Publications
Scientific reports, journal articles, and information products produced by USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center scientists.
Filter Total Items: 1339
Description of extreme-wave deposits on the northern coast of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
To develop a better understanding of the origins of extreme-wave deposits and to help assess the potential risk of future overwash events, a field mapping survey was conducted in November 2006 on the northern coast of Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles. Deposits were mapped and analyzed to help develop a systematic sedimentological approach to distinguish the type of extreme-wave event (tsunamis or sto
Authors
Steven G. Watt, Bruce E. Jaffe, Robert A. Morton, Bruce M. Richmond, Guy Gelfencaum
Surface-wave site characterization at 52 strong-motion recording stations affected by the Parkfield, California, M6.0 earthquake of 28 September 2004
We present one-dimensional shear-wave velocity (VS) profiles at 52 strong-motion sites that recorded the 28 September 2004 Magnitude 6.0 Parkfield, Calif., earthquake. We estimate the VS profiles with the Spectral Analysis of Surface-Waves (SASW) method. The SASW method is a noninvasive method that indirectly estimates the VS at depth from variations in the Rayleigh wave phase velocity at the surf
Authors
Eric M. Thompson, Robert E. Kayen, Brad Carkin, Hajime Tanaka
2009 weather and aeolian sand-transport data from the Colorado River corridor, Grand Canyon, Arizona
This report presents measurements of weather parameters and aeolian sand transport made in 2009 near selected archeological sites in the Colorado River corridor through Grand Canyon, Ariz. The quantitative methods and data discussed here form a basis for monitoring ecosystem processes that affect archeological-site stability. Combined with forthcoming work to evaluate landscape evolution at nearby
Authors
Amy E. Draut, Hoda A. Sondossi, Timothy P. Dealy, Joseph E. Hazel, Helen C. Fairley, Christopher R. Brown
Estuarine sedimentation, sediment character, and foraminiferal distribution in central San Francisco Bay, California
Central San Francisco Bay is the deepest subembayment in the San Francisco Bay estuary and hence has the largest water volume of any of the subembayments. It also has the strongest tidal currents and the coarsest sediment within the estuary. Tidal currents are strongest over the west-central part of central bay and, correspondingly, this area is dominated by sand-size sediment. Much of the area ea
Authors
John L. Chin, Donald L. Woodrow, Mary McGann, Florence L. Wong, Theresa A. Fregoso, Bruce E. Jaffe
High-resolution seismic-reflection data offshore of Dana Point, southern California borderland
The U.S. Geological Survey collected high-resolution shallow seismic-reflection profiles in September 2006 in the offshore area between Dana Point and San Mateo Point in southern Orange and northern San Diego Counties, California. Reflection profiles were located to image folds and reverse faults associated with the San Mateo fault zone and high-angle strike-slip faults near the shelf break (the N
Authors
Ray W. Sliter, Holly F. Ryan, Peter J. Triezenberg
Terrigenous sediment provenance from geochemical tracers, south Molokai reef flat, Hawaii
Land-derived runoff is one of the greatest threats to coral-reef health. Identification of runoff sources is an important step in erosion mitigation efforts. A geochemical sediment provenance study was done in uplands and across the adjacent fringing reef on the southeast shore of Molokai, Hawaii, to determine whether sediment runoff originated from hillsides or gulches. Source-region identificati
Authors
R.K. Takesue
The influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles on wave-driven sea-floor sediment mobility along the central California continental margin
Ocean surface waves are the dominant temporally and spatially variable process influencing sea floor sediment resuspension along most continental shelves. Wave-induced sediment mobility on the continental shelf and upper continental slope off central California for different phases of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events was modeled using monthly statistics derived from more than 14 years of
Authors
Curt D. Storlazzi, Jane A. Reid
The 2007 M5.4 Alum Rock, California, earthquake: Implications for future earthquakes on the central and southern Calaveras Fault
[1] The similarity of seismograms recorded by two seismic stations demonstrate that the 31 October 2007 moment magnitude M5.4 Alum Rock earthquake is a repeat of a 1955 ML5.5 earthquake. Both occurred on Oppenheimer et al.'s (1990) Zone V “stuck patch” on the central Calaveras fault, providing new support for their model of Calaveras fault earthquake activity. We suggest that Zone V fails only in
Authors
David H. Oppenheimer, William H. Bakun, Tom Parsons, Robert W. Simpson, John Boatwright, R. A. Uhrhammer
Swath Bathymetry Surveys of the Monterey Bay Area from Point Ano Nuevo to Moss Landing, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties, California
This report describes swath bathymetry and backscatter data acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey on the continental shelf within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary between Point Año Nuevo and Moss Landing, in San Mateo, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Counties, Calif. The survey was done for the California Seafloor Mapping Program (CSMP), in field activities S-7-09-MB and S-10-09-MB, by the Wes
Authors
Andrew C. Ritchie, David P. Finlayson, Joshua B. Logan
Carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in deep saline aquifers and formations: Chapter 3
Carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration in geologic media is one among many emerging strategies to reduce atmospheric emissions of anthropogenic CO2. This chapter looks at the potential of deep saline aquifers – based on their capacity and close proximity to large point sources of CO2 – as repositories for the geologic sequestration of CO2. The petrochemical characteristics which impact on
Authors
Robert J. Rosenbauer, Burt Thomas
Sub-weekly to interannual variability of a high-energy shoreline
Sixty-one Global Positioning System (GPS), sub-aerial beach surveys were completed at 7 km long Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA (USA), between April 2004 and March 2009. The five-year time series contains over 1 million beach elevation measurements and documents detailed changes in beach morphology over a variety of spatial, temporal, and physical forcing scales. Results show that seasonal processe
Authors
Jeff E. Hansen, Patrick L. Barnard
Sediment-transport during three controlled-flood experiments on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, with implications for eddy-sandbar deposition in Grand Canyon National Park
Three large-scale field experiments were conducted on the Colorado River downstream from Glen Canyon Dam in 1996, 2004, and 2008 to evaluate whether artificial (that is, controlled) floods released from the dam could be used in conjunction with the sand supplied by downstream tributaries to rebuild and sustainably maintain eddy sandbars in the river in Grand Canyon National Park. Higher suspended-
Authors
David J. Topping, David M. Rubin, Paul E. Grams, Ronald E. Griffiths, Thomas A. Sabol, Nicholas Voichick, Robert B. Tusso, Karen M. Vanaman, Richard R. McDonald