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Robert R. Lotspeich

Robert Lotspeich is a hydrologist at the Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center.

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Instrumentation to measure land subsidence at a site in Virginia Beach

New Crowd Sourcing Will Contribute to Study of Land Subsidence and Sea-Level Rise in the Chesapeake Bay

Issue: Chesapeake Bay region has the highest rate of relative sea-level rise on the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Scientists use the term relative sea-level rise to describe the change in ocean height relative to changes in land elevation. Data indicate that vertical land motion in the form of subsidence has been responsible for more than half the relative sea-level rise measured in the...
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Core Science Systems Mission Area, Chesapeake Bay Activities
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New Crowd Sourcing Will Contribute to Study of Land Subsidence and Sea-Level Rise in the Chesapeake Bay

Issue: Chesapeake Bay region has the highest rate of relative sea-level rise on the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Scientists use the term relative sea-level rise to describe the change in ocean height relative to changes in land elevation. Data indicate that vertical land motion in the form of subsidence has been responsible for more than half the relative sea-level rise measured in the...
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Image of a new benchmark.

Hampton Roads Benchmark Monitoring Network

The southern Chesapeake Bay region is experiencing land subsidence along with rising sea levels, both of which can contribute to coastal flooding. The rates at which these two processes are occurring are not exactly known. Mapping of land elevation change requires ground-truth survey data at multiple locations that are accurate and precise. With the exception of a few CORS sites that have...
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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Hampton Roads Benchmark Monitoring Network

The southern Chesapeake Bay region is experiencing land subsidence along with rising sea levels, both of which can contribute to coastal flooding. The rates at which these two processes are occurring are not exactly known. Mapping of land elevation change requires ground-truth survey data at multiple locations that are accurate and precise. With the exception of a few CORS sites that have...
Learn More

Vertical Land Motion Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Campaigns, Southeast Virginia (ver. 2.0, December 2022)

This data release is a compilation of annual Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) surveys of a network of 26 vertical control points (benchmarks) in the Hampton Roads region of southeastern Virginia. Surveys are conducted annually during the winter and are structured to collect a minimum of 24-hours of position data when possible, at an interval of 30-seconds or less at each benchmark locatio
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Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
Entry of the National Ocean Service and USGS
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Tripod-Palooza
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GPS data from 2019 and 2020 campaigns in the Chesapeake Bay region towards quantifying vertical land motions

The Chesapeake Bay is a region along the eastern coast of the United States where sea-level rise is confounded with poorly resolved rates of land subsidence, thus new constraints on vertical land motions (VLM) in the region are warranted. In this paper, we provide a description of two campaign-style Global Positioning System (GPS) datasets, explain the methods used in data collection and validatio
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

Near-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge using radars and the probability concept at 10 USGS streamgages

Near-field remote sensing of surface velocity and river discharge (discharge) were measured using coherent, continuous wave Doppler and pulsed radars. Traditional streamgaging requires sensors be deployed in the water column; however, near-field remote sensing has the potential to transform streamgaging operations through non-contact methods in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies
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Water Resources Mission Area, Colorado Water Science Center, National Innovation Center, Pennsylvania Water Science Center

Characteristics of peak streamflows and extent of inundation in areas of West Virginia and southwestern Virginia affected by flooding, June 2016

Heavy rainfall occurred across central and southern WestVirginia in June 2016 as a result of repeated rounds of torrentialthunderstorms. The storms caused major flooding and flashflooding in central and southern West Virginia with Kanawha,Fayette, Nicholas, and Greenbrier Counties among the hardesthit. Over the duration of the storms, from 8 to 9.37 inches ofrain was reported in areas in Greenbrie
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Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center

The Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics (SWaTH) network of the U.S. Geological Survey—Past and future implementation of storm-response monitoring, data collection, and data delivery

After Hurricane Sandy made landfall along the northeastern Atlantic coast of the United States on October 29, 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) carried out scientific investigations to assist with protecting coastal communities and resources from future flooding. The work included development and implementation of the Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrodynamics (SWaTH) network consisting of more tha
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Water Resources Mission Area, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program

Regional Curves of Bankfull Channel Geometry for Non-Urban Streams in the Piedmont Physiographic Province, Virginia

Natural-channel design involves constructing a stream channel with the dimensions, slope, and plan-view pattern that would be expected to transport water and sediment and yet maintain habitat and aesthetics consistent with unimpaired stream segments, or reaches. Regression relations for bankfull stream characteristics based on drainage area, referred to as 'regional curves,' are used in natural st
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Water Resources Mission Area, Virginia and West Virginia Water Science Center
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USGS Tidal Network Monitoring Elevated Water Levels Off Hampton Roads

To learn more about USGS’ role providing science to decision makers before, during and after Hurricane Jose, visit the USGS Hurricane Jose page at htt...

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