Sandra M Brosnahan
Science and Products
Estuarine Processes, Hazards, and Ecosystems
Estuarine processes, hazards, and ecosystems describes several interdisciplinary projects that aim to quantify and understand estuarine processes through observations and numerical modeling. Both the spatial and temporal scales of these mechanisms are important, and therefore require modern instrumentation and state-of-the-art hydrodynamic models. These projects are led from the U.S....
Aerial Imaging and Mapping
The Aerial Imaging and Mapping group (AIM), at the U.S. Geological Survey Woods (USGS) Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center provides UAS services to scientists to advance the science mission of the Coastal and Marine Geology Program. Scientists at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center have been using UASs to acquire imagery of coastal and wetland environments, which is then used...
Coastal Model Applications and Field Measurements
Numerical models are used by scientists, engineers, coastal managers, and the public to understand and predict processes in the coastal ocean. This project supports the development and application of open-source coastal models and has several objectives: 1) improve the code of numerical sediment-transport models by implementing new or improved algorithms; 2) obtain measurements of coastal...
Estuarine Processes Tidal Wetlands
Tidal wetlands are an important geomorphic and ecological feature of the coastal zone. Our projects deal with the physical forcings that affect wetland stability over event-to-annual timescales, including wave attack, sediment supply, and sea-level rise.
Topographic and bathymetric data, sediment samples, and imagery collected at Head of the Meadow Beach, Truro in March 2020, U.S Geological Survey Field Activity 2020-015-FA
The data in this release map the beach and nearshore environment at Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro, MA and provide environmental context for the camera calibration information for the 2019 CoastCam installation that looks out at...
Geochemical data supporting investigation of solute and particle cycling and fluxes from two tidal wetlands on the south shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2012-19
The U.S. Geological Survey and collaborators collected surface water and porewater geochemical data from a tidal wetland located on the eastern shore of Sage Lot Pond in Mashpee, Massachusetts, within the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, between 2012 and 2019.
Continuous Monitoring Data From Herring River Wetlands, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2015 to January 2020
The Herring River estuary (Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts) has been tidally restricted for over a century by a dike constructed near the mouth of the river. The U.S. Geological Survey collected continuous monitoring data (including water level, soil temperature, air temperature, and meteorological parameters). These datasets can help evaluate key ecosystem drivers.
Continuous Monitoring Data From Natural and Restored Salt Marshes on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2016-17
Continuous monitoring data reported are a portion of data from a larger study investigating changes in soil properties, carbon accumulation, and greenhouse gas fluxes in four recently restored salt marsh sites and nearby natural salt marshes. For several decades, local towns, conservation groups, and government organizations have worked to identify, replace, repair, and enlarge cu
Oceanographic, Atmospheric and Water-Quality Measurements Sandwich Town Neck Beach, Massachusetts, 2017
These measurements provide short-duration datasets of waves, tides, and overwash from portable pressure sensors deployed on the beach during major winter storms on these dates: January 23-26; February 9-10; February 13-15; and March 13-15, 2017. Longer datasets were obtained from sensors on a platform deployed on the seafloor north of the beach in seven meters depth.
Sidescan sonar, single beam bathymetry, and navigation collected offshore of Sandwich Beach in 2016, U.S. Geological Field Activity 2016-030-FA
The objectives of the survey were to provide bathymetric and sidescan sonar data for sediment transport studies and coastal change model development for ongoing studies of nearshore coastal dynamics along Sandwich Town Neck Beach, MA. Data collection equipment used for this investigation are mounted on an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) uniquely adapted from a commercially sold gas-powered...
Aerial imagery and photogrammetric products from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights over the Lake Ontario shoreline at Sodus Bay, New York, July 12 to 14, 2017
This data release includes images tagged with locations determined from the UAS GPS; tables with updated estimates of camera positions and attitudes based on the photogrammetric reconstruction; tables listing locations of the base stations, ground control points, and transect points; geolocated, RGB-colored point clouds; orthomosaic images; and digital elevation models for each of the regions...
Aerial imagery and photogrammetric products from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flights over the Lake Ontario shoreline at Braddock Bay, New York, July 10 to 11, 2017
Low-altitude (80-100 meters above ground level) digital images were obtained from a camera mounted on a 3DR Solo quadcopter, a small unmanned aerial system (UAS), in three locations along the Lake Ontario shoreline in New York during July 2017. These data were collected to document and monitor effects of high lake levels, including shoreline erosion, inundation, and property damage.
Water level measurements collected in West Falmouth Harbor, MA, 2017
Water-level gauges were deployed at two sites in West Falmouth Harbor between April and June 2017. One gauge was mounted under the town-owned West Falmouth boat dock and the other on the private Associates dock near the mouth of the Harbor. Data from the upper sensor at the Associates dock were used to make atmospheric pressure corrections at both sites.
Oceanographic and Water Quality Measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland/Virginia, 2014 - 2015
The primary objective was to measure the physical response of the system to storm events, and identify processes that may affect estuarine resilience. Bottom landing platforms with instrumentation to measure currents, waves, water level, optical turbidity, water temperature, conductivity and water quality parameters were deployed at most sites.
Unmanned aerial systems capabilities of the U.S. Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology provides a rapid and low-cost solution for mapping coastal environments and assessing short- and long-term changes. The interdisciplinary nature of the data collected and the breadth of applications make UAS technology applicable to multiple scientific investigations. The Aerial Imaging and Mapping (AIM)...
Brosnahan, Sandra; Sherwood, Christopher R.
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, 2014–15
U.S. Geological Survey scientists and technical support staff measured oceanographic, waterquality, seabed-elevation-change, and meteorological parameters in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland and Virginia, during the period of August 13, 2014, to July 14, 2015, as part of the Estuarine Physical Response to Storms project (GS2–2D) supported by the...
Suttles, Steven E. ; Ganju, Neil K.; Brosnahan, Sandra M.; Montgomery, Ellyn T. ; Dickhudt, Patrick J. ; Beudin, Alexis; Nowacki, Daniel J. ; Martini, Marinna A.
Oceanographic and water-quality measurements collected south of Martha’s Vineyard, MA, 2014–2015
This web page provides access to oceanographic and water-quality observations made at seven sites near the Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory (MVCO) as part of National Science Foundation “Bottom Stress and the Generation of Vertical Vorticity Over the Inner Shelf” project. The objective was to measure bottom stress at several locations with...
Montgomery, Ellyn T.; Sherwood, Christopher R.; Martini, Marinna A.; Trowbridge, Jannelle; Scully, M.; Brosnahan, Sandra M. Oceanographic, atmospheric and water-quality measurements Sandwich Town Neck Beach, Massachusetts, 2016
This web page provides access to oceanographic, atmospheric, and water quality observations near Sandwich Town Neck Beach, Massachusetts. These measurements were made in conjunction with two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) projects; the Coastal Model Applications and Measurements Project, and the Barrier Island Evolution Research project, both...
Sherwood, Christopher R.; Montgomery, Ellyn T. ; Suttles, Steven E. ; Brosnahan, Sandra M.
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, 2014–15
Scientists and technical support staff from the U.S. Geological Survey measured suspended-sediment concentrations, currents, pressure, and water temperature in two tidal creeks, Reedy Creek and Dinner Creek, in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, from August 11, 2014, to July 10, 2015 as part of the Estuarine Physical Response to Storms project (GS2–2D)....
Suttles, Steven E.; Ganju, Neil K.; Montgomery, Ellyn T.; Dickhudt, Patrick J.; Borden, Jonathan; Brosnahan, Sandra M.; Martini, Marinna A.
Summary of oceanographic and water-quality measurements in Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells, Maine, in 2013
Suspended-sediment transport is a critical element controlling the geomorphology of tidal wetland complexes. Wetlands rely on organic material and inorganic sediment deposition to maintain their elevation relative to sea level. The U.S. Geological Survey performed observational deployments to measure suspended-sediment concentration and water flow...
Montgomery, Ellyn T.; Ganju, Neil K.; Dickhudt, Patrick J.; Borden, Jonathan; Martini, Marinna A.; Brosnahan, Sandra M.
The Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Aerial Imaging and Mapping Group Aids in Monitoring and Mapping the Kīlauea Volcanic Eruption
Interagency drone pilots from the USGS, Bureau of Land Management, and Office of Aviation Services, and four data managers, join the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in monitoring and mapping efforts of the eruption.
USGS and Army Corps of Engineers conduct simultaneous measurements at Sandy Neck beach, Cape Cod, MA
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Aerial Imaging and Mapping (AIM) group conducted drone flights from atop a dune at Sandy Neck (Cape Cod) while the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) aircraft collected data overhead.