Arthur E. Newhall, Glen G. Gawarkiewicz, David P. Knobles, Jason Chaytor, William S.. HodgkissLate Pleistocene-Holocene age and stratigraphy of the Currituck Slide Complex, U.S. mid-Atlantic continental slope: Implications for landslide triggering
Considerable effort has been made to link submarine slope failures to changes in local and global-scale environmental conditions, in order to assess landslide hazard probability. Here we provide the first radiocarbon dates of hemipelagic sediment overlying mass transport deposits and inferred failure surfaces of the Currituck Slide Complex (CSC), a prominent landslide scar on the U.S. mid-AtlanticAuthorsJason Chaytor, Uri S. ten Brink, Christopher D. P. BaxterSeafloor observations eliminate a landslide as the source of the 1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami
The 11 October 1918 devastating tsunami in northwest Puerto Rico had been used as an example for earthquake‐induced landslide tsunami hazard. Three pieces of evidence pointed to a landslide as the origin of the tsunami: the discovery of a large submarine landslide scar from bathymetry data collected by shipboard high‐resolution multibeam sonar, reported breaks of submarine cable within the scar, aAuthorsUri S. ten Brink, Jason Chaytor, Claudia Flores, Yong Wei, Simon Detmer, Lilian Lucas, Brian D. Andrews, Aggeliki GeorgiopoulouClimate change hotspots and implications for the global subsea telecommunications network
A global network of subsea telecommunications cables underpins our daily lives, enabling >95% of global digital data transfer, $trillions/day in financial trading, and providing critical communications links, particularly to remote, low-income countries. Despite their importance, subsea cables and their landing stations are vulnerable to damage by natural hazards, including storm surges, waves, cyAuthorsM.A. Clare, I.A. Yeo, L. Bricheno, Y Askenov, J. Browning, I.D. Haigh, T. Wahl, J. A. Hunter, C. Sams, Jason Chaytor, B.J. Bett, L. CarterMeasurements of Geologic Characteristics and Geophysical Properties of Sediments From the New England Mud Patch
The characterization of physical, geological, and geophysical properties of sediments within the New England Mud Patch (NEMP) was undertaken to provide a physical basis for acoustic inversions associated with the SeaBed Characterization EXperiment 2017 (SBCEX17). Using a suite of 89 sediment cores (piston/trigger, gravity [acoustic], and vibracore), a comprehensive database of laboratory-based sedAuthorsJason Chaytor, Meagan Ballard, Brian J. Buczkowski, John A. Goff, Kevin M. Lee, Allen Reed, Allyson Anne BoggessMature diffuse tectonic block boundary revealed by the 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence
Distributed faulting typically tends to coalesce into one or a few faults with repeated deformation. The progression of clustered medium-sized (≥Mw4.5) earthquakes during the 2020 seismic sequence in southwestern Puerto Rico (SWPR), modeling shoreline subsidence from InSAR, and sub-seafloor mapping by high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, suggest that the 2020 SWPR seismic sequence was dist
AuthorsUri S. ten Brink, L Vanacore, E. J. Fielding, Jason Chaytor, A.M. Lopez-Venegas, Wayne E. Baldwin, David S. Foster, Brian D. AndrewsSubaqueous mass movements in the context of observations of contemporary slope failure
The consequences of subaqueous landslides have been at the forefront of societal conscience more than ever in the last few years, with devastating and fatal events in the Indonesian Archipelago making global news. The new research presented in this volume demonstrates the breadth of ongoing investigation into subaqueous landslides, and shows that while events like the recent ones can be devastatinAuthorsJ.J. Mountjoy, Aggeliki Georgiopoulou, Jason Chaytor, M.A. Clare, D. Gamboa, J. Moernaut - News