Coverage area for the topo-bathy profiles and their morphologic characteristics across the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines.
Rangley Mickey
Rangley Mickey is a Physical Scientist at the St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.
My research focuses on numerical model simulations of sandy coastlines during storm events, specifically tropical storms and hurricanes. Additionally, I have extensive experience analyzing hydrodynamic timeseries and topographic/bathymetric elevation datasets. I work on multiple teams to help implement decadal simulations for both hindcast and forecast purposes related restoration initiavites, as well as developing new operational models for national scale products related to coastal change hazards.
Professional Experience
Physical Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal & Marine Science Center, 2017 to present
Researcher, Cherokee Nation Technology Solutions contracted to U.S. Geological Survey at St. Petersburg Coastal & Marine Science Center, 2014 to 2017
Education and Certifications
M.S., Coastal Marine and Wetland Studies, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina
B.S., Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina
Science and Products
Database of topo-bathy cross-shore profiles and characteristics for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico sandy coastlines
A database of seamless topographic and bathymetric cross-shore profiles along with metrics of the associated morphological characteristics based on the latest available lidar data ranging from 2011–2020 and bathymetry from the Continuously Updated Digital Elevation Model was developed for U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico open-ocean sandy coastlines. Cross-shore resolution ranges from 2.5 m for top
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Davina Passeri
Assessing habitat change and migration of barrier islands
Barrier islands are dynamic environments that experience gradual change from waves, tides, and currents, and rapid change from extreme storms. These islands are expected to change drastically over the coming century due to accelerated sea-level rise and changes in frequency and intensity of storm events. The dynamic nature of barrier islands coupled with the importance of these environments make i
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, Lei Wang, P. Soupy Dalyander, Hongqing Wang, Michael Osland, Rangley C. Mickey, Robert L. Jenkins, Elizabeth Godsey
Assessing the effectiveness of nourishment in decadal barrier island morphological resilience
Nourishment has shown to be an effective method for short-term storm protection along barrier islands and sandy beaches by reducing flooding, wave attack and erosion. However, the ability of nourishment to mitigate the effects of storms and sea level rise (SLR) and improve coastal resilience over decadal time scales is not well understood. This study uses integrated models of storm-driven hydrodyn
Authors
Davina Passeri, Matthew V. Bilskie, Scott C. Hagen, Rangley C. Mickey, P Soupy Dalyander, Victor Gonzalez
Development and application of an empirical dune growth model for evaluating barrier island recovery from storms
Coastal zone managers require models that predict barrier island change on decadal time scales to estimate coastal vulnerability, and plan habitat restoration and coastal protection projects. To meet these needs, methods must be available for predicting dune recovery as well as dune erosion. In the present study, an empirical dune growth model (EDGR) was developed to predict the evolution of the p
Authors
Patricia (Soupy) Dalyander, Rangley C. Mickey, Davina Passeri, Nathaniel G. Plant
Sensitivity of storm response to antecedent topography in the XBeach model
Antecedent topography is an important aspect of coastal morphology when studying and forecasting coastal change hazards. The uncertainty in morphologic response of storm-impact models and their use in short-term hazard forecasting and decadal forecasting is important to account for when considering a coupled model framework. This study provided a methodology to investigate uncertainty of profile r
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, P. Soupy Dalyander, Robert T. McCall, Davina Passeri
The roles of storminess and sea level rise in decadal barrier island evolution
Models of alongshore sediment transport during quiescent conditions, storm‐driven barrier island morphology, and poststorm dune recovery are integrated to assess decadal barrier island evolution under scenarios of increased sea levels and variability in storminess (intensity and frequency). Model results indicate barrier island response regimes of keeping pace, narrowing, flattening, deflation (na
Authors
Davina Passeri, P. Soupy Dalyander, Joseph W. Long, Rangley C. Mickey, Robert L. Jenkins, David M. Thompson, Nathaniel G. Plant, Elizabeth Godsey, Victor Gonzalez
Development of a modeling framework for predicting decadal barrier island evolution
Predicting the decadal evolution of barrier island systems is important for coastal managers who propose restoration or preservation alternatives aimed at increasing the resiliency of the island and its associated habitats or communities. Existing numerical models for simulating morphologic changes typically include either long-term (for example, longshore transport under quiescent conditions) or
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, Robert L. Jenkins, David M. Thompson, Davina Passeri, Nathaniel G. Plant
Application of decadal modeling approach to forecast barrier island evolution, Dauphin Island, Alabama
Forecasting barrier island evolution provides coastal managers and stakeholders the ability to assess the resiliency of these important coastal environments that are home to both established communities and existing natural habitats. This study uses an established coupled model framework to assess how Dauphin Island, Alabama, responds to various storm and sea-level change scenarios, along with a s
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Elizabeth Godsey, P. Soupy Dalyander, Victor Gonzalez, Robert L. Jenkins, Joseph W. Long, David M. Thompson, Nathaniel G. Plant
Development of a process-based littoral sediment transport model for Dauphin Island, Alabama
Dauphin Island, Alabama, located in the Northern Gulf of Mexico just outside of Mobile Bay, is Alabama’s only barrier island and provides an array of historical, natural, and economic resources. The dynamic island shoreline of Dauphin Island evolved across time scales while constantly acted upon by waves and currents during both storms and calm periods. Reductions in the vulnerability and enhancem
Authors
Robert L. Jenkins, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, David M. Thompson, Rangley C. Mickey
Event and decadal-scale modeling of barrier island restoration designs for decision support
An interdisciplinary project team was convened to develop a modeling framework that simulates the potential impacts of storms and sea level-rise to habitat availability at Breton Island, Louisiana (Breton) for existing conditions and potential future restoration designs. The model framework was iteratively developed through evaluation of model results at multiple checkpoints. A methodology was dev
Authors
Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, Michael Poff, Brian Spears, Brett Borne, David M. Thompson, Rangley C. Mickey, Steve Dartez, Gregory Gandy
A framework for modeling scenario-based barrier island storm impacts
Methods for investigating the vulnerability of existing or proposed coastal features to storm impacts often rely on simplified parametric models or one-dimensional process-based modeling studies that focus on changes to a profile across a dune or barrier island. These simple studies tend to neglect the impacts to curvilinear or alongshore varying island planforms, influence of non-uniform nearshor
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, Nathaniel G. Plant, David M. Thompson
Integrating geophysical and oceanographic data to assess interannual variability in longshore sediment transport
Despite their utility for prediction of coastal behavior and for coastal management, littoral sediment budgets are difficult to quantify over large regions of coastline and over short time scales. In this study, bathymetric change analysis shows differences in the magnitude and spatial location of erosion and accretion over three years; more net accumulation occurred at the littoral end point of t
Authors
Jennifer L. Miselis, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, James G. Flocks, Noreen A. Buster, Rangley C. Mickey
Atlantic and Gulf Coast Sandy Coastline Topo-Bathy Profile and Characteristic Database
Seamless topographic-bathymetric (topo-bathy) profiles and their derived morphologic characteristics were developed for sandy coastlines along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. The topo-bathy profiles are published as a database in the Hierarchical Data Format version 5 (HDF5) which contain cross-shore distance coordinates, Universe Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system East
Assessing the Effectiveness of Nourishment in Decadal Barrier Island Morphological Resilience: Model Inputs and Outputs
The effectiveness of nourishment in decadal barrier island morphological resilience was assessed using the XBeach model to simulate morphologic change over a 30-year period at Dauphin Island, AL, under scenarios of no-action and beach and dune nourishment, as described in Passeri et al., 2021. The 30-year simulation used a storm climatology developed for the region based on synthetic tropical cycl
Assessing habitat change and migration of barrier islands
A barrier island habitat prediction model was used to forecast barrier island habitats (for example, beach, dune, intertidal marsh, and woody vegetation) for Dauphin Island, Alabama, based on potential island configurations associated with a variety of restoration measures and varying future conditions of storminess and sea level (Enwright and others, 2020). This USGS data release contains five ha
Idealized Antecedent Topography Sensitivity Study: Initial Baseline and Modified Profiles Modeled with XBeach
The one-dimensional model inputs of idealized topography and bathymetry values for simulation of synthetic storm evolution with XBeach, as described in Mickey and others (2020) are provided here. The idealized topography and bathymetry were derived from LiDAR data from Dauphin Island, AL, USA over the timespan of 2005 to 2015. For further information regarding model input generation of topography
Dauphin Island Decadal Forecast Evolution Model Inputs and Results
The model input and output of topography and bathymetry values resulting from forecast simulations of coupled modeling scenarios occurring between 2015 and 2025 at Dauphin Island, Alabama, and described in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report 2020-1001 (https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201001), are provided here. For further information regarding model input generation and visualization of m
Dauphin Island Decadal Hindcast Model Inputs and Results
The model input and output of bathymetry and topography elevations resulting from a deterministic simulation from 2004 to 2015 at Dauphin Island, Alabama, as described in Mickey and others (2020), are provided here. For further information regarding model input generation and visualization of model output topography and bathymetry refer to Mickey and others (2020).
For more information visit: Mic
Landscape position-based habitat modeling for the Alabama Barrier Island feasibility assessment at Dauphin Island
A barrier island habitat prediction model was used to forecast barrier island habitats (for example, beach, dune, intertidal marsh, and woody vegetation) for Dauphin Island, Alabama, based on potential island configurations associated with a variety of restoration measures and varying future conditions of storminess and sea-levels. In this study, we loosely coupled a habitat model framework with d
Seagrass habitat suitability modeling for the Alabama Barrier Island restoration assessment at Dauphin Island
A barrier island seagrass habitat suitability index (HSI) model was developed for the Alabama barrier island restoration assessment at Dauphin Island. Shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) was selected as the representative species for seagrass community near Dauphin Island waters since H. wrightii is the dominant species (>62%) of seagrass communities in this area due to its rapid growth and tolerance
Oyster habitat suitability modeling for the Alabama Barrier Island restoration assessment at Dauphin Island
A spatially explicit oyster habitat suitability index (HSI) model was developed for the Alabama barrier island restoration assessment at Dauphin Island. Based on previous oyster habitat suitability studies, seven water quality variables were selected and their relationships with habitat suitability were developed and incorporated into the oyster HSI model for Dauphin Island restoration assessment:
Wave Scenario Results of Proposed Sediment Borrow Pit 3 on the Nearshore Wave Climate of Breton Island, LA
Provided here are the SWAN wave model input of grid 4 with pit 3 configuration and output of significant wave height, dominant wave period, and mean wave direction resulting from simulation of wave scenarios at the Breton Island, LA, as described in USGS Open-File Report 2015-1055 (https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151055). There are 128 individual scenarios that are based on significant wave height (H
Storm-Impact Scenario XBeach Model Inputs and Results
The XBeach model input and output of topography and bathymetry resulting from simulation of storm-impact scenarios at the Chandeleur Islands, LA, as described in USGS Open-File Report 2017-1009 (https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171009), are provided here. For further information regarding model input generation and visualization of model output topography and bathymetry refer to USGS Open-File Report
Atlantic and Gulf Coast Sandy Coastline Topo-Bathy Profile and Characteristic Database
Atlantic and Gulf Coast Sandy Coastline Topo-Bathy Profile and Characteristic Database
Coverage area for the topo-bathy profiles and their morphologic characteristics across the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines.
Sea level rise scenario model for Dauphin Island, Alabama
Sea level rise scenario model for Dauphin Island, Alabama
This model shows what Dauphin Island, Alabama, may look like under moderate storms but with increasing rates of sea level rise (Passeri and others, 2018).
This model shows what Dauphin Island, Alabama, may look like under moderate storms but with increasing rates of sea level rise (Passeri and others, 2018).
Science and Products
Database of topo-bathy cross-shore profiles and characteristics for the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico sandy coastlines
A database of seamless topographic and bathymetric cross-shore profiles along with metrics of the associated morphological characteristics based on the latest available lidar data ranging from 2011–2020 and bathymetry from the Continuously Updated Digital Elevation Model was developed for U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico open-ocean sandy coastlines. Cross-shore resolution ranges from 2.5 m for top
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Davina Passeri
Assessing habitat change and migration of barrier islands
Barrier islands are dynamic environments that experience gradual change from waves, tides, and currents, and rapid change from extreme storms. These islands are expected to change drastically over the coming century due to accelerated sea-level rise and changes in frequency and intensity of storm events. The dynamic nature of barrier islands coupled with the importance of these environments make i
Authors
Nicholas Enwright, Lei Wang, P. Soupy Dalyander, Hongqing Wang, Michael Osland, Rangley C. Mickey, Robert L. Jenkins, Elizabeth Godsey
Assessing the effectiveness of nourishment in decadal barrier island morphological resilience
Nourishment has shown to be an effective method for short-term storm protection along barrier islands and sandy beaches by reducing flooding, wave attack and erosion. However, the ability of nourishment to mitigate the effects of storms and sea level rise (SLR) and improve coastal resilience over decadal time scales is not well understood. This study uses integrated models of storm-driven hydrodyn
Authors
Davina Passeri, Matthew V. Bilskie, Scott C. Hagen, Rangley C. Mickey, P Soupy Dalyander, Victor Gonzalez
Development and application of an empirical dune growth model for evaluating barrier island recovery from storms
Coastal zone managers require models that predict barrier island change on decadal time scales to estimate coastal vulnerability, and plan habitat restoration and coastal protection projects. To meet these needs, methods must be available for predicting dune recovery as well as dune erosion. In the present study, an empirical dune growth model (EDGR) was developed to predict the evolution of the p
Authors
Patricia (Soupy) Dalyander, Rangley C. Mickey, Davina Passeri, Nathaniel G. Plant
Sensitivity of storm response to antecedent topography in the XBeach model
Antecedent topography is an important aspect of coastal morphology when studying and forecasting coastal change hazards. The uncertainty in morphologic response of storm-impact models and their use in short-term hazard forecasting and decadal forecasting is important to account for when considering a coupled model framework. This study provided a methodology to investigate uncertainty of profile r
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, P. Soupy Dalyander, Robert T. McCall, Davina Passeri
The roles of storminess and sea level rise in decadal barrier island evolution
Models of alongshore sediment transport during quiescent conditions, storm‐driven barrier island morphology, and poststorm dune recovery are integrated to assess decadal barrier island evolution under scenarios of increased sea levels and variability in storminess (intensity and frequency). Model results indicate barrier island response regimes of keeping pace, narrowing, flattening, deflation (na
Authors
Davina Passeri, P. Soupy Dalyander, Joseph W. Long, Rangley C. Mickey, Robert L. Jenkins, David M. Thompson, Nathaniel G. Plant, Elizabeth Godsey, Victor Gonzalez
Development of a modeling framework for predicting decadal barrier island evolution
Predicting the decadal evolution of barrier island systems is important for coastal managers who propose restoration or preservation alternatives aimed at increasing the resiliency of the island and its associated habitats or communities. Existing numerical models for simulating morphologic changes typically include either long-term (for example, longshore transport under quiescent conditions) or
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, Robert L. Jenkins, David M. Thompson, Davina Passeri, Nathaniel G. Plant
Application of decadal modeling approach to forecast barrier island evolution, Dauphin Island, Alabama
Forecasting barrier island evolution provides coastal managers and stakeholders the ability to assess the resiliency of these important coastal environments that are home to both established communities and existing natural habitats. This study uses an established coupled model framework to assess how Dauphin Island, Alabama, responds to various storm and sea-level change scenarios, along with a s
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Elizabeth Godsey, P. Soupy Dalyander, Victor Gonzalez, Robert L. Jenkins, Joseph W. Long, David M. Thompson, Nathaniel G. Plant
Development of a process-based littoral sediment transport model for Dauphin Island, Alabama
Dauphin Island, Alabama, located in the Northern Gulf of Mexico just outside of Mobile Bay, is Alabama’s only barrier island and provides an array of historical, natural, and economic resources. The dynamic island shoreline of Dauphin Island evolved across time scales while constantly acted upon by waves and currents during both storms and calm periods. Reductions in the vulnerability and enhancem
Authors
Robert L. Jenkins, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, David M. Thompson, Rangley C. Mickey
Event and decadal-scale modeling of barrier island restoration designs for decision support
An interdisciplinary project team was convened to develop a modeling framework that simulates the potential impacts of storms and sea level-rise to habitat availability at Breton Island, Louisiana (Breton) for existing conditions and potential future restoration designs. The model framework was iteratively developed through evaluation of model results at multiple checkpoints. A methodology was dev
Authors
Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, Michael Poff, Brian Spears, Brett Borne, David M. Thompson, Rangley C. Mickey, Steve Dartez, Gregory Gandy
A framework for modeling scenario-based barrier island storm impacts
Methods for investigating the vulnerability of existing or proposed coastal features to storm impacts often rely on simplified parametric models or one-dimensional process-based modeling studies that focus on changes to a profile across a dune or barrier island. These simple studies tend to neglect the impacts to curvilinear or alongshore varying island planforms, influence of non-uniform nearshor
Authors
Rangley C. Mickey, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, Nathaniel G. Plant, David M. Thompson
Integrating geophysical and oceanographic data to assess interannual variability in longshore sediment transport
Despite their utility for prediction of coastal behavior and for coastal management, littoral sediment budgets are difficult to quantify over large regions of coastline and over short time scales. In this study, bathymetric change analysis shows differences in the magnitude and spatial location of erosion and accretion over three years; more net accumulation occurred at the littoral end point of t
Authors
Jennifer L. Miselis, Joseph W. Long, P. Soupy Dalyander, James G. Flocks, Noreen A. Buster, Rangley C. Mickey
Atlantic and Gulf Coast Sandy Coastline Topo-Bathy Profile and Characteristic Database
Seamless topographic-bathymetric (topo-bathy) profiles and their derived morphologic characteristics were developed for sandy coastlines along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. The topo-bathy profiles are published as a database in the Hierarchical Data Format version 5 (HDF5) which contain cross-shore distance coordinates, Universe Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system East
Assessing the Effectiveness of Nourishment in Decadal Barrier Island Morphological Resilience: Model Inputs and Outputs
The effectiveness of nourishment in decadal barrier island morphological resilience was assessed using the XBeach model to simulate morphologic change over a 30-year period at Dauphin Island, AL, under scenarios of no-action and beach and dune nourishment, as described in Passeri et al., 2021. The 30-year simulation used a storm climatology developed for the region based on synthetic tropical cycl
Assessing habitat change and migration of barrier islands
A barrier island habitat prediction model was used to forecast barrier island habitats (for example, beach, dune, intertidal marsh, and woody vegetation) for Dauphin Island, Alabama, based on potential island configurations associated with a variety of restoration measures and varying future conditions of storminess and sea level (Enwright and others, 2020). This USGS data release contains five ha
Idealized Antecedent Topography Sensitivity Study: Initial Baseline and Modified Profiles Modeled with XBeach
The one-dimensional model inputs of idealized topography and bathymetry values for simulation of synthetic storm evolution with XBeach, as described in Mickey and others (2020) are provided here. The idealized topography and bathymetry were derived from LiDAR data from Dauphin Island, AL, USA over the timespan of 2005 to 2015. For further information regarding model input generation of topography
Dauphin Island Decadal Forecast Evolution Model Inputs and Results
The model input and output of topography and bathymetry values resulting from forecast simulations of coupled modeling scenarios occurring between 2015 and 2025 at Dauphin Island, Alabama, and described in U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open-File Report 2020-1001 (https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20201001), are provided here. For further information regarding model input generation and visualization of m
Dauphin Island Decadal Hindcast Model Inputs and Results
The model input and output of bathymetry and topography elevations resulting from a deterministic simulation from 2004 to 2015 at Dauphin Island, Alabama, as described in Mickey and others (2020), are provided here. For further information regarding model input generation and visualization of model output topography and bathymetry refer to Mickey and others (2020).
For more information visit: Mic
Landscape position-based habitat modeling for the Alabama Barrier Island feasibility assessment at Dauphin Island
A barrier island habitat prediction model was used to forecast barrier island habitats (for example, beach, dune, intertidal marsh, and woody vegetation) for Dauphin Island, Alabama, based on potential island configurations associated with a variety of restoration measures and varying future conditions of storminess and sea-levels. In this study, we loosely coupled a habitat model framework with d
Seagrass habitat suitability modeling for the Alabama Barrier Island restoration assessment at Dauphin Island
A barrier island seagrass habitat suitability index (HSI) model was developed for the Alabama barrier island restoration assessment at Dauphin Island. Shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) was selected as the representative species for seagrass community near Dauphin Island waters since H. wrightii is the dominant species (>62%) of seagrass communities in this area due to its rapid growth and tolerance
Oyster habitat suitability modeling for the Alabama Barrier Island restoration assessment at Dauphin Island
A spatially explicit oyster habitat suitability index (HSI) model was developed for the Alabama barrier island restoration assessment at Dauphin Island. Based on previous oyster habitat suitability studies, seven water quality variables were selected and their relationships with habitat suitability were developed and incorporated into the oyster HSI model for Dauphin Island restoration assessment:
Wave Scenario Results of Proposed Sediment Borrow Pit 3 on the Nearshore Wave Climate of Breton Island, LA
Provided here are the SWAN wave model input of grid 4 with pit 3 configuration and output of significant wave height, dominant wave period, and mean wave direction resulting from simulation of wave scenarios at the Breton Island, LA, as described in USGS Open-File Report 2015-1055 (https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151055). There are 128 individual scenarios that are based on significant wave height (H
Storm-Impact Scenario XBeach Model Inputs and Results
The XBeach model input and output of topography and bathymetry resulting from simulation of storm-impact scenarios at the Chandeleur Islands, LA, as described in USGS Open-File Report 2017-1009 (https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171009), are provided here. For further information regarding model input generation and visualization of model output topography and bathymetry refer to USGS Open-File Report
Atlantic and Gulf Coast Sandy Coastline Topo-Bathy Profile and Characteristic Database
Atlantic and Gulf Coast Sandy Coastline Topo-Bathy Profile and Characteristic Database
Coverage area for the topo-bathy profiles and their morphologic characteristics across the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines.
Coverage area for the topo-bathy profiles and their morphologic characteristics across the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines.
Sea level rise scenario model for Dauphin Island, Alabama
Sea level rise scenario model for Dauphin Island, Alabama
This model shows what Dauphin Island, Alabama, may look like under moderate storms but with increasing rates of sea level rise (Passeri and others, 2018).
This model shows what Dauphin Island, Alabama, may look like under moderate storms but with increasing rates of sea level rise (Passeri and others, 2018).