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Joshua Logan

Physical Scientist with the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Science and Products

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Photo of a wildfire-burned hillside in California

Post-Fire Sediment Research at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California, has been growing our post-fire research contributions since 2017, through studies of post-fire sediment movement that address the Natural Hazards Mission Area objectives for understanding wildfire hazards.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Land Management Research Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wildland Fire Science
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Post-Fire Sediment Research at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California, has been growing our post-fire research contributions since 2017, through studies of post-fire sediment movement that address the Natural Hazards Mission Area objectives for understanding wildfire hazards.
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 33

Bathymetry and Acoustic Backscatter data for Jenkinson Lake, California collected during three USGS field activities, 2022-604-FA, 2022-649-FA, and 2023-634-FA

Bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data were collected during three separate SWATHPlus surveys of Jenkinson Lake, California to determine any impacts on the lake floor following the 2021 Caldor fire. Data were collected and processed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) with fieldwork activity numbers 2022-604-FA (January 2022), 2022-649-FA (Augu
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Digital Surface Models and orthomosaic images from UAS surveys of Jenkinson Lake, El Dorado County, CA

This data release presents Digital Surface Models (DSM) and orthomosaic images derived from uncrewed aerial system (UAS) surveys conducted at Jenkinson Lake in El Dorado County, California. The surveys were conducted to perform repeat structure-from-motion topographic mapping at the upper end of the reservoir, near the inlets of Sly Park Creek and Hazel Creek, with the purpose of measuring sedimen
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico: 2018-2019 Calibration and GNSS Topography Survey Data

A digital video camera was installed at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico (PR) and faced northeast along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from February 1, 2019, to July 15, 2019, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. This data release includes the necessary intrinsic orientation (IO) and extrinsic orientation (EO) calibration data to utiliz
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Waiakāne, Moloka'i, Hawai'i: 2018 Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data

A digital video camera was installed at Waiakāne, Moloka'i, Hawai'i (HI) and faced west along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from June 26, 2018, to September 20, 2018, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. One such product is a "runup timestack". Runup timestacks are images created by sampling a cross-shore array of pixels from
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Waiakāne, Moloka'i, Hawai'i: 2018 Calibration and GNSS Topography Survey Data

A digital video camera was installed at Waiakāne, Moloka'i, Hawai'i (HI) and faced west along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from June 26, 2018, to September 20, 2018, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. This data release includes the necessary intrinsic orientation (IO) and extrinsic orientation (EO) calibration data to utili
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico: Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data

A digital video camera was installed at Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico (PR) and faced west along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from August 27, 2019, to March 10, 2020, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. One such product is a "runup timestack". Runup timestacks are images created by sampling a cross-shore array of pixels fr
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico: Calibration and GNSS Topography Survey Data

A digital video camera was installed at Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico (PR), and faced west to view the beach and water offshore. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from August 27, 2019, to March 10, 2020, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. This data release includes the necessary intrinsic orientation (IO) and extrinsic orientation (EO)
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico: 2018-2019 Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data

A digital video camera was installed at Isla Verde Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR) and faced northeast along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from February 1, 2019, to July 15, 2019, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. One such product is a "runup timestack". Runup timestacks are images created by sampling a cross-shore arra
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Topographic survey data and digital elevation model of Oxbow Reservoir, Placer County, California, October 2022

This data release presents topographic survey data and a digital elevation model (DEM) of Oxbow Reservoir, in Placer County, California. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a topographic survey of accessible regions of the reservoir sediment on 26 October 2022, when the reservoir was partially de-watered to allow repairs to the dam infrastructure following the Mosquito Fire. The survey was
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Rain measurements in and near the Dolan Fire Area, Los Padres National Forest, California, 2022 to 2023

Rainfall measurements were collected in and near the Dolan Fire burn area, Los Padres National Forest, California. The CZU Fire ignited in Los Padres National Forest, California, on August 18, 2020. By the time of full containment on December 31, 2020, the fire had burned 518 km2 (128,050 acres) in Monterey County. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) installed seven rain gages in and near the Dolan
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS surveys of the beaches at Fort Stevens State Park, OR, and Cape Disappointment State Park, WA

This data release presents aerial imagery and structure-from-motion (SfM) data products from uncrewed aerial system (UAS) surveys conducted on the ocean beaches adjacent to the Columbia River Mouth at the Oregon-Washington border.  The surveys cover approximately 3 kilometers of Benson Beach at Cape Disappointment State Park north of the Columbia River mouth, in Washington, and 3 kilometers of the
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

3D bathymetric surfaces of low- and high-relief sites from the coral reef flat off Waiakane, Molokai

3D bathymetric surfaces of low- and high-relief sites from the coral reef flat off Waiakane, Molokai, were created using structure-from-motion (SfM) techniques. The two study sites are located approximately 640 m from shore and approximately 20 m apart in the alongshore direction. At each site, an approximate 12-meter diameter area was imaged in three passes by a swimmer using a handheld digital c
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Colored shaded-relief bathymetric map and surrounding aerial imagery of Whiskeytown Lake, California

The Carr wildfire began on July 23, 2018, and burned almost 300,000 acres (approximately half on Federal lands) in northern California during the subsequent 6-week period. Over 97 percent of the area within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, California, burned during the 2018 Carr wildfire, including the entire landscape that surrounds and drains into Whiskeytown Lake. Shortly after the Carr wi
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities
Computer-generated diagram made using lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern
Lidar image from point cloud
Lidar image from point cloud
Computer-generated diagram made using lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern

Lidar image from point cloud

Lidar image from point cloud

This is an example of a lidar image created from the “point cloud” that shows objects’ reflectivity near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Computer-generated diagram made using lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern

Lidar image from point cloud

Lidar image from point cloud

This is an example of a lidar image created from the “point cloud” that shows objects’ reflectivity near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Computer-generated diagram from lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern.
Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay
Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay
Computer-generated diagram from lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern.

Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay

Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay

A digital still image can be overlaid onto the lidar “point cloud” data to give it a realistic 3D look.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Computer-generated diagram from lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern.

Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay

Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay

A digital still image can be overlaid onto the lidar “point cloud” data to give it a realistic 3D look.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Man stands near and holds onto a large tripod with a lidar instrument mounted on top.
Lidar
Lidar
Man stands near and holds onto a large tripod with a lidar instrument mounted on top.

Lidar

Lidar

USGS Geographer Josh Logan sets up the lidar scanner near Capitola before the December 11, 2014 "Super Soaker" storm.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Man stands near and holds onto a large tripod with a lidar instrument mounted on top.

Lidar

Lidar

USGS Geographer Josh Logan sets up the lidar scanner near Capitola before the December 11, 2014 "Super Soaker" storm.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
A person stands far off in the distance on a gravelly bed with large pieces of tree and vegetation growing behind the person.
Surveying Elwha River bank
Surveying Elwha River bank
A person stands far off in the distance on a gravelly bed with large pieces of tree and vegetation growing behind the person.

Surveying Elwha River bank

Surveying Elwha River bank

After dam removal on the Elwha River, the site of a previous survey had finer grained sediment. Surveyor in the distance is James Starr of the USGS Washington Water Science Center.

By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
A person stands far off in the distance on a gravelly bed with large pieces of tree and vegetation growing behind the person.

Surveying Elwha River bank

Surveying Elwha River bank

After dam removal on the Elwha River, the site of a previous survey had finer grained sediment. Surveyor in the distance is James Starr of the USGS Washington Water Science Center.

By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
A computer rendering of a beach.
Lidar data shows change in beach profile
Lidar data shows change in beach profile
A computer rendering of a beach.

Lidar data shows change in beach profile

Lidar data shows change in beach profile

Lidar data collected in 2010 and 2012 showing a change in the beach profile. Spot marked by vertical arrow was about 1 meter (3 feet) higher after two years.

By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
A computer rendering of a beach.

Lidar data shows change in beach profile

Lidar data shows change in beach profile

Lidar data collected in 2010 and 2012 showing a change in the beach profile. Spot marked by vertical arrow was about 1 meter (3 feet) higher after two years.

By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Filter Total Items: 16

Post-fire sediment yield from a central California watershed: Field measurements and validation of the WEPP model

In a warming climate, an intensifying fire regime and higher likelihood of extreme rain are expected to increase watershed sediment yield in many regions. Understanding regional variability in landscape response to fire and post-fire rainfall is essential for managing water resources and infrastructure. We measured sediment yield resulting from sequential wildfire and extreme rain and flooding in
Authors
Amy E. East, Joshua B. Logan, Helen Willemien Dow, Douglas P. Smith, Pat Iampietro, Jonathan Warrick, Thomas Lorenson, Leticia Hallas, Benjamin Kozlowicz
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Seasonality of retreat rate of a wave-exposed marsh edge

Wave-driven erosion of marsh boundaries is a major cause of marsh loss, but little research has captured the effect of seasonal differences on marsh-edge retreat rates to illuminate temporal patterns of when the majority of this erosion is occurring. Using five surface models captured over a study year of a marsh with a steep escarped boundary in South San Francisco Bay, we find a pronounced seaso
Authors
Lukas T. WinklerPrins, Jessica R. Lacy, Mark T. Stacey, Joshua B. Logan, Andrew W. Stevens
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Combining field observations and high-resolution numerical modeling to demonstrate the effect of coral reef roughness on turbulence and its implications for reef restoration design

Coral reefs are effective natural barriers that protect adjacent coastal communities from hazards such as erosion and storm-induced flooding. However, the degradation of coral reefs compromises their ability to protect against these hazards, making degraded reefs a target for restoration. There have been limited field and numerical modeling studies conducted to understand how an increase in coral
Authors
Benjamin K Norris, Curt Storlazzi, Andrew W. M. Pomeroy, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Joshua B. Logan, Olivia Cheriton
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Wave-scale observations of sediment resuspension and subsequent transport across a fringing reef flat

During a 3-month deployment on a broad, fringing reef flat in Moloka’i, Hawai’i, we observed over 28,000 wave-driven resuspension (WDR) events of coarse-grained sediment in order to identify major factors. These events were short-lived (2-11 s) and distinct from the longer-duration patterns of water-column backscatter. The wave-driven transport of WDR events was onshore, but the net cross-shore tr
Authors
Olivia Cheriton, Curt Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Joshua B. Logan, Andrew W. M. Pomeroy, Mark L. Buckley, Jeff E. Hansen, Ryan J. Lowe
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Wave-scale observations of coarse-grained sediment resuspension and subsequent transport across a fringing reef flat, Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi, USA

During a 3-month deployment on a broad, fringing reef flat in Moloka’i, Hawai’i, we observed over 28,000 wave-driven resuspension (WDR) events of coarse-grained sediment in order to identify major factors. These events were short-lived (2-11 s) and distinct from the longer-duration patterns of water-column backscatter. The wave-driven transport of WDR events was onshore, but the net cross-shore tr
Authors
Olivia Cheriton, Curt Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Joshua B. Logan, Andrew W. M. Pomeroy, Mark L. Buckley, Jeff E. Hansen, Ryan J. Lowe
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Observations of coastal circulation, waves, and sediment transport along West Maui, Hawaiʻi (November 2017– March 2018), and modeling effects of potential watershed restoration on decreasing sediment loads to adjacent coral reefs

Terrestrial sediment discharging from watersheds off West Maui, Hawaiʻi, has been documented as a primary stressor to local coral reefs, causing coral reef health to decline. The U.S. Geological Survey acquired and analyzed physical oceanographic and sedimentologic field data off the coast of West Maui to calibrate and validate physics-based, numerical hydrodynamic and sediment transport models of
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia M. Cheriton, Katherine M. Cronin, Luuk H. van der Heijden, Gundula Winter, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Joshua B. Logan, Robert T. McCall
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Six years of fluvial response to a large dam removal on the Carmel River, California, USA

Measuring river response to dam removal affords a rare, important opportunity to study fluvial response to sediment pulses on a large field scale. We present a before–after/control–impact study of the Carmel River, California, measuring fluvial geomorphic and grain-size evolution over 8 years, six of which postdated removal of a 32 m-high dam (one of the largest dams removed worldwide) and include
Authors
Amy E. East, Lee R. Harrison, Douglas P. Smith, Joshua B. Logan, Rosealea Bond
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Watershed sediment yield following the 2018 Carr Fire, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, northern California

Wildfire risk has increased in recent decades over many regions, due to warming climate and other factors. Increased sediment export from recently burned landscapes can jeopardize downstream infrastructure and water resources, but physical landscape response to fire has not been quantified for some at-risk areas, including much of northern California, USA. We measured sediment yield from three wat
Authors
Amy E. East, Joshua B. Logan, Peter Dartnell, Oren Lieber-Kotz, David B. Cavagnaro, Scott W. McCoy, Donald N. Lindsay
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Sediment Lab Suite and Carbon Analysis Laboratory, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Physicochemical controls on zones of higher coral stress where Black Band Disease occurs at Mākua Reef, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi

Pervasive and sustained coral diseases contribute to the systemic degradation of reef ecosystems, however, to date an understanding of the physicochemical controls on a coral disease event is still largely lacking. Water circulation and residence times and submarine groundwater discharge all determine the degree to which reef organisms are exposed to the variable chemistry of overlying waters; und
Authors
Ferdinand Oberle, Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Cheriton, Renee K. Takesue, Daniel J. Hoover, Joshua B. Logan, Christina M. Runyon, Christina A. Kellogg, Cordell Johnson, Peter W. Swarzenski
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Characterizing the catastrophic 2017 Mud Creek Landslide, California, using repeat Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry

Along the rugged coast of Big Sur, California, the Mud Creek landslide failed catastrophically on May 20, 2017 and destroyed over 400 m of scenic California State Highway 1. We collected structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry data using airborne platforms that, when combined with existing airborne lidar data, revealed that the area exhibited significant topographic change and displacement befo

Authors
Jonathan Warrick, Andrew C. Ritchie, Mark E. Reid, Kevin M. Schmidt, Joshua B. Logan
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Big Sur Landslides

Geomorphic evolution of a gravel‐bed river under sediment‐starved vs. sediment‐rich conditions: River response to the world's largest dam removal

Understanding river response to sediment pulses is a fundamental problem in geomorphic process studies, with myriad implications for river management. However, because large sediment pulses are rare and usually unanticipated, they are seldom studied at field scale. We examine fluvial response to a massive (~20 Mt) sediment pulse released by the largest dam removal globally, on the Elwha River, Was

Authors
Amy E. East, Joshua B. Logan, Mark C. Mastin, Andrew C. Ritchie, Jennifer A. Bountry, Christopher S. Magirl, Joel B. Sankey
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

River response to large‐dam removal in a Mediterranean hydroclimatic setting: Carmel River, California, USA

Dam removal provides a valuable opportunity to measure the fluvial response to changes in both sediment supply and the processes that shape channel morphology. We present the first study of river response to the removal of a large (32‐m‐high) dam in a Mediterranean hydroclimatic setting, on the Carmel River, coastal California, USA. This before‐after/control‐impact study measured changes in channe
Authors
Lee R. Harrison, Amy E. East, Douglas P. Smith, Joshua B. Logan, Rosealea Bond, Colin L. Nicol, Thomas H. Williams, David A. Boughton, Kaitlyn Chow, Lauren Luna
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Agisoft Metashape/Photoscan Automated Image Alignment and Error Reduction version 2.0

This repository contains python scripts which automate image alignment and sparse point cloud error reduction in the Agisoft Metashape/Photoscan structure from motion photogrammetry software package using the Agisoft Metashape Python API. The current version of the script (version 2.0) approximates the workflow described in U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2021-1039 (Over et al., 2021). The
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Wildfire and Extreme Rain Intensify Erosion and Sediment Flow, USGS-led Study Shows

Wildfire and Extreme Rain Intensify Erosion and Sediment Flow, USGS-led Study Shows

In a warming climate, increased wildfire activity coupled with extreme rain events is causing significant erosion, leading to heightened sediment flow...

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Study Finds Seasonal Differences in Marshland Erosion in South San Francisco Bay

Study Finds Seasonal Differences in Marshland Erosion in South San Francisco Bay

Erosion of marsh boundaries by waves is a major cause of marsh loss, but little research has captured the effect of seasonal differences on marsh-edge...

Read Article
Carmel River: An Approach To Dam Removal To Minimize Downstream Impacts

Carmel River: An Approach To Dam Removal To Minimize Downstream Impacts

New research from USGS, NOAA, and California State University examines the fluvial response of California’s Carmel River in the six years following...

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How USGS Coral Research in Puerto Rico Captured Rare Oceanographic Data from Hurricane Maria

How USGS Coral Research in Puerto Rico Captured Rare Oceanographic Data from Hurricane Maria

A team of USGS researchers and partners in Puerto Rico studying corals in 2017 wasn’t intending to gain unique insight into the interaction between...

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Science and Products

link
Photo of a wildfire-burned hillside in California

Post-Fire Sediment Research at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California, has been growing our post-fire research contributions since 2017, through studies of post-fire sediment movement that address the Natural Hazards Mission Area objectives for understanding wildfire hazards.
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Land Management Research Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Wildland Fire Science
link

Post-Fire Sediment Research at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) in Santa Cruz, California, has been growing our post-fire research contributions since 2017, through studies of post-fire sediment movement that address the Natural Hazards Mission Area objectives for understanding wildfire hazards.
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 33

Bathymetry and Acoustic Backscatter data for Jenkinson Lake, California collected during three USGS field activities, 2022-604-FA, 2022-649-FA, and 2023-634-FA

Bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data were collected during three separate SWATHPlus surveys of Jenkinson Lake, California to determine any impacts on the lake floor following the 2021 Caldor fire. Data were collected and processed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) with fieldwork activity numbers 2022-604-FA (January 2022), 2022-649-FA (Augu
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Digital Surface Models and orthomosaic images from UAS surveys of Jenkinson Lake, El Dorado County, CA

This data release presents Digital Surface Models (DSM) and orthomosaic images derived from uncrewed aerial system (UAS) surveys conducted at Jenkinson Lake in El Dorado County, California. The surveys were conducted to perform repeat structure-from-motion topographic mapping at the upper end of the reservoir, near the inlets of Sly Park Creek and Hazel Creek, with the purpose of measuring sedimen
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico: 2018-2019 Calibration and GNSS Topography Survey Data

A digital video camera was installed at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico (PR) and faced northeast along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from February 1, 2019, to July 15, 2019, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. This data release includes the necessary intrinsic orientation (IO) and extrinsic orientation (EO) calibration data to utiliz
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Waiakāne, Moloka'i, Hawai'i: 2018 Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data

A digital video camera was installed at Waiakāne, Moloka'i, Hawai'i (HI) and faced west along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from June 26, 2018, to September 20, 2018, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. One such product is a "runup timestack". Runup timestacks are images created by sampling a cross-shore array of pixels from
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Waiakāne, Moloka'i, Hawai'i: 2018 Calibration and GNSS Topography Survey Data

A digital video camera was installed at Waiakāne, Moloka'i, Hawai'i (HI) and faced west along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from June 26, 2018, to September 20, 2018, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. This data release includes the necessary intrinsic orientation (IO) and extrinsic orientation (EO) calibration data to utili
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico: Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data

A digital video camera was installed at Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico (PR) and faced west along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from August 27, 2019, to March 10, 2020, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. One such product is a "runup timestack". Runup timestacks are images created by sampling a cross-shore array of pixels fr
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico: Calibration and GNSS Topography Survey Data

A digital video camera was installed at Tres Palmas, Rincón, Puerto Rico (PR), and faced west to view the beach and water offshore. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from August 27, 2019, to March 10, 2020, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. This data release includes the necessary intrinsic orientation (IO) and extrinsic orientation (EO)
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

USGS CoastCam at Isla Verde, Puerto Rico: 2018-2019 Timestack Imagery and Coordinate Data

A digital video camera was installed at Isla Verde Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico (PR) and faced northeast along the beach. Every hour during daylight hours, daily from February 1, 2019, to July 15, 2019, the camera collected raw video and produced snapshots and time-averaged image products. One such product is a "runup timestack". Runup timestacks are images created by sampling a cross-shore arra
By
St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Topographic survey data and digital elevation model of Oxbow Reservoir, Placer County, California, October 2022

This data release presents topographic survey data and a digital elevation model (DEM) of Oxbow Reservoir, in Placer County, California. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a topographic survey of accessible regions of the reservoir sediment on 26 October 2022, when the reservoir was partially de-watered to allow repairs to the dam infrastructure following the Mosquito Fire. The survey was
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Rain measurements in and near the Dolan Fire Area, Los Padres National Forest, California, 2022 to 2023

Rainfall measurements were collected in and near the Dolan Fire burn area, Los Padres National Forest, California. The CZU Fire ignited in Los Padres National Forest, California, on August 18, 2020. By the time of full containment on December 31, 2020, the fire had burned 518 km2 (128,050 acres) in Monterey County. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) installed seven rain gages in and near the Dolan
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS surveys of the beaches at Fort Stevens State Park, OR, and Cape Disappointment State Park, WA

This data release presents aerial imagery and structure-from-motion (SfM) data products from uncrewed aerial system (UAS) surveys conducted on the ocean beaches adjacent to the Columbia River Mouth at the Oregon-Washington border.  The surveys cover approximately 3 kilometers of Benson Beach at Cape Disappointment State Park north of the Columbia River mouth, in Washington, and 3 kilometers of the
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

3D bathymetric surfaces of low- and high-relief sites from the coral reef flat off Waiakane, Molokai

3D bathymetric surfaces of low- and high-relief sites from the coral reef flat off Waiakane, Molokai, were created using structure-from-motion (SfM) techniques. The two study sites are located approximately 640 m from shore and approximately 20 m apart in the alongshore direction. At each site, an approximate 12-meter diameter area was imaged in three passes by a swimmer using a handheld digital c
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Colored shaded-relief bathymetric map and surrounding aerial imagery of Whiskeytown Lake, California

The Carr wildfire began on July 23, 2018, and burned almost 300,000 acres (approximately half on Federal lands) in northern California during the subsequent 6-week period. Over 97 percent of the area within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, California, burned during the 2018 Carr wildfire, including the entire landscape that surrounds and drains into Whiskeytown Lake. Shortly after the Carr wi
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities
Computer-generated diagram made using lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern
Lidar image from point cloud
Lidar image from point cloud
Computer-generated diagram made using lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern

Lidar image from point cloud

Lidar image from point cloud

This is an example of a lidar image created from the “point cloud” that shows objects’ reflectivity near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Computer-generated diagram made using lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern

Lidar image from point cloud

Lidar image from point cloud

This is an example of a lidar image created from the “point cloud” that shows objects’ reflectivity near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Computer-generated diagram from lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern.
Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay
Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay
Computer-generated diagram from lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern.

Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay

Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay

A digital still image can be overlaid onto the lidar “point cloud” data to give it a realistic 3D look.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Computer-generated diagram from lidar data shows beach, amusement park, river, and cliff with houses in a stippled pattern.

Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay

Lidar point cloud with digital still image overlay

A digital still image can be overlaid onto the lidar “point cloud” data to give it a realistic 3D look.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Man stands near and holds onto a large tripod with a lidar instrument mounted on top.
Lidar
Lidar
Man stands near and holds onto a large tripod with a lidar instrument mounted on top.

Lidar

Lidar

USGS Geographer Josh Logan sets up the lidar scanner near Capitola before the December 11, 2014 "Super Soaker" storm.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Man stands near and holds onto a large tripod with a lidar instrument mounted on top.

Lidar

Lidar

USGS Geographer Josh Logan sets up the lidar scanner near Capitola before the December 11, 2014 "Super Soaker" storm.

By
Natural Hazards, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
A person stands far off in the distance on a gravelly bed with large pieces of tree and vegetation growing behind the person.
Surveying Elwha River bank
Surveying Elwha River bank
A person stands far off in the distance on a gravelly bed with large pieces of tree and vegetation growing behind the person.

Surveying Elwha River bank

Surveying Elwha River bank

After dam removal on the Elwha River, the site of a previous survey had finer grained sediment. Surveyor in the distance is James Starr of the USGS Washington Water Science Center.

By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
A person stands far off in the distance on a gravelly bed with large pieces of tree and vegetation growing behind the person.

Surveying Elwha River bank

Surveying Elwha River bank

After dam removal on the Elwha River, the site of a previous survey had finer grained sediment. Surveyor in the distance is James Starr of the USGS Washington Water Science Center.

By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
A computer rendering of a beach.
Lidar data shows change in beach profile
Lidar data shows change in beach profile
A computer rendering of a beach.

Lidar data shows change in beach profile

Lidar data shows change in beach profile

Lidar data collected in 2010 and 2012 showing a change in the beach profile. Spot marked by vertical arrow was about 1 meter (3 feet) higher after two years.

By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
A computer rendering of a beach.

Lidar data shows change in beach profile

Lidar data shows change in beach profile

Lidar data collected in 2010 and 2012 showing a change in the beach profile. Spot marked by vertical arrow was about 1 meter (3 feet) higher after two years.

By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Filter Total Items: 16

Post-fire sediment yield from a central California watershed: Field measurements and validation of the WEPP model

In a warming climate, an intensifying fire regime and higher likelihood of extreme rain are expected to increase watershed sediment yield in many regions. Understanding regional variability in landscape response to fire and post-fire rainfall is essential for managing water resources and infrastructure. We measured sediment yield resulting from sequential wildfire and extreme rain and flooding in
Authors
Amy E. East, Joshua B. Logan, Helen Willemien Dow, Douglas P. Smith, Pat Iampietro, Jonathan Warrick, Thomas Lorenson, Leticia Hallas, Benjamin Kozlowicz
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Seasonality of retreat rate of a wave-exposed marsh edge

Wave-driven erosion of marsh boundaries is a major cause of marsh loss, but little research has captured the effect of seasonal differences on marsh-edge retreat rates to illuminate temporal patterns of when the majority of this erosion is occurring. Using five surface models captured over a study year of a marsh with a steep escarped boundary in South San Francisco Bay, we find a pronounced seaso
Authors
Lukas T. WinklerPrins, Jessica R. Lacy, Mark T. Stacey, Joshua B. Logan, Andrew W. Stevens
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Combining field observations and high-resolution numerical modeling to demonstrate the effect of coral reef roughness on turbulence and its implications for reef restoration design

Coral reefs are effective natural barriers that protect adjacent coastal communities from hazards such as erosion and storm-induced flooding. However, the degradation of coral reefs compromises their ability to protect against these hazards, making degraded reefs a target for restoration. There have been limited field and numerical modeling studies conducted to understand how an increase in coral
Authors
Benjamin K Norris, Curt Storlazzi, Andrew W. M. Pomeroy, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Joshua B. Logan, Olivia Cheriton
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Wave-scale observations of sediment resuspension and subsequent transport across a fringing reef flat

During a 3-month deployment on a broad, fringing reef flat in Moloka’i, Hawai’i, we observed over 28,000 wave-driven resuspension (WDR) events of coarse-grained sediment in order to identify major factors. These events were short-lived (2-11 s) and distinct from the longer-duration patterns of water-column backscatter. The wave-driven transport of WDR events was onshore, but the net cross-shore tr
Authors
Olivia Cheriton, Curt Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Joshua B. Logan, Andrew W. M. Pomeroy, Mark L. Buckley, Jeff E. Hansen, Ryan J. Lowe
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Wave-scale observations of coarse-grained sediment resuspension and subsequent transport across a fringing reef flat, Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi, USA

During a 3-month deployment on a broad, fringing reef flat in Moloka’i, Hawai’i, we observed over 28,000 wave-driven resuspension (WDR) events of coarse-grained sediment in order to identify major factors. These events were short-lived (2-11 s) and distinct from the longer-duration patterns of water-column backscatter. The wave-driven transport of WDR events was onshore, but the net cross-shore tr
Authors
Olivia Cheriton, Curt Storlazzi, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Joshua B. Logan, Andrew W. M. Pomeroy, Mark L. Buckley, Jeff E. Hansen, Ryan J. Lowe
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Observations of coastal circulation, waves, and sediment transport along West Maui, Hawaiʻi (November 2017– March 2018), and modeling effects of potential watershed restoration on decreasing sediment loads to adjacent coral reefs

Terrestrial sediment discharging from watersheds off West Maui, Hawaiʻi, has been documented as a primary stressor to local coral reefs, causing coral reef health to decline. The U.S. Geological Survey acquired and analyzed physical oceanographic and sedimentologic field data off the coast of West Maui to calibrate and validate physics-based, numerical hydrodynamic and sediment transport models of
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia M. Cheriton, Katherine M. Cronin, Luuk H. van der Heijden, Gundula Winter, Kurt J. Rosenberger, Joshua B. Logan, Robert T. McCall
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Six years of fluvial response to a large dam removal on the Carmel River, California, USA

Measuring river response to dam removal affords a rare, important opportunity to study fluvial response to sediment pulses on a large field scale. We present a before–after/control–impact study of the Carmel River, California, measuring fluvial geomorphic and grain-size evolution over 8 years, six of which postdated removal of a 32 m-high dam (one of the largest dams removed worldwide) and include
Authors
Amy E. East, Lee R. Harrison, Douglas P. Smith, Joshua B. Logan, Rosealea Bond
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Watershed sediment yield following the 2018 Carr Fire, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, northern California

Wildfire risk has increased in recent decades over many regions, due to warming climate and other factors. Increased sediment export from recently burned landscapes can jeopardize downstream infrastructure and water resources, but physical landscape response to fire has not been quantified for some at-risk areas, including much of northern California, USA. We measured sediment yield from three wat
Authors
Amy E. East, Joshua B. Logan, Peter Dartnell, Oren Lieber-Kotz, David B. Cavagnaro, Scott W. McCoy, Donald N. Lindsay
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Sediment Lab Suite and Carbon Analysis Laboratory, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Physicochemical controls on zones of higher coral stress where Black Band Disease occurs at Mākua Reef, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi

Pervasive and sustained coral diseases contribute to the systemic degradation of reef ecosystems, however, to date an understanding of the physicochemical controls on a coral disease event is still largely lacking. Water circulation and residence times and submarine groundwater discharge all determine the degree to which reef organisms are exposed to the variable chemistry of overlying waters; und
Authors
Ferdinand Oberle, Curt D. Storlazzi, Olivia Cheriton, Renee K. Takesue, Daniel J. Hoover, Joshua B. Logan, Christina M. Runyon, Christina A. Kellogg, Cordell Johnson, Peter W. Swarzenski
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Characterizing the catastrophic 2017 Mud Creek Landslide, California, using repeat Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry

Along the rugged coast of Big Sur, California, the Mud Creek landslide failed catastrophically on May 20, 2017 and destroyed over 400 m of scenic California State Highway 1. We collected structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry data using airborne platforms that, when combined with existing airborne lidar data, revealed that the area exhibited significant topographic change and displacement befo

Authors
Jonathan Warrick, Andrew C. Ritchie, Mark E. Reid, Kevin M. Schmidt, Joshua B. Logan
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Big Sur Landslides

Geomorphic evolution of a gravel‐bed river under sediment‐starved vs. sediment‐rich conditions: River response to the world's largest dam removal

Understanding river response to sediment pulses is a fundamental problem in geomorphic process studies, with myriad implications for river management. However, because large sediment pulses are rare and usually unanticipated, they are seldom studied at field scale. We examine fluvial response to a massive (~20 Mt) sediment pulse released by the largest dam removal globally, on the Elwha River, Was

Authors
Amy E. East, Joshua B. Logan, Mark C. Mastin, Andrew C. Ritchie, Jennifer A. Bountry, Christopher S. Magirl, Joel B. Sankey
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

River response to large‐dam removal in a Mediterranean hydroclimatic setting: Carmel River, California, USA

Dam removal provides a valuable opportunity to measure the fluvial response to changes in both sediment supply and the processes that shape channel morphology. We present the first study of river response to the removal of a large (32‐m‐high) dam in a Mediterranean hydroclimatic setting, on the Carmel River, coastal California, USA. This before‐after/control‐impact study measured changes in channe
Authors
Lee R. Harrison, Amy E. East, Douglas P. Smith, Joshua B. Logan, Rosealea Bond, Colin L. Nicol, Thomas H. Williams, David A. Boughton, Kaitlyn Chow, Lauren Luna
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Agisoft Metashape/Photoscan Automated Image Alignment and Error Reduction version 2.0

This repository contains python scripts which automate image alignment and sparse point cloud error reduction in the Agisoft Metashape/Photoscan structure from motion photogrammetry software package using the Agisoft Metashape Python API. The current version of the script (version 2.0) approximates the workflow described in U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2021-1039 (Over et al., 2021). The
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Wildfire and Extreme Rain Intensify Erosion and Sediment Flow, USGS-led Study Shows

Wildfire and Extreme Rain Intensify Erosion and Sediment Flow, USGS-led Study Shows

In a warming climate, increased wildfire activity coupled with extreme rain events is causing significant erosion, leading to heightened sediment flow...

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Study Finds Seasonal Differences in Marshland Erosion in South San Francisco Bay

Study Finds Seasonal Differences in Marshland Erosion in South San Francisco Bay

Erosion of marsh boundaries by waves is a major cause of marsh loss, but little research has captured the effect of seasonal differences on marsh-edge...

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Carmel River: An Approach To Dam Removal To Minimize Downstream Impacts

Carmel River: An Approach To Dam Removal To Minimize Downstream Impacts

New research from USGS, NOAA, and California State University examines the fluvial response of California’s Carmel River in the six years following...

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How USGS Coral Research in Puerto Rico Captured Rare Oceanographic Data from Hurricane Maria

How USGS Coral Research in Puerto Rico Captured Rare Oceanographic Data from Hurricane Maria

A team of USGS researchers and partners in Puerto Rico studying corals in 2017 wasn’t intending to gain unique insight into the interaction between...

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