Kara Doran
Science and Products
Real-Time Storm Response
Coastal change forecasts and pre- and post-storm photos documenting coastal change for landfalling storms.
Operational Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecasts
The viewer shows predictions of the timing and magnitude of water levels at the shoreline and potential impacts to coastal dunes.
Scenario-Based Assessments for Coastal Change Hazard Forecasts
A decade of USGS research on storm-driven coastal change hazards has provided the data and modeling capabilities needed to identify areas of our coastline that are likely to experience extreme and potentially hazardous erosion during an extreme storm.
National Assessment of Storm-Induced Coastal Change Hazards
This project focuses on understanding the magnitude and variability of extreme storm impacts on sandy beaches. The overall objective is to improve real-time and scenario-based predictions of coastal change to support management of coastal infrastructure, resources, and safety.
Comparing methods used by the U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program for deriving shoreline position from lidar data
The U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program uses three methods to derive a datum-based, mean high water shoreline on open-ocean coasts from light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation surveys. This work compared the shorelines produced by the three methods for two different surveys: one survey with simple beach morphology, and...
Farris, Amy S.; Weber, Kathryn M.; Doran, Kara S.; List, Jeffrey H.
Examples of storm impacts on barrier islands: Chapter 4
This chapter focuses on the morphologic variability of barrier islands and on the differences in storm response. It describes different types of barrier island response to individual storms, as well as the integrated response of barrier islands to many storms. The chapter considers case study on the Chandeleur Island chain, where a decadal time...
Plant, Nathaniel G.; Doran, Kara S.; Stockdon, Hilary F. EAARL coastal topography—northwest Florida, post-Hurricane Katrina, 2005
These datasets, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, provide lidar-derived first-surface and bare-earth topography for a portion of northwest Florida. Elevation measurements were acquired by the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL) in September 2005, immediately following...
Fredericks, Alexandra M.; Kranenburg, Christine; Doran, Kara Lidar-derived beach morphology (dune crest, dune toe, and shoreline) for U.S. sandy coastlines
The USGS National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards project aims to identify areas of the nation’s coastline that are most vulnerable to extreme storms and long-term shoreline change. These assessments require coastal elevation data across diverse geographic regions and covering a time span of many years. The datasets published here,...
Doran, Kara; Long, Joseph W.; Birchler, Justin; Brenner, Owen T.; Hardy, Matthew; Morgan, Karen L. M.; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Torres, Miguel Loubriel Hurricane Matthew overwash extents
The National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards project exists to understand and predict storm impacts to our nation's coastlines. This data defines the alongshore extent of overwash deposits attributed to coastal processes during Hurricane Matthew.
Doran, Kara; Long, Joseph W.; Birchler, Justin; Range, Ginger Beach Slopes of New Jersey
The National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards project derives features of beach morphology from lidar elevation data for the purpose of understanding and predicting storm impacts to our nation's coastlines. This dataset defines mean beach slopes along the United States Northeast Atlantic Ocean for New Jersey for data collected at various times...
Doran, Kara; Long, Joseph W.; Birchler, Justin; Morgan, Karen L. M. EAARL Coastal Topography—Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida, June 2008
This dataset, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, provides first and last return elevation data collected during a June 24, 2008 airborne lidar survey for the Chandeleur Islands, LA, Dauphin Island, AL, Santa Rosa Island, FL, and Bon Secour, AL. Elevation measurements were collected...
Long, Joseph W.; Morgan, Karen L. M.; Doran, Kara EAARL Coastal Topography—Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama September 2006
This dataset, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, provides first and last return elevation data collected during a September 20-22, 2006 airborne lidar survey for the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, and Cat Island, Mississippi, through Dauphin Island, Alabama. Elevation measurements were...
Long, Joseph W.; Morgan, Karen L. M.; Doran, Kara EAARL Coastal Topography—Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, March 2006
This dataset, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, provides first and last return elevation data collected during a March 14-15, 2006 airborne lidar survey for the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, and Ship Island, Mississippi through Orange Beach, Alabama. Elevation measurements were collected over...
Long, Joseph W.; Morgan, Karen L. M.; Doran, Kara National assessment of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards—Gulf of Mexico update
These data sets contain information on the probabilities of hurricane-induced erosion (collision, inundation and overwash) for each 1-km section of the Gulf of Mexico coast for category 1-5 hurricanes. The analysis is based on a storm-impact scaling model that uses observations of beach morphology combined with sophisticated hydrodynamic models to...
Doran, Kara; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Thompson, David M.; Birchler, Justin; Plant, Nathaniel G.; Overbeck, Jacquelyn R. National assessment of hurricane-induced coastal erosion hazards—South Carolina to New Hampshire update
These data sets contain information on the probabilities of hurricane-induced erosion (collision, inundation and overwash) for each 1-km section of the U.S. coast for category 1–5 hurricanes. The analysis is based on a storm-impact scaling model that uses observations of beach morphology combined with sophisticated hydrodynamic models to predict...
Doran, Kara; Birchler, Justin; Stockdon, Hilary F.; Thompson, David M.; Morgan, Karen L. M.; Brenner, Owen T.
USGS: Hurricane surge likely to erode 75% of Florida Panhandle beaches
One-fourth of beachfront could be inundated by large storm waves, experts predict
To learn more about USGS’ role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Hurricane Michael, visit the USGS Hurricane Michael page at usgs.gov/hurricane-michael.
USGS: Hurricane surge likely to erode 75% of Florida Panhandle beaches
One-fourth of Florida Panhandle beachfront could be inundated by large storm waves, experts predict
To learn more about USGS’ role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Hurricane Michael, visit the USGS Hurricane Michael page at https://usgs.gov/hurricane-michael