Nathan J Wood, Ph.D.
Nathan Wood is a supervisory research geographer with the USGS Western Geographic Science Center.
He supervises the WGSC Hazard Vulnerability Team that specializes in societal-vulnerability science, geospatial modeling, and web mapping applications. He has conducted research and written extensively on community vulnerability to natural hazards, such as asset exposure, demographic sensitivity, and pedestrian evacuation modeling. He has done work related to tsunami threats in Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Alaska, American Samoa, and Guam; volcanic hazards in Washington and California; and coastal hazards in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. He also works with natural scientists to model and create national-scale hazard maps, including landslide, sinkhole, and Valley Fever susceptibility. He is a co-leader of a project characterizing multi-hazard risk for the U.S. Department of the Interior. He is a USGS representative for the Coordinating Committee of the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program.
Professional Experience
2014 – Current: Supervisory Research Geographer, USGS Western Geographic Science Center (WGSC)
2001 – 2014: Research Geographer, USGS WGSC
1999-2001: Project Manager, Extension Sea Grant, Oregon State University
1998-1999: Instructor, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Geography, Oregon State University, 2002
M.S. Marine Science, University of South Florida, 1996
B.S. Geology, Duke University, 1993
Science and Products
Perceptions of earthquake and tsunami issues in U.S. Pacific Northwest port and harbor communities
Geography for a Changing World - A science strategy for the geographic research of the U.S. Geological Survey, 2005-2015
Vulnerability of port and harbor communities to earthquake and tsunami hazards: The use of GIS in community hazard planning
Sediment dynamics of a sediment-starved, open-marine marsh embayment: Waccasassa Bay, Florida
Reducing Vulnerability of Ports and Harbors to Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
Vulnerability assessment of a port and harbor community to earthquake and tsunami hazards: Integrating technical expert and stakeholder input
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Perceptions of earthquake and tsunami issues in U.S. Pacific Northwest port and harbor communities
Although there is considerable energy focused on assessing natural hazards associated with earthquakes and tsunamis in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, little has been done to understand societal vulnerability to these hazards. Part of understanding societal vulnerability includes assessing the perceptions and priorities of public sector individuals with traditional emergency management responsibilitieAuthorsNathan J. Wood, James W. GoodGeography for a Changing World - A science strategy for the geographic research of the U.S. Geological Survey, 2005-2015
This report presents a science strategy for the geographic research of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the years 2005-2015. The common thread running through the vision, mission, and science goals presented in the plan is that USGS geographers will provide national leadership to understand coupled human-environmental systems in the face of land change and will deliver pertinent information tAuthorsGerard McMahon, Susan P. Benjamin, Keith Clarke, John E. Findley, Robert N. Fisher, William L. Graf, Linda C. Gundersen, John Jones, Thomas R. Loveland, Keven S. Roth, E. Lynn Usery, Nathan J. WoodVulnerability of port and harbor communities to earthquake and tsunami hazards: The use of GIS in community hazard planning
AbstractEarthquakes and tsunamis pose significant threats to Pacific Northwest coastal port and harbor communities. Developing holistic mitigation and preparedness strategies to reduce the potential for loss of life and property damage requires community-wide vulnerability assessments that transcend traditional site-specific analyses. The ability of a geographic information system (GIS) to integraAuthorsNathan J. Wood, James W. GoodSediment dynamics of a sediment-starved, open-marine marsh embayment: Waccasassa Bay, Florida
Although the Big Bend region of Florida's Gulf of Mexico coast is considered sediment-starved, the open marine marshes that characterize the area are keeping pace with sea level rise. Waccasassa Bay, an embayment within this region, also contains unique subtidal mudbanks that thicken with increasing proximity to embayment head, while the remainder of the bayfloor is characterized by exposed carboAuthorsNathan J. Wood, Albert C. HineReducing Vulnerability of Ports and Harbors to Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards
Recent scientific research suggests the Pacific Northwest could experience catastrophic earthquakes in the near future, both from distant and local sources, posing a significant threat to coastal communities. Damage could result from numerous earthquake-related hazards, such as severe ground shaking, soil liquefaction, landslides, land subsidence/uplift, and tsunami inundation. Because of their geAuthorsNathan J. Wood, James W. Good, Robert F. GoodwinVulnerability assessment of a port and harbor community to earthquake and tsunami hazards: Integrating technical expert and stakeholder input
Research suggests that the Pacific Northwest could experience catastrophic earthquakes and tsunamis in the near future, posing a significant threat to the numerous ports and harbors along the coast. A collaborative, multiagency initiative is underway to increase the resiliency of Pacific Northwest ports and harbors to these hazards, involving Oregon Sea Grant, Washington Sea Grant, the National OcAuthorsNathan J. Wood, James W. Good, Robert F. Goodwin - Web Tools
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