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Western Geographic Science Center

The WGSC is responsible for research and applications to understand coupled human-environmental systems in the face of land change and delivering pertinent information to decision makers on the vulnerability and resilience of these systems.  WGSC scientists collaborate with partners to advance the goals of the USGS Core Science Systems and Ecosystems Mission Areas and their programs. 

News

Intensified Coastal Hazards from Climate Change on U.S. Southeast Coast

Intensified Coastal Hazards from Climate Change on U.S. Southeast Coast

LP DAAC Releases LGRIP30 Version 2 Data Products!

LP DAAC Releases LGRIP30 Version 2 Data Products!

Dr Laura Norman wins the 2024 Farouk El-Baz Award

Dr Laura Norman wins the 2024 Farouk El-Baz Award

Publications

Unlocking ecological insights from sub-seasonal visible-to-shortwave infrared imaging spectroscopy: The SHIFT campaign

We stand at the threshold of a transformative era in Earth observation, marked by space-borne visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectrometers that promise consistent global observations of ecosystem function, phenology, and inter- and intra-annual change. However, the full value of repeat spectroscopy, the information embedded within different temporal scales, and the...
Authors
K. Dana Chadwick, Frank W. Davis, Kimberley Miner, Ryan Pavlick, Mark Reynolds, Philip A. Townsend, Philip Brodrick, Christiana Ade, Jean Allen, Leander D. L. Anderegg, Yoseline Angel, Indra Boving, Kristin B. Byrd, Petya Campbell, Luke Carberry, Katherine Cavanaugh, Kyle C. Cavanaugh, Kelly Easterday, Regina Eckert, Michelle M. Gierach, Kaitlin Gold, Erin Hestir, Fred Huemmrich, Maggie Klope, Raymond F. Kokaly, Piper Lovegreen, Kelly Luis, Conor McMahon, Nicholas Nidzieko, Francisco Ochoa, Anna Ongjoco, Elsa Ordway, Madeleine Pascolini-Campbell, Natalie Queally, Dar A. Roberts, Clare Saiki, Fabian D Schneider, Alexey N. Shiklomanov, German Silva, Jordan Snyder, Michele Thornton, Anna Trugman, Nidhi Vinod, Ting Zheng, Dulcinea M. Avouris, Brianna Baker, Latha Baskaran, Tom Bell, Megan Berg, Michael Bernas, Niklas Bohn, Renato Braghiere, Zach Breuer, Andrew J. Brooks, Nolan Burkard, Julia Burmistrova, Kerry-Anne Cawse-Nicholson, John Chapman, Johana Chazaro-Haraksin, Joel Cryer, K.C. Cushman, Kyla M. Dahlin, Phuong Dao, Athena DiBartolo, Michael Eastwood, Clayton D. Elder, Angela Giordani, Kathleen Grant, Robert O. Green, Alexa Hanson, Brendan Heberlein, Mark Helmlinger, Simon Hook, Daniel J. Jensen, Emma Johnson, Marie Johnson, Michael Kiper, Christopher Kibler, Jennifer Y. King, Kyle Kovach, Aaron Kreisberg, Daniel Lacey, Evan Lang, Christine M. Lee, Amanda M Lopez, Brittany Lopez Barreto, Andrew Maguire, Elliott Marsh, Charles E. Miller, Dieu My Nguyen, Cassandra Nickles, Jonathan Ocón, Elijah Papen, Maria Park, Benjamin Poulter, Ann M. Raiho, Porter Reim, Timothy J. Robinson, Fernando Romero Galvan, Ethan Shafron, Brenen R. Skalitzky, Sydney Stroschein, Nicole Chin Taylor, David R. Thompson, Kate Thompson, Cecily Tye, Joelie Van Beek, Cecilia Vanden Heuvel, Jonathan Vellanoweth, Evert Vermeer, Claire Villanueva-Weeks, Kristen Zumdahl, David Schimel

Population vulnerability of residents, employees, and cruise-ship passengers to tsunami hazards of islands in complex seismic regions: A case study of the U.S. Virgin Islands

Reducing the potential for loss of life from tsunamis is challenging on islands located in complex seismic regions given the multiple sources that surround islands, differences among islands in the amount of time needed to evacuate before wave arrival, and the high number of residents, employees, and tourists in tsunami-hazard zones. We examine variations in population vulnerability in...
Authors
Nathan J. Wood, Jeff Peters, Christopher Moore

Applications of unoccupied aerial systems (UAS) in landscape ecology: A review of recent research, challenges and emerging opportunities

ContextUnoccupied aerial systems/vehicles (UAS/UAV, a.k.a. drones) have become an increasingly popular tool for ecological research. But much of the recent research is concerned with developing mapping and detection approaches, with few studies attempting to link UAS data to ecosystem processes and function. Landscape ecologists have long used high resolution imagery and spatial analyses...
Authors
Miguel L. Villarreal, Tara B.B. Bishop, Temuulen Ts. Sankey, William K. Smith, Matthew Alexander Burgess, Trevor Caughlin, Jeffrey K. Gillan, Caroline Havrilla, Tao Huang, Raymond Lebeau, Cindy L. Norton, Joel B. Sankey, Victoria Mary Scholl, Joshua W. Von Nonn, Erika Yao

Science

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Coastal Wetland Vulnerability to Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise: Understanding Ecological Thresholds and Ecosystem Transformations

Eighteen USGS coastal scientists from all four coasts of the conterminous United States are working together to advance the understanding of climate change and sea-level rise impacts to coastal wetlands.
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Developing General Coastal Vegetation Maps for Coastal Morphodynamic Models

The USGS is collaborating with researchers from other agencies, academia, and industry to predict coastal impacts from hurricanes. The results from this study will better inform coastal morphological change models, which will lead to improved hurricane impact projections.
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Developing General Coastal Vegetation Maps for Coastal Morphodynamic Models

The USGS is collaborating with researchers from other agencies, academia, and industry to predict coastal impacts from hurricanes. The results from this study will better inform coastal morphological change models, which will lead to improved hurricane impact projections.
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Impacts of Anthropogenic Land Cover Changes on Wildlife Bioenergetics and Landscape Connectivity

In order to maintain viable populations, wildlife require not only contiguous habitat but also the bodily ability to move through the landscape. The spatial expansion of human development can block or slow the movement of wildlife.
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Impacts of Anthropogenic Land Cover Changes on Wildlife Bioenergetics and Landscape Connectivity

In order to maintain viable populations, wildlife require not only contiguous habitat but also the bodily ability to move through the landscape. The spatial expansion of human development can block or slow the movement of wildlife.
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