My research focuses on coastal and shelf evolution, and includes regional geologic framework, shallow geohazards and permafrost studies.
Dr. Laura Brothers is a marine geologist at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center. She studies how the seafloor, and the earth beneath the seafloor change with time and major events. From the shores of the Arctic, Gulf of Maine, Mid-Atlantic and to the deep sea Laura has worked in teams that have geologically mapped tens of thousands of kilometers of the seabed using geophysical and advanced imaging data. Laura led the DOI Hurricane Sandy supplemental project focused on defining the geologic framework offshore of the Delmarva Peninsula. She leads the USGS-partnership with the State of Massachusetts to geologically map the State’s inner continental shelf.
Science and Products
Massachusetts Integrated Coastal Studies (MICS)
Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Seafloor
Hurricane Sandy Response- Linking the Delmarva Peninsula's Geologic Framework to Coastal Vulnerability
Geospatial data layers of shallow geology from the inner continental shelf of the Delmarva Peninsula, including Maryland and Virginia state waters
High-resolution geophysical data collected in Nantucket Sound Massachusetts in the vicinity of Horseshoe Shoal, during USGS Field Activity 2022-001-FA
High-resolution geophysical and geological data collected in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts during USGS Field Activities 2019-002-FA and 2019-034-FA (ver. 2.0, September 2022)
High-resolution marine geophysical data collected by the USGS in the Belfast Bay, Maine pockmark field in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
Sea-Floor Sediment and Imagery Data Collected in Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts, 2016 and 2017
Minimal offshore extent of ice-bearing (subsea) permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Sea margin
Geospatial Data Layers of Shallow Geology, Sea-Floor Texture, and Physiographic Zones from the Inner Continental Shelf of Martha's Vineyard from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, and Nantucket from Eel Point to Great Point
USGS_Delmarva_SedTexture_Geomorph: Sediment Texture and Geomorphology of the Sea Floor from Fenwick Island, Maryland to Fisherman's Island, Virginia (polygon shapefile, Geographic, WGS84)
High-resolution geophysical data collected along the Delmarva Peninsula 2015, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2015-001-FA
Processes controlling coastal erosion along Cape Cod Bay, MA
Deep learning for pockmark detection: Implications for quantitative seafloor characterization
Molluscan aminostratigraphy of the US Mid-Atlantic Quaternary coastal system: Implications for onshore-offshore correlation, paleochannel and barrier island evolution, and local late Quaternary sea-level history
Seismic stratigraphic framework of the continental shelf offshore Delmarva, U.S.A.: Implications for Mid-Atlantic Bight evolution since the Pliocene
Optimizing an inner-continental shelf geologic framework investigation through data repurposing and machine learning
Shallow geology, sea-floor texture, and physiographic zones of the inner continental shelf from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, Martha’s Vineyard, and Eel Point to Great Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts
Sand ridge morphology and bedform migration patterns derived from bathymetry and backscatter on the inner-continental shelf offshore of Assateague Island, USA
Observations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 1: current-induced mixing
Observations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 3: implications for sediment transport
Observations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 2: evidence for cavity flow
Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 2. Borehole constraints
Subsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 1. Minimum seaward extent defined from multichannel seismic reflection data
Science and Products
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Massachusetts Integrated Coastal Studies (MICS)
Coastal erosion, intense storm events and sea-level rise pose threats to coastal communities and infrastructure. Managers and scientists often lack the high-resolution data needed to improve estimates of sediment abundance and movement, shoreline change, and seabed characteristics that influence coastal vulnerability. To address these and other needs the U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with...Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Seafloor
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is conducting geologic mapping of the sea floor to characterize the surface and shallow subsurface geologic framework within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The long-term goal of this mapping effort is to produce high-resolution geologic maps and a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will...Hurricane Sandy Response- Linking the Delmarva Peninsula's Geologic Framework to Coastal Vulnerability
The Delmarva Peninsula is a 220-kilometer-long headland, spit, and barrier island complex that was significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy. In order to better constrain controls on coastal vulnerability and evolution, the region’s sediment sources, transport pathways and sediment sinks must be identified. This project defines the geologic framework of the Delmarva coastal system through... - Data
Geospatial data layers of shallow geology from the inner continental shelf of the Delmarva Peninsula, including Maryland and Virginia state waters
Geologic structure and isopach maps were constructed by interpreting over 19,890 trackline kilometers of co-located multichannel boomer, sparker and chirp seismic reflection profiles from the continental shelf of the Delmarva Peninsula, including Maryland and Virginia state waters. In this region, Brothers and others (2020) interpret 12 seismic units and 11 regional unconformities. They interpretHigh-resolution geophysical data collected in Nantucket Sound Massachusetts in the vicinity of Horseshoe Shoal, during USGS Field Activity 2022-001-FA
In June 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, collected high-resolution geophysical data, in Nantucket Sound to understand the regional geology in the vicinity of Horseshoe Shoal. This effort is part of a long-term collaboration between the USGS and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to map the State’s waters, support research oHigh-resolution geophysical and geological data collected in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts during USGS Field Activities 2019-002-FA and 2019-034-FA (ver. 2.0, September 2022)
Accurate data and maps of sea floor geology are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine resources, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. To address these concerns the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), comprehensively mapped the Cape Cod Bay sea floor to characterizeHigh-resolution marine geophysical data collected by the USGS in the Belfast Bay, Maine pockmark field in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
The U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in cooperation with the University of Maine mapped approximately 50 square kilometers of the seafloor within Belfast Bay, Maine. Three geophysical surveys conducted in 2006, 2008 and 2009 collected swath bathymetric (2006 and 2008) and chirp seismic reflection profile data (2006 and 2009). The project characterized the spatiaSea-Floor Sediment and Imagery Data Collected in Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts, 2016 and 2017
Two marine geological surveys were conducted in Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts, in May 2016 and May 2017 by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of an agreement with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management to map the geology of the sea floor offshore of Massachusetts. Samples of surficial sediment and photographs of the sea floor were collected at 76 sampling sites within the survey areaMinimal offshore extent of ice-bearing (subsea) permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Sea margin
The present-day distribution of subsea permafrost beneath high-latitude continental shelves has implications for sea level rise and climate change since the Last Glacial Maximum (~20,000 years ago). Because permafrost can be spatially associated with gas hydrate (which may be thermodynamically stable within the several hundred meters above and below the base of permafrost), the contemporary distriGeospatial Data Layers of Shallow Geology, Sea-Floor Texture, and Physiographic Zones from the Inner Continental Shelf of Martha's Vineyard from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, and Nantucket from Eel Point to Great Point
Geologic, sediment texture, and physiographic zone maps characterize the sea floor south and west of Martha's Vineyard and north of Nantucket, Massachusetts. These maps were derived from interpretations of seismic-reflection profiles, high-resolution bathymetry, acoustic-backscatter intensity, bottom photographs, and surficial sediment samples. The interpretation of the seismic stratigraphy and maUSGS_Delmarva_SedTexture_Geomorph: Sediment Texture and Geomorphology of the Sea Floor from Fenwick Island, Maryland to Fisherman's Island, Virginia (polygon shapefile, Geographic, WGS84)
These data are a qualitatively derived interpretive polygon shapefile defining surficial sediment type and distribution, and geomorphology, for nearly 1,400 square kilometers of sea floor on the inner-continental shelf from Fenwick Island, Maryland to Fishermans Island, Virginia, USA. These data are classified according to Barnhardt and others (1998) bottom-type classification system, which was moHigh-resolution geophysical data collected along the Delmarva Peninsula 2015, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2015-001-FA
The Delmarva Peninsula is a 220-kilometer-long headland, spit, and barrier island complex that was significantly affected by Hurricane Sandy in the fall of 2012. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted cruises during the summers of 2014 and 2015 to map the inner continental shelf of the Delmarva Peninsula using geophysical and sampling techniques to define the geologic framework that governs coastal - Multimedia
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Processes controlling coastal erosion along Cape Cod Bay, MA
Cape Cod Bay, MA, is a semi-enclosed embayment in the northeastern United States, open on the north to the Gulf of Maine. The coastline experiences impacts typically from strong Nor’easter storms that occur in the late fall or winter months, with some sections of this coastline being affected more severely than others. We investigate the processes that cause spatial variability in storm impacts byAuthorsJohn C. Warner, Laura L. Brothers, Emily Himmelstoss, Christopher R. Sherwood, Alfredo Aretxabaleta, David S. Foster, Amy S. FarrisDeep learning for pockmark detection: Implications for quantitative seafloor characterization
Occurring globally, pockmarks are seafloor depressions associated with seabed fluid escape. Pockmark ubiquity and morphologic heterogeneity result in an irregular seafloor that can be difficult to quantitatively describe. To address this challenge, we test the hypothesis that deep-learning based object detection and segmentation can be used to develop data-driven models for pockmark identificationAuthorsMark Lundine, Laura L. Brothers, Arthur TrembanisMolluscan aminostratigraphy of the US Mid-Atlantic Quaternary coastal system: Implications for onshore-offshore correlation, paleochannel and barrier island evolution, and local late Quaternary sea-level history
The Quaternary record of the US Mid-Atlantic coastal system includes onshore emergent late Pleistocene shoreline deposits, offshore inner shelf and barrier island units, and paleovalleys formed during multiple glacial stage sea-level lowstands. The geochronology of this coastal system is based on uranium series, radiocarbon, amino acid racemization (AAR), and optically stimulated luminescence (OSLAuthorsJohn Wehmiller, Laura L. Brothers, Kelvin Ramsey, David S. Foster, C.R. Mattheus, Christopher Hein, Justin L. ShawlerSeismic stratigraphic framework of the continental shelf offshore Delmarva, U.S.A.: Implications for Mid-Atlantic Bight evolution since the Pliocene
Understanding how past coastal systems have evolved is critical to predicting future coastal change. Using over 12,000 trackline kilometers of recently collected, co-located multi-channel boomer, sparker and chirp seismic reflection profile data integrated with previously collected borehole and vibracore data, we define the upper (< 115 m below mean lower low water) seismic stratigraphic frameworkAuthorsLaura L. Brothers, David S. Foster, Elizabeth A. Pendleton, Wayne E. BaldwinOptimizing an inner-continental shelf geologic framework investigation through data repurposing and machine learning
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have collected approximately 5,400 km2 of geophysical and hydrographic data on the Atlantic continental shelf between Delaware and Virginia over the past decade and a half. Although originally acquired for different objectives, the comprehensive coverage and variety of data (bathymetry, backscatter, imagerAuthorsElizabeth A. Pendleton, Laura L. Brothers, Ed SweeneyShallow geology, sea-floor texture, and physiographic zones of the inner continental shelf from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, Martha’s Vineyard, and Eel Point to Great Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts
A series of interpretive maps that describe the shallow geology, distribution, and texture of sea-floor sediments, and physiographic zones of the sea floor along the south and west shores of Martha’s Vineyard and the north shore of Nantucket, Massachusetts, were produced by using high-resolution geophysical data (interferometric and multibeam swath bathymetry, light detection and ranging (lidar) bAuthorsElizabeth A. Pendleton, Wayne E. Baldwin, Seth D. Ackerman, David S. Foster, Brian D. Andrews, William C. Schwab, Laura L. BrothersSand ridge morphology and bedform migration patterns derived from bathymetry and backscatter on the inner-continental shelf offshore of Assateague Island, USA
The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration conducted geophysical and hydrographic surveys, respectively, along the inner-continental shelf of Fenwick and Assateague Islands, Maryland and Virginia over the last 40 years. High resolution bathymetry and backscatter data derived from surveys over the last decade are used to describe the morphology and pAuthorsElizabeth A. Pendleton, Laura L. Brothers, E. Robert Thieler, Edward SweeneyObservations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 1: current-induced mixing
Field observations of current profiles and temperature, salinity, and density structure were used to examine vertical mixing within two pockmarks in Belfast Bay, Maine. The first is located in 21 m water depth (sea level to rim), nearly circular in shape with a 45 m rim diameter and 12 m rim-to-bottom relief. The second is located in 25 m water depth, more elongated in shape with an approximatelyAuthorsChristina L. Fandel, Thomas C. Lippmann, James D. Irish, Laura L. BrothersObservations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 3: implications for sediment transport
Current observations and sediment characteristics acquired within and along the rim of two pockmarks in Belfast Bay, Maine, were used to characterize periods of sediment transport and to investigate conditions favorable to the settling of suspended sediment. Hourly averaged Shields parameters determined from horizontal current velocity profiles within the center of each pockmark never exceed the cAuthorsChristina L. Fandel, Thomas C. Lippmann, Diane L. Foster, Laura L. BrothersObservations of pockmark flow structure in Belfast Bay, Maine, Part 2: evidence for cavity flow
Pockmark flow circulation patterns were investigated through current measurements along the rim and center of two pockmarks in Belfast Bay, Maine. Observed time-varying current profiles have a complex vertical and directional structure that rotates significantly with depth and is strongly dependent on the phase of the tide. Observations of the vertical profiles of horizontal velocities in relationAuthorsChristina L. Fandel, Thomas C. Lippmann, Diane L. Foster, Laura L. BrothersSubsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 2. Borehole constraints
Borehole logging data from legacy wells directly constrain the contemporary distribution of subsea permafrost in the sedimentary section at discrete locations on the U.S. Beaufort Margin and complement recent regional analyses of exploration seismic data to delineate the permafrost's offshore extent. Most usable borehole data were acquired on a ∼500 km stretch of the margin and within 30 km of theAuthorsCarolyn D. Ruppel, Bruce M. Herman, Laura L. Brothers, Patrick E. HartSubsea ice-bearing permafrost on the U.S. Beaufort Margin: 1. Minimum seaward extent defined from multichannel seismic reflection data
Subsea ice-bearing permafrost (IBPF) and associated gas hydrate in the Arctic have been subject to a warming climate and saline intrusion since the last transgression at the end of the Pleistocene. The consequent degradation of IBPF is potentially associated with significant degassing of dissociating gas hydrate deposits. Previous studies interpreted the distribution of subsea permafrost on the U.AuthorsLaura L. Brothers, Bruce M. Herman, Patrick E. Hart, Carolyn D. Ruppel - News