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Scientific reports, journal articles, and information products produced by USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists.
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Filter Total Items: 1337
The coral reef of South Moloka'i, Hawai'i— Portrait of a sediment-threatened fringing reef
Moloka‘i, with the most extensive coral reef in the main Hawaiian Islands, is especially sacred to Hina, the Goddess of the Moon. As Hinaalo, she is the Mother of the Hawaiian people; as Hinapuku‘a, she is the Goddess of Fishermen; and in the form Hina‘opuhalako‘a, she is the Goddess who gave birth to coral, coral reefs, and all spiny marine organisms. Interdependence between the reef’s living res
Comments on potential geologic and seismic hazards affecting proposed liquefied natural gas site in Santa Monica Bay, California
In a letter to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) dated March 25, 2008, Representative Jane Harman (California 36th district) requested advice on geologic hazards that should be considered in the review of a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility off the California coast in Santa Monica Bay. In 2004, the USGS responded to a similar request from Representative Lois Capps, regarding two propos
Authors
Stephanie L. Ross, Homa J. Lee, Tom E. Parsons, Larry A. Beyer, David M. Boore, James E. Conrad, Brian D. Edwards, Michael A. Fisher, Arthur D. Frankel, Eric L. Geist, Kenneth W. Hudnut, Susan E. Hough, Robert E. Kayen, T.D. Lorenson, Nicolas Luco, Patricia A. McCrory, Mary McGann, Manuel Nathenson, Michael Nolan, Mark D. Petersen, Daniel J. Ponti, Charles L. Powell, Holly F. Ryan, John C. Tinsley, Chris J. Wills, Florence L. Wong, Jingping Xu
A global search for stress shadows
[1] Debate continues regarding the relative proportion of earthquakes triggered by passing seismic waves versus static stress changes from a main shock. Static stress changes are expected to have long‐term effects on earthquake probabilities, whereas dynamic stress changes due to the passing of seismic waves should not. Both mechanisms are expected to raise seismicity rates in some areas, but only
Authors
Ellen P. Mallman, Tom Parsons
Coast salish and U.S. Geological Survey: Tribal journey water quality project
The ancestral waters of the Coast Salish People, the Salish Sea, comprise a large inland sea contained within both United States (Puget Sound) and Canadian (Georgia Strait) territory. The Salish Sea is home to more than 220 species of fish, 29 species of marine mammals, more than 40 species of commercial and recreationally harvested invertebrates, and numerous resident and migratory bird species (
Authors
Sarah K. Akin, Eric E. Grossman, Debra Lekanof, Charles J. O'Hara
Incorporation of Fine-Grained Sediment Erodibility Measurements into Sediment Transport Modeling, Capitol Lake, Washington
Capitol Lake was created in 1951 with the construction of a concrete dam and control gate that prevented salt-water intrusion into the newly formed lake and regulated flow of the Deschutes River into southern Puget Sound. Physical processes associated with the former tidally dominated estuary were altered, and the dam structure itself likely caused an increase in retention of sediment flowing into
Authors
Andrew W. Stevens, Guy Gelfenbaum, Edwin Elias, Craig Jones
Coastal circulation and sediment dynamics in Hanalei Bay, Kaua'i. Part IV: Measurements of waves, currents, temperature, salinity, and turbidity: June-September 2006
High-resolution measurements of waves, currents, water levels, temperature, salinity and turbidity were made in Hanalei Bay, northern Kaua'i, Hawai'i, during the summer of 2006 to better understand coastal circulation, sediment dynamics, and the potential impact of a river flood in a coral reef-lined embayment during quiescent summer conditions. A series of bottommounted instrument packages were d
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, M. Katherine Presto, Joshua B. Logan, Michael E. Field
The Role of Eolian Sediment in the Preservation of Archeologic Sites Along the Colorado River Corridor in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Since the closure of Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, the natural hydrologic and sedimentary systems along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon reach have changed substantially (see, for example, Andrews, 1986; Johnson and Carothers, 1987; Webb and others, 1999b; Rubin and others, 2002; Topping and others, 2003; Wright and others, 2005; Hazel and others, 2006b). The dam has reduced the fluvial sediment
Authors
Amy E. Draut, David M. Rubin
Channel Evolution on the Lower Elwha River, Washington, 1939-2006
Analyses of historical aerial photographs of the lower Elwha River, Clallam County, Washington, reveal rates and patterns of channel change in this dammed, anabranching river between 1939 and 2006. Absolute positional changes of the active-floodplain margins, which commonly exceeded 50 m over that interval, have exceeded 400 m locally. Annualized rates of channel movement were typically ~2 to 10 m
Authors
Amy E. Draut, Joshua B. Logan, Randall E. McCoy, Michael McHenry, Jonathan A. Warrick
Submarine ground-water discharge and fate along the coast of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, Island of Hawai'i: Part 2, spatial and temporal variations in salinity, radium-isotope activity, and nutrient concentrations in coastal waters, Decembe
The aquatic resources of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, including rocky shoreline, fishponds, and anchialine pools, provide habitat to numerous plant and animal species and offer recreational opportunities to local residents and tourists. A considerable amount of submarine groundwater discharge was known to occur in the park, and this discharge was suspected to influence the park's wat
Authors
Karen Knee, Joseph Street, Eric E. Grossman, Adina Paytan
Multibeam Sonar Mapping and Modeling of a Submerged Bryophyte Mat in Crater Lake, Oregon
Traditionally, multibeam data have been used to map sea floor or lake floor morphology as well as the distribution of surficial facies in order to characterize the geologic component of benthic habitats. In addition to using multibeam data for geologic studies, we want to determine if these data can also be used directly to map the distribution of biota. Multibeam bathymetry and acoustic backscatt
Authors
Peter Dartnell, Robert Collier, Mark Buktenica, Steven Jessup, Scott Girdner, Peter Triezenberg
High-resolution chirp and mini-sparker seismic-reflection data from the southern California continental shelf — Gaviota to Mugu Canyon
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected high-resolution shallow seismic-reflection data in September, 2007, and June-July, 2008, from the continental shelf offshore of southern California between Gaviota and Mugu Canyon, in support of the California's State Waters Mapping Program.
Data were acquired using SIG 2mille mini-sparker and Edgetech chirp 512 instruments aboard the R/V Zephyr (Sep
Authors
Ray W. Sliter, Peter J. Triezenberg, Patrick E. Hart, Amy E. Draut, William R. Normark, James E. Conrad
Google earth mapping of damage from the Nigata-Ken-Chuetsu M6.6 earthquake of 16 July 2007
We describe the use of Google Earth during and after a large damaging earthquake thatstruck the central Japan coast on 16 July 2007 to collect and organize damage information and guide the reconnaissance activities. This software enabled greater real-time collaboration among scientists and engineers. After the field investigation, the Google Earth map is used as a final reporting product that was
Authors
Robert E. Kayen, WM. Clint Steele, Brian Collins, Kevin Walker