Li Erikson
Research Oceanographer at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Development of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) for predicting the impact of storms on high-energy, active-margin coasts
The significance of ultra-refracted surface gravity waves on sheltered coasts, with application to San Francisco Bay
Sediment transport patterns in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System from cross-validation of bedform asymmetry and modeled residual flux
Tidally influenced alongshore circulation at an inlet-adjacent shoreline
Integration of bed characteristics, geochemical tracers, current measurements, and numerical modeling for assessing the provenance of beach sand in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System
Over 150 million m3 of sand-sized sediment has disappeared from the central region of the San Francisco Bay Coastal System during the last half century. This enormous loss may reflect numerous anthropogenic influences, such as watershed damming, bay-fill development, aggregate mining, and dredging. The reduction in Bay sediment also appears to be linked to a reduction in sediment supply and recent
Progress report for project modeling Arctic barrier island-lagoon system response to projected Arctic warming
Synthesis study of an erosion hot spot, Ocean Beach, California
Small-scale sediment transport patterns and bedform morphodynamics: New insights from high resolution multibeam bathymetry
Recent scientific advances and their implications for sand management near San Francisco, California: The influences of the ebb tidal delta
An analytical model to predict dune and cliff notching due to wave impact
Pressure-gradient-driven nearshore circulation on a beach influenced by a large inlet-tidal shoal system
Waves and tides responsible for the intermittent closure of the entrance of a small, sheltered tidal wetland at San Francisco, CA
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Development of the Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) for predicting the impact of storms on high-energy, active-margin coasts
The Coastal Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) applies a predominantly deterministic framework to make detailed predictions (meter scale) of storm-induced coastal flooding, erosion, and cliff failures over large geographic scales (100s of kilometers). CoSMoS was developed for hindcast studies, operational applications (i.e., nowcasts and multiday forecasts), and future climate scenarios (i.e., sea-levAuthorsPatrick L. Barnard, Maarten van Ormondt, Li H. Erikson, Jodi Eshleman, Cheryl J. Hapke, Peter Ruggiero, Peter Adams, Amy C. FoxgroverThe significance of ultra-refracted surface gravity waves on sheltered coasts, with application to San Francisco Bay
Ocean surface gravity waves propagating over shallow bathymetry undergo spatial modification of propagation direction and energy density, commonly due to refraction and shoaling. If the bathymetric variations are significant the waves can undergo changes in their direction of propagation (relative to deepwater) greater than 90° over relatively short spatial scales. We refer to this phenomenon as uAuthorsD.M. Hanes, L. H. EriksonSediment transport patterns in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System from cross-validation of bedform asymmetry and modeled residual flux
The morphology of ~ 45,000 bedforms from 13 multibeam bathymetry surveys was used as a proxy for identifying net bedload sediment transport directions and pathways throughout the San Francisco Bay estuary and adjacent outer coast. The spatially-averaged shape asymmetry of the bedforms reveals distinct pathways of ebb and flood transport. Additionally, the region-wide, ebb-oriented asymmetry of 5%AuthorsPatrick L. Barnard, Li H. Erikson, Edwin P.L. Elias, Peter DartnellTidally influenced alongshore circulation at an inlet-adjacent shoreline
The contribution of tidal forcing to alongshore circulation inside the surfzone is investigated at a 7 km long sandy beach adjacent to a large tidal inlet. Ocean Beach in San Francisco, CA (USA) is onshore of a ∼150 km2 ebb-tidal delta and directly south of the Golden Gate, the sole entrance to San Francisco Bay. Using a coupled flow-wave numerical model, we find that the tides modulate, and in soAuthorsJeff E. Hansen, Edwin P.L. Elias, Jeffrey H. List, Li H. Erikson, Patrick L. BarnardIntegration of bed characteristics, geochemical tracers, current measurements, and numerical modeling for assessing the provenance of beach sand in the San Francisco Bay Coastal System
Over 150 million m3 of sand-sized sediment has disappeared from the central region of the San Francisco Bay Coastal System during the last half century. This enormous loss may reflect numerous anthropogenic influences, such as watershed damming, bay-fill development, aggregate mining, and dredging. The reduction in Bay sediment also appears to be linked to a reduction in sediment supply and recent
AuthorsPatrick L. Barnard, Amy C. Foxgrover, Edwin P.L. Elias, Li H. Erikson, James R. Hein, Mary McGann, Kira Mizell, Robert J. Rosenbauer, Peter W. Swarzenski, Renee K. Takesue, Florence L. Wong, Don WoodrowProgress report for project modeling Arctic barrier island-lagoon system response to projected Arctic warming
Changes in Arctic coastal ecosystems in response to global warming may be some of the most severe on the planet. A better understanding and analysis of the rates at which these changes are expected to occur over the coming decades is crucial in order to delineate high-priority areas that are likely to be affected by climate changes. In this study we investigate the likelihood of changes to habitatAuthorsLi H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Bruce M. Richmond, Curt D. Storlazzi, Benjamin M. JonesSynthesis study of an erosion hot spot, Ocean Beach, California
A synthesis of multiple coastal morphodynamic research efforts is presented to identify the processes responsible for persistent erosion along a 1-km segment of 7-km-long Ocean Beach in San Francisco, California. The beach is situated adjacent to a major tidal inlet and in the shadow of the ebb-tidal delta at the mouth of San Francisco Bay. Ocean Beach is exposed to a high-energy wave climate andAuthorsPatrick L. Barnard, Jeff E. Hansen, Li H. EriksonSmall-scale sediment transport patterns and bedform morphodynamics: New insights from high resolution multibeam bathymetry
New multibeam echosounder and processing technologies yield sub-meter-scale bathymetric resolution, revealing striking details of bedform morphology that are shaped by complex boundary-layer flow dynamics at a range of spatial and temporal scales. An inertially aided post processed kinematic (IAPPK) technique generates a smoothed best estimate trajectory (SBET) solution to tie the vessel motion-reAuthorsPatrick L. Barnard, Li H. Erikson, Rikk G. KvitekRecent scientific advances and their implications for sand management near San Francisco, California: The influences of the ebb tidal delta
Recent research in the San Francisco, California, U.S.A., coastal region has identified the importance of the ebb tidal delta to coastal processes. A process-based numerical model is found to qualitatively reproduce the equilibrium size and shape of the delta. The ebb tidal delta itself has been contracting over the past century, and the numerical model is applied to investigate the sensitivity ofAuthorsDaniel M. Hanes, Patrick L. Barnard, Kate Dallas, Edwin Elias, Li H. Erikson, Jodi Eshleman, Jeff Hansen, Tian Jian Hsu, Fengyan ShiAn analytical model to predict dune and cliff notching due to wave impact
A model was developed to calculate the evolution of a notch in a dune or cliff due to wave impact. Analytical solutions were derived to the model for schematized conditions regarding forcing and dune/cliff properties. Comparisons were made with laboratory experiments where the time evolution of the notch was measured. Values of the transport coefficients in the analytical solutions were determinedAuthorsMagnus Per Larson, Tsuguo Sunamura, Li H. Erikson, Atilla Bayram, Hans HansonPressure-gradient-driven nearshore circulation on a beach influenced by a large inlet-tidal shoal system
The nearshore circulation induced by a focused pattern of surface gravity waves is studied at a beach adjacent to a major inlet with a large ebb tidal shoal. Using a coupled wave and wave-averaged nearshore circulation model, it is found that the nearshore circulation is significantly affected by the heterogeneous wave patterns caused by wave refraction over the ebb tidal shoal. The model is usedAuthorsF. Shi, D.M. Hanes, J.T. Kirby, L. Erikson, P. Barnard, J. EshlemanWaves and tides responsible for the intermittent closure of the entrance of a small, sheltered tidal wetland at San Francisco, CA
Crissy Field Marsh (CFM; http://www.nps.gov/prsf/planyourvisit/crissy-field-marsh-and-beach.htm) is a small, restored tidal wetland located in the entrance to San Francisco Bay just east of the Golden Gate. The marsh is small but otherwise fairly typical of many such restored wetlands worldwide. The marsh is hydraulically connected to the bay and the adjacent Pacific Ocean by a narrow sandy channeAuthorsD.M. Hanes, K. Ward, L. H. Erikson - Web Tools
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