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A man wearing a straw hat checks the equipment mounted on a tripod frame.
Tripod preparation for ERO19
Tripod preparation for ERO19
Tripod preparation for ERO19

Lukas Winkler-Prins checks on the frame setup on June 10, 2019.  This tripod has an RBR CTD, an RBR bursting pressure sensor, an RBR optical backscatter sensor, a LISST-200X, an altimeter, and two Nortek ADVs + Seapoint optical backscatter sensors, which will reveal information about water temperature and salinity, wave height and period, total s

Lukas Winkler-Prins checks on the frame setup on June 10, 2019.  This tripod has an RBR CTD, an RBR bursting pressure sensor, an RBR optical backscatter sensor, a LISST-200X, an altimeter, and two Nortek ADVs + Seapoint optical backscatter sensors, which will reveal information about water temperature and salinity, wave height and period, total s

Two images that show an area of coastline, one is a photo and one shows heights of objects on land and in the water.
Intertidal Zone at Post Point in Bellingham Bay
Intertidal Zone at Post Point in Bellingham Bay
Intertidal Zone at Post Point in Bellingham Bay

Aerial imagery (top) and structure-from-motion data (bottom) from an unmanned aerial system survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 6, 2019.

Aerial imagery (top) and structure-from-motion data (bottom) from an unmanned aerial system survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 6, 2019.

View of Capitola, California, coastline
View of Capitola, California coastline
View of Capitola, California coastline
View of Capitola, California coastline

View of Capitola, California. Capitola is a city in Santa Cruz County, California on the coast of Monterey Bay.

Satellite view of a bay with islands, with markers plotted to show sample locations and instrument placement.
San Pablo Bay study area
San Pablo Bay study area
San Pablo Bay study area

The USGS Pacific and Coastal Marine Science Center collected data to investigate sediment dynamics in the shallows of San Pablo Bay in two deployments: February to March 2011 (ITX11) and May to June 2012 (ITX12). This data release includes time-series data and grain-size distributions from sediment grabs collected during the deployments.

The USGS Pacific and Coastal Marine Science Center collected data to investigate sediment dynamics in the shallows of San Pablo Bay in two deployments: February to March 2011 (ITX11) and May to June 2012 (ITX12). This data release includes time-series data and grain-size distributions from sediment grabs collected during the deployments.

Photo of a calm creek with a small sandbar in the middle, creek is surrounded by trees burned by a wildfire.
Whiskey Creek section of Whiskeytown Lake
Whiskey Creek section of Whiskeytown Lake
Whiskey Creek section of Whiskeytown Lake

In the aftermath of the 2018 Carr Fire, northern California, sediment has eroded from burned hillslopes and accumulated in some areas of Whiskeytown Lake. A recent sediment deposit is shown here in the Whiskey Creek section of the lake.

In the aftermath of the 2018 Carr Fire, northern California, sediment has eroded from burned hillslopes and accumulated in some areas of Whiskeytown Lake. A recent sediment deposit is shown here in the Whiskey Creek section of the lake.

A man wearing a baseball cap and badge around his neck is talking to other people about a piece of heavy machinery near him.
Giving a Tour of USGS Science Center
Giving a Tour of USGS Science Center
Giving a Tour of USGS Science Center

On March 25th, 2019, ocean engineer Rob Wyland of the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center gave a tour and demonstration to roughly a dozen students from the engineering class he teaches at Cabrillo College, a local community college.

On March 25th, 2019, ocean engineer Rob Wyland of the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center gave a tour and demonstration to roughly a dozen students from the engineering class he teaches at Cabrillo College, a local community college.

Photo of a frame with two long, tubular floats attached to trays in between them, supporting instruments with cables.
GeoPulse Boomer Plates
GeoPulse Boomer Plates
GeoPulse Boomer Plates

The boomer plate produces a repeatable pulse in the 1-6kHz frequency range using an electrodynamic transducer that can be powered by a capacitor discharge system.

The boomer plate produces a repeatable pulse in the 1-6kHz frequency range using an electrodynamic transducer that can be powered by a capacitor discharge system.

A shaded, colored illustration that shows how much movement occurred on a hillslope thorugh time.
Changes to Mud Creek digital surface models
Changes to Mud Creek digital surface models
Changes to Mud Creek digital surface models

Computer images showing the coastal cliff area of Mud Creek on the Big Sur coastline, central California, where on May 20, 2017 a catastrophic landslide destroyed over 400 meters of scenic California State Highway 1. These illustrations show the changes to the digital surface models of Mud Creek during the three primary phases of the landslide: (

Computer images showing the coastal cliff area of Mud Creek on the Big Sur coastline, central California, where on May 20, 2017 a catastrophic landslide destroyed over 400 meters of scenic California State Highway 1. These illustrations show the changes to the digital surface models of Mud Creek during the three primary phases of the landslide: (

An illustration shows how aerial photographs are taken around a landslide in order to use them in computer models.
Mud Creek landslide flight path example
Mud Creek landslide flight path example
Mud Creek landslide flight path example

USGS photographs taken from a contracted small airplane are used to build three-dimensional representations of the hillslopes of Big Sur, California, as shown here for the Mud Creek landslide site in 2017.  Blue symbols show the locations of individual photos obtained on the flight, and the gray area shows the hillslope landscape created from the photos using S

USGS photographs taken from a contracted small airplane are used to build three-dimensional representations of the hillslopes of Big Sur, California, as shown here for the Mud Creek landslide site in 2017.  Blue symbols show the locations of individual photos obtained on the flight, and the gray area shows the hillslope landscape created from the photos using S

A photo from the sky of a coastline showing areas of sediment and water as well as land features like roads.
Orthophotomosaic image, north coast of Barter Island, July 1, 2014
Orthophotomosaic image, north coast of Barter Island, July 1, 2014
Orthophotomosaic image, north coast of Barter Island, July 1, 2014

Aerial photographs were collected from a small, fixed-wing aircraft over the coast of Barter Island, Alaska on July 01 2014, September 07 2014. Precise aircraft position information and structure-from-motion photogrammetric methods were combined to derive a high-resolution orthophotomosaic.

Aerial photographs were collected from a small, fixed-wing aircraft over the coast of Barter Island, Alaska on July 01 2014, September 07 2014. Precise aircraft position information and structure-from-motion photogrammetric methods were combined to derive a high-resolution orthophotomosaic.

Underwater map illustration shows a canyon carved into the seafloor and labeled with the location of instrument installations.
Map of instrument mooring locations, Monterey Canyon
Map of instrument mooring locations, Monterey Canyon
Map of instrument mooring locations, Monterey Canyon

Map of locations of instrument moorings where we collected time-series oceanographic data from the Monterey Canyon, offshore of Montery, California, from October 2015 - March 2017

Map of locations of instrument moorings where we collected time-series oceanographic data from the Monterey Canyon, offshore of Montery, California, from October 2015 - March 2017

Photograph looking out across a calm lake with a fairly dried-up edge.
Salton Sea
Salton Sea
Salton Sea

Photo of the Salton Sea

Maps of a waterway show eelgrass abundance and the tracklines followed to collect eelgrass data.
Bellingham Bay tracklines and eelgrass distributions
Bellingham Bay tracklines and eelgrass distributions
Bellingham Bay tracklines and eelgrass distributions

Maps show eelgrass distribution (left) along the tracklines followed by the boat (right).

Two men in a small boat, one is at the wheel, the boat is in a calm waterway with trees in the background.
PCMSC boat Fast Eddy
PCMSC boat Fast Eddy
PCMSC boat Fast Eddy

The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center's (PCMSC) small utility boat named Fast Eddy, shown here on the Mokelumne River in northern California.

The USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center's (PCMSC) small utility boat named Fast Eddy, shown here on the Mokelumne River in northern California.

Colorfully shaded map of the seafloor showing the many unique canyons created by nearby rivers.
Topography and Bathymetry of Southern Cascadia
Topography and Bathymetry of Southern Cascadia
Topography and Bathymetry of Southern Cascadia

Topography and bathymetry of southern Cascadia, which includes southern Oregon and northern California (seafloor depths between 200 and 3000 m are shown in the spectrum color scale from red (shallower) to purple (deeper). The land and continental shelf are shown in grayscale slope shading where darker colors represent steeper slopes.

Topography and bathymetry of southern Cascadia, which includes southern Oregon and northern California (seafloor depths between 200 and 3000 m are shown in the spectrum color scale from red (shallower) to purple (deeper). The land and continental shelf are shown in grayscale slope shading where darker colors represent steeper slopes.

simulation model of wave driven flooding and island overwash
Simulation of wave-driven flooding on Marshall Island
Simulation of wave-driven flooding on Marshall Island
Simulation of wave-driven flooding on Marshall Island

Reefs provide protection from waves and wave-driven flooding. A snapshot from the simulation of wave-driven flooding and island overwash for an annual storm at the Republic of the Marshall Islands is shown.

 

Reefs provide protection from waves and wave-driven flooding. A snapshot from the simulation of wave-driven flooding and island overwash for an annual storm at the Republic of the Marshall Islands is shown.

 

Black smoke billows out of a crusty vent on the ocean floor.
Mineral-laden water emerging from a hydrothermal vent
Mineral-laden water emerging from a hydrothermal vent
Mineral-laden water emerging from a hydrothermal vent

Mineral-laden water emerging from a hydrothermal vent on the Niua underwater volcano in the Lau Basin, southwest Pacific Ocean. As the water cools, minerals precipitate to form tower-like “chimneys.” Image taken during 2016 cruise “Virtual Vents.”  

Mineral-laden water emerging from a hydrothermal vent on the Niua underwater volcano in the Lau Basin, southwest Pacific Ocean. As the water cools, minerals precipitate to form tower-like “chimneys.” Image taken during 2016 cruise “Virtual Vents.”  

Map shows the central part of California near Monterey, with onshore and offshore faults and features labeled.
Faults and features of the Big Sur area
Faults and features of the Big Sur area
Faults and features of the Big Sur area

Shaded-relief map of central California showing location of the Big Sur area (white dashed line). Red line shows the San Gregorio-Hosgri fault (SGHF) and the Big Sur Bend between Point Sur (PS) and Piedras Blancas (PB). Black lines show other faults.

Shaded-relief map of central California showing location of the Big Sur area (white dashed line). Red line shows the San Gregorio-Hosgri fault (SGHF) and the Big Sur Bend between Point Sur (PS) and Piedras Blancas (PB). Black lines show other faults.

Cartoon looks at the seafloor at an angle to reveal a steep hillslope, indicative of a fault between tectonic plates.
Big Sur Bend
Big Sur Bend
Big Sur Bend

Perspective view of part of the Big Sur Bend in the San Gregorio-Hosgri fault. The steep slope beside the fault results from uplift along the fault, which is part of the strike-slip fault system that forms the boundary in California between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates.

Perspective view of part of the Big Sur Bend in the San Gregorio-Hosgri fault. The steep slope beside the fault results from uplift along the fault, which is part of the strike-slip fault system that forms the boundary in California between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates.

Web browser screen showing an application with different parameters and controls on left and the resulting map on right.
Screenshot of Our Coast, Our Future
Screenshot of Our Coast, Our Future
Screenshot of Our Coast, Our Future

Screenshot of Our Coast, Our Future (OCOF) interactive map view of Stinson Beach, California, showing extent of flooding predicted if subjected to a sea-level rise of 100 centimeters (about 40 inches) and elevated water levels caused by a 100-year storm.

Screenshot of Our Coast, Our Future (OCOF) interactive map view of Stinson Beach, California, showing extent of flooding predicted if subjected to a sea-level rise of 100 centimeters (about 40 inches) and elevated water levels caused by a 100-year storm.

Two underwater divers wearing wet suits and oxygen tanks with an apparatus that is drilling into the seafloor.
Collecting a core from a reef
Collecting a core from a reef