Oceanographer with the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
Science and Products
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
Our research goals are to provide the scientific information, knowledge, and tools required to ensure that decisions about land and resource use, management practices, and future development in the coastal zone and adjacent watersheds can be evaluated with a complete understanding of the probable effects on coastal ecosystems and communities, and a full assessment of their vulnerability to natural...
Coral Reef Project
Explore the fascinating undersea world of coral reefs. Learn how we map, monitor, and model coral reefs so we can better understand, protect, and preserve our Nation's reefs.
Time-series data of water surface elevation, waves, currents, temperature, and turbidity collected between November 2017 and March 2018 off the west coast of Maui, Hawaii, USA
Time-series data of water surface elevation, waves, currents, temperature, and turbidity collected between November 2017 and March 2018 off the west coast of Maui, Hawaii, USA. The data are available in NetCDF format, grouped together in zip files by instrument site location. These data support a modeling study on the effects of potential watershed restoration on decreasing sediment loads to adjac
Cross-reef wave and water level data from coral reef environments
Coral reefs provide important protection for tropical coastlines against the impact of large waves and storm damage by energy dissipation through wave breaking and bottom friction. However, climate change and sea level rise have led to growing concern for how the hydrodynamics across these reefs will evolve and whether these changes will leave tropical coastlines more vulnerable to large wave even
Jurabi, Exmouth, Western Australia, 2016 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment
Carbonate reefs are a major source of sediment for coastlines in much of the tropical regions of the world, contributing to significant shoreline accretion and beach nourishment. A collaborative experiment between the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Western Australia was conducted on Ningaloo Reef, northwest Australia, to investigate this problem and determine the primary oceanographi
Waiakane, Molokai, HI, 2018 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment
Coral reefs generate significant volumes of carbonate sediment that becomes the primary source of beach material along many low-latitude shorelines that protect hundreds of millions of people globally. Despite this fact, there is little understanding of the specific processes that transport the carbonate sediment produced on the outer portions of coral reefs to the shoreline, let alone how those p
Observations of coral reef oceanographic and groundwater properties off Makua, Kauai, HI, USA, August 2016
Pervasive and sustained coral diseases contribute to the systemic degradation of reef ecosystems, however, 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; understandi
Time series data of oceanographic conditions from La Parguera, Puerto Rico, 2017-2018 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment
Time-series data of water surface elevation, waves, currents, temperature, and salinity collected between 17 May 2017 and 17 Jan 2018 off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico in support of a study on circulation and sediment transport dynamics over coral reefs. The data are available in NetCDF format, grouped together in zip files by instrument site location. A README.txt file details the files cont
Time-series oceanographic data from the Monterey Canyon, CA October 2015 - March 2017
Time-series data of water depth, velocity, turbidity, and temperature were acquired between 5 October 2015 and 21 March 2017 within the Monterey Canyon off of Monterey, CA, USA.
In order to better understand the triggering, progression and evolution of turbidity currents in Monterey Submarine Canyon, an experiment was designed to directly measure velocity, suspended sediment and physical water
Bathymetry, acoustic-backscatter, and time-series datasets collected between 2014 and 2016 of a field of crescent-shaped rippled scour depressions in northern Monterey Bay, California
Between November 2014 and June 2016 the U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) conducted eight repeat, high-resolution bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter surveys of a small patch of seafloor offshore Santa Cruz in northern Monterey Bay, California. PCMSC also collected oceanographic time-series data over the same two-year period. This data release provides the e
Data from coastal circulation and water-column properties in the National Park of American Samoa, February-July 2015
In 2015, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. National Park Service (NPS) researchers began a collaborative study to determine coastal circulation patterns and water-column properties along north-central Tutuila, in an area focused on NPSAs Tutuila Unit and its coral reef ecosystem. The continuous measurements of waves, currents, tides, and water-column properties (temperature and salinity) from
Filter Total Items: 22
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
Rapid observations of ocean dynamics and stratification along a steep island coast during Hurricane María
Hurricanes are extreme storms that affect coastal communities, but the linkages between hurricane forcing and ocean dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we present full water column observations at unprecedented resolution from the southwest Puerto Rico insular shelf and slope during Hurricane María, representing a rare set of high-frequency, subsurface, oceanographic observations collected al
Preconditioning by sediment accumulation can produce powerful turbidity currents without major external triggers
Turbidity currents dominate sediment transfer into the deep ocean, and can damage critical seabed infrastructure. It is commonly inferred that powerful turbidity currents are triggered by major external events, such as storms, river floods, or earthquakes. However, basic models for turbidity current triggering remain poorly tested, with few studies accurately recording precise flow timing. Here, w
The contribution of currents, sea-swell waves, and infragravity waves to suspended-sediment transport across a coral reef-lagoon system.
Coral reefs generate substantial volumes of carbonate sediment, which is redistributed throughout the reef‐lagoon system. However, there is little understanding of the specific processes that transport this sediment produced on the outer portions of coral reefs throughout a reef‐lagoon system. Furthermore, the separate contributions of currents, sea‐swell waves, and infragravity waves to transport
Spectral wave-driven bedload transport across a coral reef flat/lagoon complex
Coral reefs are an important source of sediment for reef-lined coasts by helping to maintain beaches while also providing protection in the form of wave energy dissipation. Understanding the mechanisms by which sediment is delivered to the coast as well as better constraining the total volumes generated are critical for projecting future coastal change. A month-long hydrodynamics and sediment tran
In situ observations of wave transformation and infragravity bore development across reef flats of varying geomorphology
The character and energetics of infragravity (IG, 25 s < period < 250 s) and very-low frequency (VLF, period > 250 s) waves over coral reef flats can enhance shoreline erosion or accretion, and also govern extreme shoreline events such as runup, overwash, and flooding on coral reef-lined coasts. Here we use in situ wave measurements collected along cross-reef transects at 7 sites on Pacific island
Lessons learned from monitoring of turbidity currents and guidance for future platform designs
Turbidity currents transport globally significant volumes of sediment and organic carbon into the deep-sea and pose a hazard to critical infrastructure. Despite advances in technology, their powerful nature often damages expensive instruments placed in their path. These challenges mean that turbidity currents have only been measured in a few locations worldwide, in relatively shallow water depths
What determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents?
Seabed sediment flows called turbidity currents form some of the largest sediment accumulations, deepest canyons and longest channel systems on Earth. Only rivers transport comparable sediment volumes over such large areas; but there are far fewer measurements from turbidity currents, ensuring they are much more poorly understood. Turbidity currents differ fundamentally from rivers, as turbidity c
Sediment and organic carbon transport and deposition driven by internal tides along Monterey Canyon, offshore California
Submarine canyons provide globally important conduits for sediment and organic carbon transport into the deep-sea. Using a novel dataset from Monterey Canyon, offshore central California, that includes an extensive array of water column sampling devices, we address how fine-grained sediment and organic carbon are transported, mixed, fractionated, and buried along a submarine canyon. Anderson-type
Linking direct measurements of turbidity currents to submarine canyon-floor deposits
Submarine canyons are conduits for episodic and powerful sediment density flows (commonly called turbidity currents) that move globally significant amounts of terrestrial sediment and organic carbon into the deep sea, forming some of the largest sedimentary deposits on Earth. The only record available for most turbidity currents is the deposit they leave behind. Therefore, to understand turbidity
Integrating structure from motion, numerical modelling and field measurements to understand carbonate sediment transport in coral reef canopies
Reef canopies are complex and extremely variable across a range of spatial scales. This variability affects the velocity above as well as within the canopy, and directly impacts the transport of sediment along the bed as well as suspended in the water column. How a canopy affects the transport of sediment is important to understand and predict changes in the position of the adjacent shoreline, par
The influence of sea level on incident and infragravity wave-driven sediment dynamics across a fringing coral reef
Coral reefs generate significant volumes of carbonate sediment that becomes the primary source of beach material along many low-latitude shorelines that protect hundreds of millions of people globally. Despite this fact, there is little understanding of the specific processes that transport the carbonate sediment produced on the outer portions of coral reefs to the shoreline, let alone how those p
Science and Products
- Science
Sediment Transport in Coastal Environments
Our research goals are to provide the scientific information, knowledge, and tools required to ensure that decisions about land and resource use, management practices, and future development in the coastal zone and adjacent watersheds can be evaluated with a complete understanding of the probable effects on coastal ecosystems and communities, and a full assessment of their vulnerability to natural...Coral Reef Project
Explore the fascinating undersea world of coral reefs. Learn how we map, monitor, and model coral reefs so we can better understand, protect, and preserve our Nation's reefs. - Data
Time-series data of water surface elevation, waves, currents, temperature, and turbidity collected between November 2017 and March 2018 off the west coast of Maui, Hawaii, USA
Time-series data of water surface elevation, waves, currents, temperature, and turbidity collected between November 2017 and March 2018 off the west coast of Maui, Hawaii, USA. The data are available in NetCDF format, grouped together in zip files by instrument site location. These data support a modeling study on the effects of potential watershed restoration on decreasing sediment loads to adjacCross-reef wave and water level data from coral reef environments
Coral reefs provide important protection for tropical coastlines against the impact of large waves and storm damage by energy dissipation through wave breaking and bottom friction. However, climate change and sea level rise have led to growing concern for how the hydrodynamics across these reefs will evolve and whether these changes will leave tropical coastlines more vulnerable to large wave evenJurabi, Exmouth, Western Australia, 2016 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment
Carbonate reefs are a major source of sediment for coastlines in much of the tropical regions of the world, contributing to significant shoreline accretion and beach nourishment. A collaborative experiment between the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Western Australia was conducted on Ningaloo Reef, northwest Australia, to investigate this problem and determine the primary oceanographiWaiakane, Molokai, HI, 2018 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment
Coral reefs generate significant volumes of carbonate sediment that becomes the primary source of beach material along many low-latitude shorelines that protect hundreds of millions of people globally. Despite this fact, there is little understanding of the specific processes that transport the carbonate sediment produced on the outer portions of coral reefs to the shoreline, let alone how those pObservations of coral reef oceanographic and groundwater properties off Makua, Kauai, HI, USA, August 2016
Pervasive and sustained coral diseases contribute to the systemic degradation of reef ecosystems, however, 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; understandiTime series data of oceanographic conditions from La Parguera, Puerto Rico, 2017-2018 Coral Reef Circulation and Sediment Dynamics Experiment
Time-series data of water surface elevation, waves, currents, temperature, and salinity collected between 17 May 2017 and 17 Jan 2018 off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico in support of a study on circulation and sediment transport dynamics over coral reefs. The data are available in NetCDF format, grouped together in zip files by instrument site location. A README.txt file details the files contTime-series oceanographic data from the Monterey Canyon, CA October 2015 - March 2017
Time-series data of water depth, velocity, turbidity, and temperature were acquired between 5 October 2015 and 21 March 2017 within the Monterey Canyon off of Monterey, CA, USA. In order to better understand the triggering, progression and evolution of turbidity currents in Monterey Submarine Canyon, an experiment was designed to directly measure velocity, suspended sediment and physical waterBathymetry, acoustic-backscatter, and time-series datasets collected between 2014 and 2016 of a field of crescent-shaped rippled scour depressions in northern Monterey Bay, California
Between November 2014 and June 2016 the U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) conducted eight repeat, high-resolution bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter surveys of a small patch of seafloor offshore Santa Cruz in northern Monterey Bay, California. PCMSC also collected oceanographic time-series data over the same two-year period. This data release provides the eData from coastal circulation and water-column properties in the National Park of American Samoa, February-July 2015
In 2015, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and U.S. National Park Service (NPS) researchers began a collaborative study to determine coastal circulation patterns and water-column properties along north-central Tutuila, in an area focused on NPSAs Tutuila Unit and its coral reef ecosystem. The continuous measurements of waves, currents, tides, and water-column properties (temperature and salinity) from - Publications
Filter Total Items: 22
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 ofRapid observations of ocean dynamics and stratification along a steep island coast during Hurricane María
Hurricanes are extreme storms that affect coastal communities, but the linkages between hurricane forcing and ocean dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we present full water column observations at unprecedented resolution from the southwest Puerto Rico insular shelf and slope during Hurricane María, representing a rare set of high-frequency, subsurface, oceanographic observations collected al
Preconditioning by sediment accumulation can produce powerful turbidity currents without major external triggers
Turbidity currents dominate sediment transfer into the deep ocean, and can damage critical seabed infrastructure. It is commonly inferred that powerful turbidity currents are triggered by major external events, such as storms, river floods, or earthquakes. However, basic models for turbidity current triggering remain poorly tested, with few studies accurately recording precise flow timing. Here, wThe contribution of currents, sea-swell waves, and infragravity waves to suspended-sediment transport across a coral reef-lagoon system.
Coral reefs generate substantial volumes of carbonate sediment, which is redistributed throughout the reef‐lagoon system. However, there is little understanding of the specific processes that transport this sediment produced on the outer portions of coral reefs throughout a reef‐lagoon system. Furthermore, the separate contributions of currents, sea‐swell waves, and infragravity waves to transportSpectral wave-driven bedload transport across a coral reef flat/lagoon complex
Coral reefs are an important source of sediment for reef-lined coasts by helping to maintain beaches while also providing protection in the form of wave energy dissipation. Understanding the mechanisms by which sediment is delivered to the coast as well as better constraining the total volumes generated are critical for projecting future coastal change. A month-long hydrodynamics and sediment tranIn situ observations of wave transformation and infragravity bore development across reef flats of varying geomorphology
The character and energetics of infragravity (IG, 25 s < period < 250 s) and very-low frequency (VLF, period > 250 s) waves over coral reef flats can enhance shoreline erosion or accretion, and also govern extreme shoreline events such as runup, overwash, and flooding on coral reef-lined coasts. Here we use in situ wave measurements collected along cross-reef transects at 7 sites on Pacific islandLessons learned from monitoring of turbidity currents and guidance for future platform designs
Turbidity currents transport globally significant volumes of sediment and organic carbon into the deep-sea and pose a hazard to critical infrastructure. Despite advances in technology, their powerful nature often damages expensive instruments placed in their path. These challenges mean that turbidity currents have only been measured in a few locations worldwide, in relatively shallow water depthsWhat determines the downstream evolution of turbidity currents?
Seabed sediment flows called turbidity currents form some of the largest sediment accumulations, deepest canyons and longest channel systems on Earth. Only rivers transport comparable sediment volumes over such large areas; but there are far fewer measurements from turbidity currents, ensuring they are much more poorly understood. Turbidity currents differ fundamentally from rivers, as turbidity cSediment and organic carbon transport and deposition driven by internal tides along Monterey Canyon, offshore California
Submarine canyons provide globally important conduits for sediment and organic carbon transport into the deep-sea. Using a novel dataset from Monterey Canyon, offshore central California, that includes an extensive array of water column sampling devices, we address how fine-grained sediment and organic carbon are transported, mixed, fractionated, and buried along a submarine canyon. Anderson-typeLinking direct measurements of turbidity currents to submarine canyon-floor deposits
Submarine canyons are conduits for episodic and powerful sediment density flows (commonly called turbidity currents) that move globally significant amounts of terrestrial sediment and organic carbon into the deep sea, forming some of the largest sedimentary deposits on Earth. The only record available for most turbidity currents is the deposit they leave behind. Therefore, to understand turbidity
Integrating structure from motion, numerical modelling and field measurements to understand carbonate sediment transport in coral reef canopies
Reef canopies are complex and extremely variable across a range of spatial scales. This variability affects the velocity above as well as within the canopy, and directly impacts the transport of sediment along the bed as well as suspended in the water column. How a canopy affects the transport of sediment is important to understand and predict changes in the position of the adjacent shoreline, parThe influence of sea level on incident and infragravity wave-driven sediment dynamics across a fringing coral reef
Coral reefs generate significant volumes of carbonate sediment that becomes the primary source of beach material along many low-latitude shorelines that protect hundreds of millions of people globally. Despite this fact, there is little understanding of the specific processes that transport the carbonate sediment produced on the outer portions of coral reefs to the shoreline, let alone how those p - News