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View from the sky of a marsh labeled with sample locations.
Little Holland Tract and Liberty Island sample locations, 2014-2017
Little Holland Tract and Liberty Island sample locations, 2014-2017
Little Holland Tract and Liberty Island sample locations, 2014-2017

Sediment sampling locations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California near Little Holland Tract and Liberty Island, 2014 to 2017

Sediment sampling locations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California near Little Holland Tract and Liberty Island, 2014 to 2017

In background, photo shows a view of a beach with hotels and skyscrapers along the shore, text advertisement on top.
Free Public Lecture on the Role of Coral Reefs in Coastal Protection
Free Public Lecture on the Role of Coral Reefs in Coastal Protection
Free Public Lecture on the Role of Coral Reefs in Coastal Protection

Flyer to advertise the upcoming USGS Menlo Park Campus Free Public Lecture on April 26, 2018: "The Role of U.S.

Man wearing a safety helmet rides an all-terrain vehicle with equipment on it, driving on a flat beach on wet sand and pebbles.
Surveying beach in Goleta, CA
Surveying beach in Goleta, CA
Surveying beach in Goleta, CA

USGS geomorphologist Pat Limber drives an all-terrain vehicle equipped with differential GPS, on Ellwood Beach in Goleta, California, collecting topographic, or elevation and contour, data. These data, accurate to about 1 inch (about 2 centimeters) both horizontally and vertically, are used to monitor seasonal beach changes.

USGS geomorphologist Pat Limber drives an all-terrain vehicle equipped with differential GPS, on Ellwood Beach in Goleta, California, collecting topographic, or elevation and contour, data. These data, accurate to about 1 inch (about 2 centimeters) both horizontally and vertically, are used to monitor seasonal beach changes.

Beach and boardwalk area with palm trees in background, and a single person driving a personal watercraft just offshore.
Surveying off Montecito, CA
Surveying off Montecito, CA
Surveying off Montecito, CA

Jackson Currie of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center drives a personal watercraft (PWC) offshore of Butterfly Beach in Montecito, California. The equipment on the PWC collects bathymetry, or depth, data which is used to map the nearshore. USGS has been mapping this area twice yearly—every spring and fall—since 2005.

Jackson Currie of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center drives a personal watercraft (PWC) offshore of Butterfly Beach in Montecito, California. The equipment on the PWC collects bathymetry, or depth, data which is used to map the nearshore. USGS has been mapping this area twice yearly—every spring and fall—since 2005.

Man walks on beach wearing a backpack with equipment, nearby buildings in background, coastal mountains in far background.
Surveying beaches near Montecito, CA
Surveying beaches near Montecito, CA
Surveying beaches near Montecito, CA

USGS volunteer Josh Brown on Santa Claus Beach, Carpinteria, at the start of a 14-mile walking survey of southern California beaches. The differential GPS equipment carried in the backpack collects elevation, or topographic, data of the beach, accurate to about 1 inch (2 centimeters) both horizontally and vertically.

USGS volunteer Josh Brown on Santa Claus Beach, Carpinteria, at the start of a 14-mile walking survey of southern California beaches. The differential GPS equipment carried in the backpack collects elevation, or topographic, data of the beach, accurate to about 1 inch (2 centimeters) both horizontally and vertically.

Man wearing a safety helmet rides an all-terrain vehicle with equipment on it, driving on a flat beach on packed sand and stones
Surveying beaches near Ventura, CA
Surveying beaches near Ventura, CA
Surveying beaches near Ventura, CA

USGS geomorphologist Pat Limber drives an all-terrain vehicle equipped with differential GPS, on San Buenaventura Beach south of Ventura Pier, Ventura California, collects topographic, or elevation and contour, data. These data, accurate to about 1 inch (about 2 centimeters) both horizontally and vertically, are used to monitor seasonal beach changes.

USGS geomorphologist Pat Limber drives an all-terrain vehicle equipped with differential GPS, on San Buenaventura Beach south of Ventura Pier, Ventura California, collects topographic, or elevation and contour, data. These data, accurate to about 1 inch (about 2 centimeters) both horizontally and vertically, are used to monitor seasonal beach changes.

Late afternoon sun on a beach with two people on personal watercraft in the nearshore with very gentle ocean wave action.
Surveying off Montecito, CA
Surveying off Montecito, CA
Surveying off Montecito, CA

Jackson Currie and Alex Snyder of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center drive personal watercraft (PWCs) offshore of San Ysidro and Oak Creeks, which let out onto Miramar Beach in Montecito, California.

Jackson Currie and Alex Snyder of the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center drive personal watercraft (PWCs) offshore of San Ysidro and Oak Creeks, which let out onto Miramar Beach in Montecito, California.

A coastline with trees on the beach berm on left, two people looking out at two jet skis, waves are gentle, sun is gleaming.
Nearshore survey of San Ysidro Creek
Nearshore survey of San Ysidro Creek
Nearshore survey of San Ysidro Creek

Two USGS scientists operate personal watercraft equipped with sonar and GPS along the beachfront off San Ysidro Creek, near Fernald Point in Montecito, California. They will use the data collected to create bathymetric (depth) maps.

Two USGS scientists operate personal watercraft equipped with sonar and GPS along the beachfront off San Ysidro Creek, near Fernald Point in Montecito, California. They will use the data collected to create bathymetric (depth) maps.

Beach with large rock rip-rap lining the low bluff near homes, sand has footprints going to and fro.
Footprints in mud overlaying beach sand
Footprints in mud overlaying beach sand
Footprints in mud overlaying beach sand

Footprints in mud layer deposited on the sand at Miramar Beach in Montecito, California, by January 9 flood waters coming down San Ysidro Creek.

Footprints in mud layer deposited on the sand at Miramar Beach in Montecito, California, by January 9 flood waters coming down San Ysidro Creek.

Two women stand together smiling on a boat wearing life jackets and sun hats with other safety gear.
Fieldwork in the Delta
Fieldwork in the Delta
Fieldwork in the Delta

Shruti Khanna (left, California Department of Fish and Wildlife) and Judy Drexler (USGS California Water Science Center) on the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s research vessel Parke Snavely during fieldwork in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Shruti Khanna (left, California Department of Fish and Wildlife) and Judy Drexler (USGS California Water Science Center) on the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s research vessel Parke Snavely during fieldwork in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

An object of two circular pieces of mixed materials are partially covered with mud and plant debris.
Instrument package for river data collection
Instrument package for river data collection
Instrument package for river data collection

Patches of dark sand cling to an instrument package that collected data for approximately two weeks at the Mokelumne River site—evidence that currents at the site were strong enough to carry sand, which is heavier than mud, probably during elevated river flows following two storms in the watershed.

Patches of dark sand cling to an instrument package that collected data for approximately two weeks at the Mokelumne River site—evidence that currents at the site were strong enough to carry sand, which is heavier than mud, probably during elevated river flows following two storms in the watershed.

Two people hold onto a large metal tripod with instruments suspended from a cable as they guide it into the water.
Deploying tripod in the Delta
Deploying tripod in the Delta
Deploying tripod in the Delta

USGS physical scientist Cordell Johnson, at left, and USGS research oceanographer Jessie Lacy, both from the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, guide a tripod with instruments into the waters of the Mokelumne River near the confluence with the San Joaquin River. The Mokelumne is part of the vast Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in California,&nbs

USGS physical scientist Cordell Johnson, at left, and USGS research oceanographer Jessie Lacy, both from the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, guide a tripod with instruments into the waters of the Mokelumne River near the confluence with the San Joaquin River. The Mokelumne is part of the vast Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in California,&nbs

A woman and a man stand on the stern of a boat wearing safety gear, man is pressing on a piece of equipment.
Gomex sediment corer preparation
Gomex sediment corer preparation
Gomex sediment corer preparation

Dan Powers (USGS PCMSC) and Rachel Marcuson (USGS PCMSC) prepare to deploy a Gomex sediment corer from the R/V Snavely in the Mokulumne River near confluence of San Joaquin River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA.

Dan Powers (USGS PCMSC) and Rachel Marcuson (USGS PCMSC) prepare to deploy a Gomex sediment corer from the R/V Snavely in the Mokulumne River near confluence of San Joaquin River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA.

A man is leaning over and is scooping soil from a wildfire-charred hillslope and placing the soil in a sample bag.
Collecting soil and charcoal sample after a wildfire
Collecting soil and charcoal sample after a wildfire
Collecting soil and charcoal sample after a wildfire

Brett Tipple (University of California, Santa Cruz) collects a sample of charcoal and soil adjacent to a gully forming on a hillslope above Sonoma Creek, which was burned by the Nuns wildfire in October 2017.

Brett Tipple (University of California, Santa Cruz) collects a sample of charcoal and soil adjacent to a gully forming on a hillslope above Sonoma Creek, which was burned by the Nuns wildfire in October 2017.

A small boat sits on calm waters with trees in the distance, and a cloudy sky.
Mokelumne River survey
Mokelumne River survey
Mokelumne River survey

Mokelumne River near confluence with the San Joaquin River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA, looking downstream, with Cordell Johnson (USGS PCMSC) and Rachel Allen (USGS PCMSC) collecting data from the R/V Fast Eddy.

Mokelumne River near confluence with the San Joaquin River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA, looking downstream, with Cordell Johnson (USGS PCMSC) and Rachel Allen (USGS PCMSC) collecting data from the R/V Fast Eddy.

A small boat sits on calm waters with trees in the distance, and a cloudy sky.
Mokelumne River survey
Mokelumne River survey
Mokelumne River survey

Mokelumne River near confluence with the San Joaquin River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA, looking downstream, with Cordell Johnson (USGS PCMSC) and Rachel Allen (USGS PCMSC) collecting data from the R/V Fast Eddy.

Mokelumne River near confluence with the San Joaquin River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA, looking downstream, with Cordell Johnson (USGS PCMSC) and Rachel Allen (USGS PCMSC) collecting data from the R/V Fast Eddy.

View from the air looking down on a river where it meets the ocean, with many small channels in the sediment deposited there.
Elwha River mouth
Elwha River mouth
Elwha River mouth

Orthophoto of the mouth of the Elwha River in Washington. The orthophoto was compiled from images collected with a Ricoh GR camera operating at 2-second intervals and mounted on a Cessna 172 piloted by Rite Bros. Aviation.

Orthophoto of the mouth of the Elwha River in Washington. The orthophoto was compiled from images collected with a Ricoh GR camera operating at 2-second intervals and mounted on a Cessna 172 piloted by Rite Bros. Aviation.

View from the sky of a river surrounded by a heavily forested area and winding through a bare section that used to be a lake.
Former Elwha Dam and Lake Aldwell post dam removal
Former Elwha Dam and Lake Aldwell post dam removal
Former Elwha Dam and Lake Aldwell post dam removal

Orthophoto (GigaPan) of the former Elwha Dam and former Lake Aldwell, on the Elwha River, Washington, compiled from ultra high-resolution images collected with a Ricoh GR camera operating at 2-second intervals, mounted on a Cessna 172 piloted by Rite Bros. Aviation and processed using Structure-from-Motion techniques.

Orthophoto (GigaPan) of the former Elwha Dam and former Lake Aldwell, on the Elwha River, Washington, compiled from ultra high-resolution images collected with a Ricoh GR camera operating at 2-second intervals, mounted on a Cessna 172 piloted by Rite Bros. Aviation and processed using Structure-from-Motion techniques.

View from the sky of a river surrounded by a heavily forested area and winding through a bare section that used to be a lake.
Glines Canyon Dam and Lake Mills post dam removal
Glines Canyon Dam and Lake Mills post dam removal
Glines Canyon Dam and Lake Mills post dam removal

Orthophoto (GigaPan) of the former Glines Canyon Dam and former Lake Mills, on the Elwha River, Washington, compiled from ultra high-resolution images collected with a Ricoh GR camera operating at 2-second intervals, mounted on a Cessna 172 piloted by Rite Bros. Aviation and processed using Structure-from-Motion techniques.

Orthophoto (GigaPan) of the former Glines Canyon Dam and former Lake Mills, on the Elwha River, Washington, compiled from ultra high-resolution images collected with a Ricoh GR camera operating at 2-second intervals, mounted on a Cessna 172 piloted by Rite Bros. Aviation and processed using Structure-from-Motion techniques.

Looks down on beach scene from roof top, with small waves, a pier that extends from beach on left, amusement park in background.
Camera 1, Main Beach Snapshot, Santa Cruz
Camera 1, Main Beach Snapshot, Santa Cruz
Camera 1, Main Beach Snapshot, Santa Cruz

The view from one of two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, that overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. This view, from camera 1, looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk.

The view from one of two video cameras atop the Dream Inn hotel in Santa Cruz, California, that overlook the coast in northern Monterey Bay. This view, from camera 1, looks eastward over Santa Cruz Main Beach and boardwalk.