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Kai Parker

Coastal Oceanographer with the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Kai Parker has been a coastal Oceanographer with the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz since 2020 as part of the Climate Impacts and Coastal Processes Team.  His research focuses on a wide variety of coastal hazards, including shoreline erosion, flooding, coastal processes, and the effects of climate change on coastlines. He is particularly interested in developing products, resources, and science that can help communities adapt to changing environments.

Professional Experience

  • 2020-present - Oceanographer, United States Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, CA. Research on all types of coastal hazards topics but primarily focused on climate change impacts to flooding.

  • 2019-2020 – Fulbright, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile. Visiting researcher exploring Chilean shoreline erosion hazards as controlled by processes ranging from shifting wave climate to tectonic uplift.

  • 2013-2018 – Graduate Teaching Instructor, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. Teaching assistant and lecturer across a variety of courses. Development of evidence-based teaching practices through the Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching program.

  • 2012-2013 – Coastal Engineer, Moffatt & Nichol, San Diego, CA. Diverse analysis focused on quantification and engineering solutions to coastal hazards including shoreline erosion, river/estuary processes and sea-level rise.

  • 2011 – Research / Marine Tech Internship, University of California: Davis, Bodega Bay Marine Lab, CA.  Research primarily on estuarine processes and observational oceanography including deployment, repair, and data analysis for an assortment of oceanographic instruments

Education and Certifications

  • 2018: Ph.D., Coastal and Ocean Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR

  • 2012: B.S., Civil Engineering, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA

Science and Products

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High coastal arctic bluff with broken chunks, some that are ready to fall into the crashing waves, and some that have fallen.

Coastal Climate Impacts

The impacts of climate change and sea-level rise around the Pacific and Arctic Oceans can vary tremendously. Thus far the vast majority of national and international impact assessments and models of coastal climate change have focused on low-relief coastlines that are not near seismically active zones. Furthermore, the degree to which extreme waves and wind will add further stress to coastal...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Coastal Climate Impacts

The impacts of climate change and sea-level rise around the Pacific and Arctic Oceans can vary tremendously. Thus far the vast majority of national and international impact assessments and models of coastal climate change have focused on low-relief coastlines that are not near seismically active zones. Furthermore, the degree to which extreme waves and wind will add further stress to coastal...
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An interactive mapping application in which the user can choose parameters from the menus to create a computer model of flooding

Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS)

The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions of storm-induced coastal flooding, erosion, and cliff failures over large geographic scales. CoSMoS was developed for hindcast studies, operational applications and future climate scenarios to provide emergency responders and coastal planners with critical storm-hazards information that can be used to increase public safety...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS)

The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) makes detailed predictions of storm-induced coastal flooding, erosion, and cliff failures over large geographic scales. CoSMoS was developed for hindcast studies, operational applications and future climate scenarios to provide emergency responders and coastal planners with critical storm-hazards information that can be used to increase public safety...
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Model input and projections of compound floodwater depths for the lower Nooksack River and delta, western Washington State

Model input and computed flood depths associated with the combined influence of sea level position, tides, storm surge, and streamflow under existing conditions and projected future higher sea level and peak stream runoff are provided for the lower (Reach 1) of the Nooksack River and delta in Whatcom County, western Washington State. The flood-depth projection data are provided in a series of rast
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Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Future coastal hazards along the U.S. Atlantic coast

This product consists of several datasets that map future coastal flooding and erosion hazards due to sea level rise (SLR) and storms for three States (Florida, Georgia, and Virginia) along the Atlantic coast of the United States. The SLR scenarios encompass a plausible range of projections by 2100 based on the best available science and with enough resolution to support a suite of different plann
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Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Future coastal hazards along the U.S. North and South Carolina coasts

This product consists of several datasets that map future coastal flooding and erosion hazards due to sea level rise (SLR) and storms along the North and South Carolina coast. The SLR scenarios encompass a plausible range of projections by 2100 based on the best available, science and with enough resolution to support a suite of different planning horizons. The storm scenarios are derived with the
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Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Ocean wave time-series data simulated with a global-scale numerical wave model under the influence of projected CMIP6 wind and sea ice fields

This dataset contains projected hourly time-series data of waves at distinct points along all open U.S. coasts for years 2020-2050. The 'projections' (estimates of long-term future conditions) were developed by running the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) WAVEWATCHIII wave model forced with winds and sea ice cover from seven separate high-resolution Global Climate / General
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Relative contributions of water-level components to extreme water levels along the US Southeast Atlantic Coast from a regional-scale water-level hindcast

A 38-year hindcast water level product is developed for the U.S. Southeast Atlantic coastline from the entrance of Chesapeake Bay to the southeast tip of Florida. The water level modelling framework utilized in this study combines a global-scale hydrodynamic model (Global Tide and Surge Model, GTSM-ERA5), a novel ensemble-based tide model, a parameterized wave setup model, and statistical correcti
Authors
Kai Alexander Parker, Li H. Erikson, Jennifer Anne Thomas, Kees Nederhoff, Patrick L. Barnard, Sanne Muis
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Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Rapid modeling of compound flooding across broad coastal regions and the necessity to include rainfall driven processes: A case study of Hurricane Florence (2018)

In this work, we show that large-scale compound flood models developed for North and South Carolina, USA, can skillfully simulate multiple drivers of coastal flooding as confirmed by measurements collected during Hurricane Florence (2018). Besides the accuracy of representing observed water levels, the importance of individual processes was investigated. We demonstrate that across the area of inte
Authors
Tim Leijnse, Kees Nederhoff, Jennifer Anne Thomas, Kai Alexander Parker, Maarten van Ormondt, Li H. Erikson, Robert T. McCall, Ap van Dongeren, Andrea C. O'Neill, Patrick L. Barnard
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Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Science and Products