Rob Thieler, PhD
I work on a variety of topics including coastal change hazards, sea-level rise impacts, continental shelf sedimentation, and applications of web and smartphone technology to coastal problems.
Dr. Rob Thieler is the Center Director of the U.S. Geological Survey's Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Rob conducts marine geologic research on the geologic framework and evolution of the coastal zone. This includes understanding relationships between geology, sediment transport, climate and sea-level change, and coastal erosion. Rob has conducted assessments of sea-level rise vulnerability for the U.S. and locations worldwide. He served as a Lead Author of a U.S. Global Change Research Program report on potential impacts of sea-level rise, and works with many federal and state agencies to develop science and policy plans for addressing coastal change hazards. Rob also studies habitat use and availability for beach-nesting and migratory shorebirds. Rob developed the widely-used DSAS software package for measuring coastal erosion and accretion and has recently developed smartphone applications for coastal science.
Research Interests
Coastal Change Assessment
I have a longstanding interest in coastal change assessment, particularly historical shoreline change. This includes developing new data, knowledge and tools (particularly the Digital Shoreline Analysis System, DSAS) that are widely used by the scientific community to document and interpret patterns of shoreline movement in response to changes in forcing, geologic constraints, and anthropogenic manipulation, as well as the coastal management community (many states use historical erosion rates as a basis for building setback laws or other policy). Major research questions include what statistical techniques adequately address the problems of nonlinear and non-uniform shoreline movement, trend reversals, and short-term variability that increase the magnitude of error in quantitative analyses. There are also important questions regarding the spatial variability of shoreline movement at different temporal scales. All of these issues are important when developing coastal hazard forecasts and informing coastal management decisions. Much of this information is derived and applied at a nationwide scale through our National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards project, and delivered through our Coastal Change Hazards web portal.
Sea-level Rise Hazards
My colleagues and I conduct research to assess the potential impacts of sea-level rise on coastal evolution and provide tools for coastal management decision making. Historical and recent observations of coastal environments and rates of change are combined with model simulations of coastal environments such as barrier islands and coastal aquifers.
Continental Shelf Geologic Processes
Part of my research involves continental shelf processes such as modern sedimentation, and placing the geologic record preserved in
Professional Experience
2017-Present, Center Director, U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., 1997, Geology, Duke University
M.S., 1993, Environmental Science, Duke University
B.A., 1987, Political Science, Certificate in Environmental Studies, Dickinson College
Abstracts and Presentations
2021 Eos, Science News by AGU Cape Cod: Shipwrecks, Dune Shacks, and Shifting Sands
2020 The Christian Science Monitor How one science hub grapples with diversifying STEM
2017 College of Wooster Osgood Memorial Lecture
2016 New York Times Strategic Retreat on Cape Cod
2015 Cape Cod Times Cape Wearing Away
2015 Cape Cod Times Sea-level Rise on Cape Cod Op-Ed
Science and Products
The national assessment of shoreline change: A GIS compilation of vector shorelines and associated shoreline change data for the New England and Mid-Atlantic Coasts
Regional seismic stratigraphy and controls on the Quaternary evolution of the Cape Hatteras region of the Atlantic passive margin, USA
Importance of coastal change variables in determining vulnerability to sea- and lake-level change
Aminostratigraphy of surface and subsurface Quaternary sediments, North Carolina coastal plain, USA
The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) Version 4.0 - An ArcGIS extension for calculating shoreline change
Holocene sea-level changes along the North Carolina Coastline and their implications for glacial isostatic adjustment models
Micropaleontologic record of late Pliocene and Quaternary paleoenvironments in the northern Albemarle Embayment, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Geologic effects and coastal vulnerability to sea-level rise, erosion, and storms
USGS advances in integrated, high-resolution sea-floor mapping: inner continental shelf to estuaries
Coastal change-potential assessment of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Indiana Dunes, and Apostle Islands National Lakeshores to lake-level changes
Sorted bed forms as self-organized patterns: 2. complex forcing scenarios
Historical Shoreline Changes at Rincon, Puerto Rico, 1936-2006
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
- Maps
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 121
The national assessment of shoreline change: A GIS compilation of vector shorelines and associated shoreline change data for the New England and Mid-Atlantic Coasts
Sandy ocean beaches are a popular recreational destination, often surrounded by communities containing valuable real estate. Development is on the rise despite the fact that coastal infrastructure is subjected to flooding and erosion. As a result, there is an increased demand for accurate information regarding past and present shoreline changes. The U.S. Geological Survey's National Assessment ofAuthorsEmily A. Himmelstoss, Meredith G. Kratzmann, Cheryl Hapke, E. Robert Thieler, Jeffrey ListRegional seismic stratigraphy and controls on the Quaternary evolution of the Cape Hatteras region of the Atlantic passive margin, USA
Seismic and core data, combined with amino acid racemization and strontium-isotope age data, enable the definition of the Quaternary stratigraphic framework and recognition of geologic controls on the development of the modern coastal system of North Carolina, U.S.A. Seven regionally continuous high amplitude reflections are defined which bound six seismic stratigraphic units consisting of multiplAuthorsD. J. Mallinson, S.J. Culver, S.R. Riggs, E. R. Thieler, D. Foster, J. Wehmiller, K.M. Farrell, J. PiersonImportance of coastal change variables in determining vulnerability to sea- and lake-level change
In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey began conducting scientific assessments of coastal vulnerability to potential future sea- and lake-level changes in 22 National Park Service sea- and lakeshore units. Coastal park units chosen for the assessment included a variety of geological and physical settings along the U.S. Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Alaska, Caribbean, and Great Lakes shorAuthorsE.A. Pendleton, E. R. Thieler, S. J. WilliamsAminostratigraphy of surface and subsurface Quaternary sediments, North Carolina coastal plain, USA
The Quaternary stratigraphy and geochronology of the Albemarle Embayment of the North Carolina (NC) Coastal Plain is examined using amino acid racemization (AAR) in marine mollusks, in combination with geophysical, lithologic, and biostratigraphic analysis of 28 rotasonic cores drilled between 2002 and 2006. The Albemarle Embayment is bounded by structural highs to the north and south, and QuaternAuthorsJohn F. Wehmiller, E. Robert Thieler, D. Miller, V. Pellerito, Keeney V. Bakeman, S.R. Riggs, S. Culver, D. Mallinson, K.M. Farrell, L.L. York, J. Pierson, P.R. ParhamThe Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) Version 4.0 - An ArcGIS extension for calculating shoreline change
The Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) version 4.0 is a software extension to ESRI ArcGIS v.9.2 and above that enables a user to calculate shoreline rate-of-change statistics from multiple historic shoreline positions. A user-friendly interface of simple buttons and menus guides the user through the major steps of shoreline change analysis. Components of the extension and user guide includeAuthorsE. Robert Thieler, Emily A. Himmelstoss, Jessica L. Zichichi, Ayhan ErgulHolocene sea-level changes along the North Carolina Coastline and their implications for glacial isostatic adjustment models
We have synthesized new and existing relative sea-level (RSL) data to produce a quality-controlled, spatially comprehensive database from the North Carolina coastline. The RSL database consists of 54 sea-level index points that are quantitatively related to an appropriate tide level and assigned an error estimate, and a further 33 limiting dates that confine the maximum and minimum elevations of RAuthorsB. P. Horton, W.R. Peltier, S.J. Culver, R. Drummond, S.E. Engelhart, A.C. Kemp, D. Mallinson, E. R. Thieler, S.R. Riggs, D.V. Ames, K.H. ThomsonMicropaleontologic record of late Pliocene and Quaternary paleoenvironments in the northern Albemarle Embayment, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Micropaleontological data provide a strong actualistic basis for detailed interpretations of Quaternary paleoenvironmental change. The 90 m-thick Quaternary record of the Albemarle Embayment in the mid-Atlantic coastal plain of the USA provides an excellent opportunity to use such an approach in a region where the details of Quaternary environmental change are poorly known.The foraminiferal recordAuthorsS.J. Culver, K.M. Farrell, D. J. Mallinson, B. P. Horton, D. A. Willard, E. R. Thieler, S.R. Riggs, S.W. Snyder, J.F. Wehmiller, C.E. Bernhardt, C. HillierGeologic effects and coastal vulnerability to sea-level rise, erosion, and storms
A combination of natural and human factors are driving coastal change and making coastal regions and populations increasingly vulnerable. Sea level, a major agent of coastal erosion, has varied greatly from -120 m below present during glacial period low-stands to + 4 to 6 m above present during interglacial warm periods. Geologic and tide gauge data show that global sea level has risen about 12 toAuthorsS. J. Williams, B.T. Gutierrez, E. R. Thieler, E. PendletonUSGS advances in integrated, high-resolution sea-floor mapping: inner continental shelf to estuaries
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been involved in geological mapping of the sea floor for the past thirty years. Early geophysical and acoustic mapping efforts using GLORIA (Geologic LOng Range Inclined ASDIC) a long-range sidescan-sonar system, provided broad-scale imagery of deep waters within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In the early 1990's, research emphasis shifted from deep-AuthorsJ. F. Denny, W. C. Schwab, D. C. Twichell, T. F. O'Brien, W. W. Danforth, D. S. Foster, E. Bergeron, C.W. Worley, B. J. Irwin, B. Butman, P. C. Valentine, W. E. Baldwin, R.A. Morton, E. R. Thieler, D. R. Nichols, B.D. AndrewsCoastal change-potential assessment of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Indiana Dunes, and Apostle Islands National Lakeshores to lake-level changes
A change-potential index (CPI) was used to map the susceptibility of the shoreline to future lake-level change within Apostle Islands, Indiana Dunes, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshores (NL) along Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. The CPI in the Great Lakes setting ranks the following in terms of their physical contribution to lake-level related coastal change: geomorphology, regional coastAuthorsElizabeth A. Pendleton, E. Robert Thieler, S. Jeffress WilliamsSorted bed forms as self-organized patterns: 2. complex forcing scenarios
We employ a numerical model to study the development of sorted bed forms under a variety of hydrodynamic and sedimentary conditions. Results indicate that increased variability in wave height decreases the growth rate of the features and can potentially give rise to complicated, a priori unpredictable, behavior. This happens because the system responds to a change in wave characteristics by attempAuthorsGiovanni Coco, A. Brad Murray, Malcom O. Green, E. Robert Thieler, T.M. HumeHistorical Shoreline Changes at Rincon, Puerto Rico, 1936-2006
The coast from Punta Higuero to Punta Cadena in Rincon, Puerto Rico is experiencing long-term erosion. This study documents historical shoreline changes at Rincon for the period 1936-2006 and constitutes a significant expansion and revision of previous work. The study area extends approximately 8 km from Punta Higuero to Punta Cadena. Fourteen historical shoreline positions were compiled from exisAuthorsE. Robert Thieler, Rafael W. Rodriguez, Emily A. Himmelstoss - Software
- News