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Map shows a coastal city with an airport and how, during a large storm, ocean water would flood around city features.
CoSMoS projection for San Diego
CoSMoS projection for San Diego
CoSMoS projection for San Diego

Example of CoSMoS projected flooding extents for a 1.5 meter sea level rise in combination with possible 100 year return period coastal storms.

Example of CoSMoS projected flooding extents for a 1.5 meter sea level rise in combination with possible 100 year return period coastal storms.

deploying a multicorer to sample the seafloor near an Atlantic margin methane seep site.
Multicorer deployment to sample the seafloor
Multicorer deployment to sample the seafloor
Multicorer deployment to sample the seafloor

USGS ocean engineers Peter Dal Ferro and Gerry Hatcher, from the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, deploying a multicorer to sample the seafloor near an Atlantic margin methane seep site.

USGS ocean engineers Peter Dal Ferro and Gerry Hatcher, from the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, deploying a multicorer to sample the seafloor near an Atlantic margin methane seep site.

Series of diagrams with arrows from left to right, how data visualization tool goes from a global to regional to local scale.
How projections in CoSMoS work
How projections in CoSMoS work
How projections in CoSMoS work

CoSMoS’s approach to projecting flood hazards: global winds, waves, tides, and anomalous water levels are scaled down to the local scale for  projecting nearshore wave heights, flooding, and shoreline change, including beach erosion and cliff failures.

Learn more at usgs.gov/cosmos

CoSMoS’s approach to projecting flood hazards: global winds, waves, tides, and anomalous water levels are scaled down to the local scale for  projecting nearshore wave heights, flooding, and shoreline change, including beach erosion and cliff failures.

Learn more at usgs.gov/cosmos

Map of coastline showing lines that ships followed, collecting data along the way, near labeled sites of earthquakes.
Research vessel tracklines offshore of southeast Alaska
Research vessel tracklines offshore of southeast Alaska
Research vessel tracklines offshore of southeast Alaska

Tracklines along which R/V Ocean Starr (2017, red lines) and R/V Norseman (2016, black lines) conducted seismic-reflection surveys, overlaid on high-resolution bathymetry (color background). Yellow stars represent earthquakes of magnitude (M) 7 and greater since 1900.

Tracklines along which R/V Ocean Starr (2017, red lines) and R/V Norseman (2016, black lines) conducted seismic-reflection surveys, overlaid on high-resolution bathymetry (color background). Yellow stars represent earthquakes of magnitude (M) 7 and greater since 1900.

Two maps; the left hand one shows brown land, blue water, and red arrows. The right hand one shows colored survey tracklines
Maps with key features and shaded relief of the study area
Maps with key features and shaded relief of the study area
Maps with key features and shaded relief of the study area

Left: Key features in and around the Gulf of Alaska. A black rectangle outlines our 2016 study area along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault. Red arrows indicate relative tectonic plate motions. Right: A shaded relief map of the 2016 study area. Rainbow colors show seafloor depths acquired by the USGS in 2015 and 2016. Red indicates shallower depths.

Left: Key features in and around the Gulf of Alaska. A black rectangle outlines our 2016 study area along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault. Red arrows indicate relative tectonic plate motions. Right: A shaded relief map of the 2016 study area. Rainbow colors show seafloor depths acquired by the USGS in 2015 and 2016. Red indicates shallower depths.

Brown lines across the image describe the fault, with labeled features, depth, and width
Multichannel seismic-reflection profile from Queen Charlotte-Fault
Multichannel seismic-reflection profile from Queen Charlotte-Fault
Multichannel seismic-reflection profile from Queen Charlotte-Fault

Multichannel seismic-reflection profile across the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault, acquired aboard the R/V Norseman in August 2016. Dashed red line in enlarged section at lower right is the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault. m, meter; km, kilometer; ms, millisecond.

Multichannel seismic-reflection profile across the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault, acquired aboard the R/V Norseman in August 2016. Dashed red line in enlarged section at lower right is the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault. m, meter; km, kilometer; ms, millisecond.

Photo of a laboratory with various equipment and tables to work on.
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory

A look into the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Marine Minerals Laboratory Suite.

A look into the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Marine Minerals Laboratory Suite.

Photo of a laboratory with various equipment and tables to work on.
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory

A look into the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Marine Minerals Laboratory Suite.

A look into the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Marine Minerals Laboratory Suite.

Photo of a laboratory with various equipment and tables to work on.
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory

A look into the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Marine Minerals Laboratory Suite.

A look into the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Marine Minerals Laboratory Suite.

Photo of a laboratory with various equipment and tables to work on.
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory
PCMSC Marine Minerals Laboratory

A look into the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Marine Minerals Laboratory Suite.

A look into the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center’s Marine Minerals Laboratory Suite.

Diagram: different ocean features that contribute to coastal flooding

Diagram of different ocean features that contribute to coastal flooding.

Map showing the amount of sea-level rise that will double the chances

Map showing the amount of sea-level rise that will double the chances of today’s “50-year floods,” which have a 2 percent chance of happening in any year. Warmer colors indicate areas at greater risk.

Map showing the amount of sea-level rise that will double the chances of today’s “50-year floods,” which have a 2 percent chance of happening in any year. Warmer colors indicate areas at greater risk.

Up-close view of a hard, dark, lumpy, and rocky mineral surface.
Necker Ridge ferromanganese crust
Necker Ridge ferromanganese crust
Necker Ridge ferromanganese crust

Top of a ferromanganese crust sample collected from 1,896 meters water depth at Necker Ridge in the central north Pacific. The surface of this crust was in contact with ocean water and grew just 2 millimeters per million years.

Top of a ferromanganese crust sample collected from 1,896 meters water depth at Necker Ridge in the central north Pacific. The surface of this crust was in contact with ocean water and grew just 2 millimeters per million years.

A man and two women crouch around a table with a computer screen that one of the women is pointing to while she talks.
Sharing information on the screen
Sharing information on the screen
Sharing information on the screen

Visitors watched closely as Alicia Balster-Gee (in green vest) presented our research on marine geohazards in Alaska.

Visitors watched closely as Alicia Balster-Gee (in green vest) presented our research on marine geohazards in Alaska.

A woman facing the camera talks to two men with their backs to the camera.
USGS Open House discussions
USGS Open House discussions
USGS Open House discussions

Members of the PCMSC Marine Minerals Team, including physical science technician Kira Mizell (center), took turns describing the importance of seafloor minerals.

Members of the PCMSC Marine Minerals Team, including physical science technician Kira Mizell (center), took turns describing the importance of seafloor minerals.

A man at right talks about and gestures at a rock on a table to another man who is squatting in front of the rock.
Talking about seafloor mineral deposits
Talking about seafloor mineral deposits
Talking about seafloor mineral deposits

Research geologist Jim Hein (right) gave a hands-on explanation of seafloor mineral deposits.

Research geologist Jim Hein (right) gave a hands-on explanation of seafloor mineral deposits.

A woman shows visitors how she uses sediment sieves.
Sifting sand with sieves
Sifting sand with sieves
Sifting sand with sieves

During a USGS Open House in Santa Cruz, California, research geologist Amy East shows onlookers how to sift sand to determine its size.

During a USGS Open House in Santa Cruz, California, research geologist Amy East shows onlookers how to sift sand to determine its size.

Coastal view of landslide area with sand, gravel, cobbles, and large rocks of all sizes on a slope.
Upper terrace of Mud Creek slide
Upper terrace of Mud Creek slide
Upper terrace of Mud Creek slide

Mud Creek slide from south side of north upper terrace (above north and south berms). Note tension cracks and offset on the terrace to the north.

Mud Creek slide from south side of north upper terrace (above north and south berms). Note tension cracks and offset on the terrace to the north.

A collage of 6 photos shwoing various ways in which data is collected in the field, both on land and in water.
Field survey methods
Field survey methods
Field survey methods

Photos of survey equipment used during surveys of the Elwha River delta, Washington, from 2010-2017, showing:

Photos of survey equipment used during surveys of the Elwha River delta, Washington, from 2010-2017, showing:

Photograph of a flooded road in Olympic National Park, Washington, showing a person walking in the shallow water.
Flooding on a road in Olympic National Park, Washington
Flooding on a road in Olympic National Park, Washington