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Publications

Scientific reports, journal articles, and information products produced by USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists.

Filter Total Items: 1382

Detection and characterization of benthic filamentous algal stands (<i>Cladophora</i> sp.) on rocky substrata using a high-frequency echosounder Detection and characterization of benthic filamentous algal stands (<i>Cladophora</i> sp.) on rocky substrata using a high-frequency echosounder

A high-frequency echosounder was used to detect and characterize percent cover and stand height of the benthic filamentous green alga Cladophora sp. on rocky substratum of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Comparisons between in situ observations and estimates of the algal stand characteristics (percent cover, stand height) derived from the acoustic data show good agreement for algal stands...
Authors
David C. Depew, Andrew W. Stevens, Ralph E.H. Smith, Robert E. Hecky

Thatcher Bay, Washington, Nearshore Restoration Assessment Thatcher Bay, Washington, Nearshore Restoration Assessment

The San Juan Archipelago, located at the confluence of the Puget Sound, the Straits of Juan de Fuca in Washington State, and the Straits of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada, provides essential nearshore habitat for diverse salmonid, forage fish, and bird populations. With 408 miles of coastline, the San Juan Islands provide a significant portion of the available nearshore habitat for...
Authors
Joel Breems, Sandy Wyllie-Echeverria, Eric E. Grossman, Joel Elliott

Review of impacts of contaminated sediment on microfaunal communities in the Southern California Bight Review of impacts of contaminated sediment on microfaunal communities in the Southern California Bight

A comparison of foraminiferal faunal trends in pristine and impacted regions on the continental shelf and slope of the Southern California Bight, as well as variations in the temporal foraminiferal distribution patterns from 1955 to 1998, suggest that the benthic microfaunal communities have been greatly affected by the presence of contaminated sediment near the major outfall sites. Six...
Authors
Mary McGann

Cross-shelf transport into nearshore waters due to shoaling internal tides in San Pedro Bay, CA Cross-shelf transport into nearshore waters due to shoaling internal tides in San Pedro Bay, CA

In the summer of 2001, a coastal ocean measurement program in the southeastern portion of San Pedro Bay, CA, was designed and carried out. One aim of the program was to determine the strength and effectiveness of local cross-shelf transport processes. A particular objective was to assess the ability of semidiurnal internal tidal currents to move suspended material a net distance across...
Authors
Marlene A. Noble, Burt Jones, Peter Hamilton, Jingping Xu, George Robertson, Leslie Rosenfeld, John Largier

Beaches Beaches

Beaches are shoreline accumulations of loose sand, gravel or a mixture of the two, that are formed primarily by the action of waves. Beach sediment can be derived from a variety of sources including insular shelves, the adjacent land and upland sources, or other beach locations through alongshore movement of material. Beaches provide critical coastal habitat, such as nesting sites for...
Authors
Bruce M. Richmond

Three‐dimensional model of Hellenic Arc deformation and origin of the Cretan uplift Three‐dimensional model of Hellenic Arc deformation and origin of the Cretan uplift

[1] The Hellenic Arc of Greece is the most seismically active part of Europe, but little is know about its mechanics. We modeled deformation along the arc using a finite element model. The model was intended to capture large‐scale 3‐D structure of Nubian plate subduction beneath the Aegean block and its deformational consequences. The shape of the interface was developed using mapped...
Authors
Athanassios Ganas, Tom Parsons

Topographic Change Detection at Select Archeological Sites in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 2006-2007 Topographic Change Detection at Select Archeological Sites in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, 2006-2007

Topographic change of archeological sites within the Colorado River corridor of Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) is a subject of interest to National Park Service managers and other stakeholders in the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. Although long-term topographic change resulting from a variety of natural processes is typical in the Grand Canyon region, a continuing debate...
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Diane L. Minasian, Robert Kayen

An integrated approach to benthic habitat mapping using remote sensing and GIS: An example from the Hawaiian Islands An integrated approach to benthic habitat mapping using remote sensing and GIS: An example from the Hawaiian Islands

This chapter documents our effort to map benthic habitats within the KalokoHonokohau National Historic Park, Hawai`i, USA. We produce detailed benthichabitat maps by using a combination of color aerial photography, high-resolution bathymetry, and georeferenced underwater video and still photography. We classify individual habitat polygons using five basic attributes and additional...
Authors
A.E. Gibbs, Susan A. Cochran

High-Resolution Seismic-Reflection and Marine Magnetic Data Along the Hosgri Fault Zone, Central California High-Resolution Seismic-Reflection and Marine Magnetic Data Along the Hosgri Fault Zone, Central California

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected high-resolution shallow seismic-reflection and marine magnetic data in June 2008 in the offshore areas between the towns of Cayucos and Pismo Beach, Calif., from the nearshore (~6-m depth) to just west of the Hosgri Fault Zone (~200-m depth). These data are in support of the California State Waters Mapping Program and the Cooperative Research...
Authors
Ray W. Sliter, Peter J. Triezenberg, Patrick E. Hart, Janet T. Watt, Samuel Y. Johnson, Daniel S. Scheirer

The framework of a coastal hazards model: A tool for predicting the impact of severe storms The framework of a coastal hazards model: A tool for predicting the impact of severe storms

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Multi-Hazards Demonstration Project in Southern California (Jones and others, 2007) is a five-year project (FY2007-FY2011) integrating multiple USGS research activities with the needs of external partners, such as emergency managers and land-use planners, to produce products and information that can be used to create more disaster-resilient communities...
Authors
Patrick L. Barnard, Bill O'Reilly, Maarten van Ormondt, Edwin Elias, Peter Ruggiero, Li H. Erikson, Cheryl Hapke, Brian D. Collins, Robert T. Guza, Peter N. Adams, Julie Thomas

Sea Floor off San Diego, California Sea Floor off San Diego, California

Ocean-floor image generated from multibeam-bathymetry data acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Scripps Institution of Oceanography; California State University, Monterey Bay; and Fugro Pelagos. To learn more, visit http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2007/2959/.
Authors
Peter Dartnell, Helen Gibbons

Is there a basis for preferring characteristic earthquakes over a Gutenberg–Richter distribution in probabilistic earthquake forecasting? Is there a basis for preferring characteristic earthquakes over a Gutenberg–Richter distribution in probabilistic earthquake forecasting?

The idea that faults rupture in repeated, characteristic earthquakes is central to most probabilistic earthquake forecasts. The concept is elegant in its simplicity, and if the same event has repeated itself multiple times in the past, we might anticipate the next. In practice however, assembling a fault-segmented characteristic earthquake rupture model can grow into a complex task laden...
Authors
Thomas E. Parsons, Eric L. Geist
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