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Brian Andrews

Brian Andrews is a Geographer with the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center. 

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land movement

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area
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Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...
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Perspective view of the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area
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Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...
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Image showing bathymetry of the southern Gulf of Maine with MA coastal zone boundary

Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Seafloor

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is conducting geologic mapping of the sea floor to characterize the surface and shallow subsurface geologic framework within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The long-term goal of this mapping effort is to produce high-resolution geologic maps and a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Seafloor

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is conducting geologic mapping of the sea floor to characterize the surface and shallow subsurface geologic framework within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The long-term goal of this mapping effort is to produce high-resolution geologic maps and a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will...
Learn More
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Graphic showing the geophysical systems used to map the seafloor surface and underlying structure, and sampling instruments

Sea Floor Mapping Group

The Sea Floor Mapping Group (SFMG) is a core capability at the Woods Hole Coastal & Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) that provides support for coastal, lacustrine and marine geologic research. The staff has a wide-range of expertise and is responsible for geophysical and sampling data acquisition, processing, interpretation and publication, logistics, design, and research and development. SFMG has...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Hurricane Sandy
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Sea Floor Mapping Group

The Sea Floor Mapping Group (SFMG) is a core capability at the Woods Hole Coastal & Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) that provides support for coastal, lacustrine and marine geologic research. The staff has a wide-range of expertise and is responsible for geophysical and sampling data acquisition, processing, interpretation and publication, logistics, design, and research and development. SFMG has...
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 17

Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals

Cold-water corals create complex structures, but our incomplete knowledge of their niche space limits our ability to understand their distribution and therefore the impact of the ecosystem services they provide in the ocean. The Richardson reef complex consists of over 150 km of linear reef tracts within an area of 75 km2 between 700-900 m depth. This reef experiences rapid shifts in temperature,
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

High-resolution geophysical data collected in Nantucket Sound Massachusetts in the vicinity of Horseshoe Shoal, during USGS Field Activity 2022-001-FA

In June 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, collected high-resolution geophysical data, in Nantucket Sound to understand the regional geology in the vicinity of Horseshoe Shoal. This effort is part of a long-term collaboration between the USGS and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to map the State’s waters, support research o
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

A bathymetric terrain model of multibeam sonar data collected between 2005 and 2018 along the Queen Charlotte Fault System in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska from Cross Sound, Alaska to Queen Charlotte Sound, Canada

This data publication is a compilation of six different multibeam surveys covering the previously unmapped Queen Charlotte Fault offshore southeast Alaska and Haida Gwaii, Canada. These data were collected between 2005 and 2018 under a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resources Canada, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The six source surveys
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization

Multibeam bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data collected in 2017 and 2018 of Noyes Submarine Canyon and vicinity, southeast Alaska

This data release provides U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2017 and 2018 bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data collected on the Noyes Submarine Canyon and vicinity in southeast Alaska. In 2017 and 2018 the NOAA survey vessel Fairweather collected bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data u
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Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical and geological data collected in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts during USGS Field Activities 2019-002-FA and 2019-034-FA (ver. 2.0, September 2022)

Accurate data and maps of sea floor geology are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine resources, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. To address these concerns the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), comprehensively mapped the Cape Cod Bay sea floor to characterize
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical and sample data collected in the vicinity of Buffalo Reef, Michigan, within Lake Superior, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2021-005-FA

In August 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, collected high-resolution geophysical data, sediment samples, and bottom imagery to determine the distribution of historical mine tailings on the floor of Lake Superior. Large amounts of waste material from copper mining, locally known as “stamp sands,” were dumped into the lake in the early 20th ce
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in the eastern Gulf of Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2016-625-FA using a Reson 7160 multibeam echosounder

Marine geophysical mapping of the Queen Charlotte Fault in the eastern Gulf of Alaska was conducted in 2016 as part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to understand the morphology and subsurface geology of the entire Queen Charlotte system. The Queen Charlotte fault is the offshore portion of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution marine geophysical data collected by the USGS in the Belfast Bay, Maine pockmark field in 2006, 2008, and 2009.

The U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in cooperation with the University of Maine mapped approximately 50 square kilometers of the seafloor within Belfast Bay, Maine. Three geophysical surveys conducted in 2006, 2008 and 2009 collected swath bathymetric (2006 and 2008) and chirp seismic reflection profile data (2006 and 2009). The project characterized the spatia
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical data collected in the vicinity of Buffalo Reef, Michigan, within Lake Superior, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2018-043-FA

In September 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conducted high-resolution geophysical mapping and sediment sampling to determine the distribution of historical mine tailings on the floor of Lake Superior. Large amounts of waste material from copper mining, locally known as "stamp sands," were dumped into the lake in the early 20th century, wit
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Geospatial Data Layers of Shallow Geology, Sea-Floor Texture, and Physiographic Zones from the Inner Continental Shelf of Martha's Vineyard from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, and Nantucket from Eel Point to Great Point

Geologic, sediment texture, and physiographic zone maps characterize the sea floor south and west of Martha's Vineyard and north of Nantucket, Massachusetts. These maps were derived from interpretations of seismic-reflection profiles, high-resolution bathymetry, acoustic-backscatter intensity, bottom photographs, and surficial sediment samples. The interpretation of the seismic stratigraphy and ma
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical data collected in Lake Powell, Utah-Arizona, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2017-049-FA

High-resolution geophysical mapping of Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah and Arizona was conducted between October 8 and November 15, 2017, as part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation to provide high-quality data needed to reassess the area-capacity tables for the Lake Powell reservoir. Seismic data collected duri
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

DDT and related compounds in pore water of shallow sediments on the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA

For nearly two and a half decades following World War II, production wastes from the worlds largest manufacturer of technical DDT were discharged into sewers of Los Angeles County. Following treatment, the wastes were released via a submarine outfall system to nearshore coastal waters where a portion accumulated in shallow sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS). An investigation of the pore-wat
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Water Resources Mission Area
Map of the US east coast, displaying sea-floor mapping achievements from 2022
Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers
Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers
Map of the US east coast, displaying sea-floor mapping achievements from 2022

Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers

Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers

The year of 2022 was big for the Sea-Floor Mapping Group at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center! These data were collected as part of a collaborative research program and include data collected by USGS and our partners.

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Map of the US east coast, displaying sea-floor mapping achievements from 2022

Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers

Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers

The year of 2022 was big for the Sea-Floor Mapping Group at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center! These data were collected as part of a collaborative research program and include data collected by USGS and our partners.

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.

Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior

Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior

 Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.  The 2018 data are shown in gray hillshade, with the combined 2021 data superimposed in color.  Index map at lower right shows the extent of each survey. 

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.

Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior

Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior

 Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.  The 2018 data are shown in gray hillshade, with the combined 2021 data superimposed in color.  Index map at lower right shows the extent of each survey. 

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef.  Improvements in grid resolution between the 2018 (left) and 2021 (right) surveys were facilitated by decreasing line spacing from 50 meters to 35 meters or less between adjacent lines.  

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef.  Improvements in grid resolution between the 2018 (left) and 2021 (right) surveys were facilitated by decreasing line spacing from 50 meters to 35 meters or less between adjacent lines.  

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
man standing on a boat deck surrounded by equipment
SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior
SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior
man standing on a boat deck surrounded by equipment

SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior

SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior

Patrick Berube of WHCMSC prepares the SEABOSS for deployment in Lake Superior. 

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
man standing on a boat deck surrounded by equipment

SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior

SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior

Patrick Berube of WHCMSC prepares the SEABOSS for deployment in Lake Superior. 

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
two men standing on two boats
Sampling operations on Lake Superior
Sampling operations on Lake Superior
two men standing on two boats

Sampling operations on Lake Superior

Sampling operations on Lake Superior

The RV Desmid (foreground) alongside the RV Rafael during sampling operations on Lake Superior.

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
two men standing on two boats

Sampling operations on Lake Superior

Sampling operations on Lake Superior

The RV Desmid (foreground) alongside the RV Rafael during sampling operations on Lake Superior.

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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Color hillside image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, NJ
Color hillside image of terrain model
Color hillside image of terrain model
Color hillside image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, NJ

Color hillside image of terrain model

Color hillside image of terrain model

Color hillshade image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Color hillside image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, NJ

Color hillside image of terrain model

Color hillside image of terrain model

Color hillshade image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Yellow seafloor surface overlain on a sub-bottom profile shows holes in the seafloor, with labels
3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry
3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry
Yellow seafloor surface overlain on a sub-bottom profile shows holes in the seafloor, with labels

3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry

3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry

A sub-bottom profile of CHIRP seismic data is draped over swath bathymetry showing the Gulf of Maine pockmark field stratigraphy common to the area. Seafloor mapping combined with sub-bottom geologic profiles shows that Holocene mud ranges in thickness between 5 and 10 meters but pockmarks in Belfast Bay do not penetrate below the geologic unconformity. Th

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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Yellow seafloor surface overlain on a sub-bottom profile shows holes in the seafloor, with labels

3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry

3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry

A sub-bottom profile of CHIRP seismic data is draped over swath bathymetry showing the Gulf of Maine pockmark field stratigraphy common to the area. Seafloor mapping combined with sub-bottom geologic profiles shows that Holocene mud ranges in thickness between 5 and 10 meters but pockmarks in Belfast Bay do not penetrate below the geologic unconformity. Th

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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Filter Total Items: 32

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau
Authors
Erik E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew J. Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria C. Rhoads, Elizabeth Loebeker, Derek Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis M. Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey T. Sutton, Catherine S. McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa J. Betters, Peter J. Etnoyer, Gary A. Wolff, Bernie B. Bernard, James M. Brooks, Michael K. Rasser, Caitlin Adams
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau
Authors
Erick E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria Rhoads, Elizabeth Lobecker, Dereck Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey Sutton, Catherine McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa Betters, Peter Etnoyer, Gary Wolff, Bernie Bernard, James Brooks, Michael Rasser, Caitlin Adams
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Eastern Ecological Science Center

Seafloor observations eliminate a landslide as the source of the 1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami

The 11 October 1918 devastating tsunami in northwest Puerto Rico had been used as an example for earthquake‐induced landslide tsunami hazard. Three pieces of evidence pointed to a landslide as the origin of the tsunami: the discovery of a large submarine landslide scar from bathymetry data collected by shipboard high‐resolution multibeam sonar, reported breaks of submarine cable within the scar, a
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Jason Chaytor, Claudia Flores, Yong Wei, Simon Detmer, Lilian Lucas, Brian D. Andrews, Aggeliki Georgiopoulou
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Systematic mapping of the ocean-continent transform plate boundary of the Queen Charlotte fault system, southeastern Alaska and western British Columbia—A preliminary bathymetric terrain model

In 2015, U.S. Geological Survey scientists in collaboration with scientists from other institutions began a study of the Queen Charlotte fault—the first systematic study of the fault in more than three decades. The primary goal of the study was to gain a better understanding of the earthquake, tsunami, and underwater-landslide hazards throughout southeastern Alaska, as well as gather data to devel
Authors
Brian D. Andrews, Daniel S. Brothers, Peter Dartnell, J. Vaughn Barrie, Peter J. Haeussler, Kristen M. Green, H. Gary Greene, Nathaniel C. Miller, Jared W. Kluesner, Uri S. ten Brink
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization

Mature diffuse tectonic block boundary revealed by the 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence

Distributed faulting typically tends to coalesce into one or a few faults with repeated deformation. The progression of clustered medium-sized (≥Mw4.5) earthquakes during the 2020 seismic sequence in southwestern Puerto Rico (SWPR), modeling shoreline subsidence from InSAR, and sub-seafloor mapping by high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, suggest that the 2020 SWPR seismic sequence was dist

Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, L Vanacore, E. J. Fielding, Jason Chaytor, A.M. Lopez-Venegas, Wayne E. Baldwin, David S. Foster, Brian D. Andrews
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Focused fluid flow and methane venting along the Queen Charlotte fault, offshore Alaska (USA) and British Columbia (Canada)

Fluid seepage along obliquely deforming plate boundaries can be an important indicator of crustal permeability and influence on fault-zone mechanics and hydrocarbon migration. The ~850-km-long Queen Charlotte fault (QCF) is the dominant structure along the right-lateral transform boundary that separates the Pacific and North American tectonic plates offshore southeastern Alaska (USA) and western B
Authors
Nancy G. Prouty, Daniel S. Brothers, Jared W. Kluesner, J. Vaughn Barrie, Brian D. Andrews, Rachel Lauer, Gary Greene, James E. Conrad, Thomas Lorenson, Michael D. Law, Diana Sahy, Kim Conway, Mary McGann, Peter Dartnell
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization

Plate boundary localization, slip-rates and rupture segmentation of the Queen Charlotte Fault based on submarine tectonic geomorphology

Linking fault behavior over many earthquake cycles to individual earthquake behavior is a primary goal in tectonic geomorphology, particularly across an entire plate boundary. Here, we examine the 1150-km-long, right-lateral Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault system using comprehensive multibeam bathymetry data acquired along the Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF) offshore southeastern Alaska and western
Authors
Daniel Brothers, Nathaniel C. Miller, Vaughn Barrie, Peter J. Haeussler, H. Gary Greene, Brian D. Andrews, Olaf Zielke, Peter Dartnell
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Alaska Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory

Shallow geology, sea-floor texture, and physiographic zones of the inner continental shelf from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, Martha’s Vineyard, and Eel Point to Great Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts

A series of interpretive maps that describe the shallow geology, distribution, and texture of sea-floor sediments, and physiographic zones of the sea floor along the south and west shores of Martha’s Vineyard and the north shore of Nantucket, Massachusetts, were produced by using high-resolution geophysical data (interferometric and multibeam swath bathymetry, light detection and ranging (lidar) b
Authors
Elizabeth A. Pendleton, Wayne E. Baldwin, Seth D. Ackerman, David S. Foster, Brian D. Andrews, William C. Schwab, Laura L. Brothers
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Rapid, remote assessment of Hurricane Matthew impacts using four-dimensional structure-from-motion photogrammetry

Timely assessment of coastal landforms and structures after storms is important for evaluating storm impacts, aiding emergency response and restoration, and initializing and assessing morphological models. Four-dimensional multiview photogrammetry, also known as structure from motion (4D SfM), provides a method for generating three-dimensional reconstructions of landscapes at two times (before and
Authors
Christopher R. Sherwood, Jonathan Warrick, Andrew D. Hill, Andrew C. Ritchie, Brian D. Andrews, Nathaniel G. Plant
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Slope failure and mass transport processes along the Queen Charlotte Fault, southeastern Alaska

The Queen Charlotte Fault defines the Pacific–North America transform plate boundary in western Canada and southeastern Alaska for c. 900 km. The entire length of the fault is submerged along a continental margin dominated by Quaternary glacial processes, yet the geomorphology along the margin has never been systematically examined due to the absence of high-resolution seafloor mapping data. Hence

Authors
Daniel Brothers, Brian D. Andrews, Maureen A. L. Walton, H. Gary Greene, J. Vaughn Barrie, Nathaniel C. Miller, Uri S. ten Brink, Amy E. East, Peter J. Haeussler, Jared W. Kluesner, James E. Conrad
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Deformation of the Pacific/North America plate boundary at Queen Charlotte Fault: The possible role of rheology

The Pacific/North America (PA/NA) plate boundary between Vancouver Island and Alaska is similar to the PA/NA boundary in California in its kinematic history and the rate and azimuth of current relative motion, yet their deformation styles are distinct. The California plate boundary shows a broad zone of parallel strike slip and thrust faults and folds, whereas the 49‐mm/yr PA/NA relative plate mot
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Nathaniel C. Miller, Brian D. Andrews, Daniel S. Brothers, Peter J. Haeussler
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Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical data from the Inner Continental Shelf: South of Martha's Vineyard and north of Nantucket, Massachusetts

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management have cooperated to map approximately 185 square kilometers of the inner continental shelf south of Martha’s Vineyard and north of Nantucket, Massachusetts. This report contains geophysical data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during a survey in 2013. The geophysical data include (1) swath bathymetry collecte
Authors
Seth D. Ackerman, Laura L. Brothers, David S. Foster, Brian D. Andrews, Wayne E. Baldwin, William C. Schwab
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Mapping the Entire Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System

Mapping the Entire Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System

A recently completed series of data publications led by the U.S. Geological Survey represents the first time the fault has been mapped using...

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Mapping the Stamp Sands of Lake Superior

Mapping the Stamp Sands of Lake Superior

In September 2018, the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) conducted high-resolution geophysical mapping to determine the...

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Striking New Seafloor Imagery of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault in the Gulf of Alaska

Striking New Seafloor Imagery of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault in the Gulf of Alaska

In 2016 the USGS led two geophysical surveys of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault off the coast of southeast Alaska, using multibeam sonar to map...

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Science and Products

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land movement

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area
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Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Earthquakes | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Terremotos

USGS provides real-time earthquake data, information on historic earthquakes, resources for the most significant earthquakes, and seismicity and ground motions to support future updates to the seismic hazard models for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our seismic research can help establish better building regulations that mitigate earthquake risks and improve public safety. The USGS...
Learn More
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Perspective view of the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area
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Puerto Rico Natural Hazards: Tsunamis | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico: Maremotos

Tsunamis are long waves formed from a sudden displacement of the sea floor due to a fault rupture, landslide, or volcanic activity. Given that Puerto Rico lies above a subduction zone in the Caribbean Sea, it is especially susceptible to large earthquakes and tsunamis. The greatest tsunami ever recorded in Puerto Rico occurred from an earthquake off the Mona Passage in 1918. The USGS Earthquake...
Learn More
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Image showing bathymetry of the southern Gulf of Maine with MA coastal zone boundary

Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Seafloor

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is conducting geologic mapping of the sea floor to characterize the surface and shallow subsurface geologic framework within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The long-term goal of this mapping effort is to produce high-resolution geologic maps and a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Geologic Mapping of the Massachusetts Seafloor

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is conducting geologic mapping of the sea floor to characterize the surface and shallow subsurface geologic framework within the Massachusetts coastal zone. The long-term goal of this mapping effort is to produce high-resolution geologic maps and a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will...
Learn More
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Graphic showing the geophysical systems used to map the seafloor surface and underlying structure, and sampling instruments

Sea Floor Mapping Group

The Sea Floor Mapping Group (SFMG) is a core capability at the Woods Hole Coastal & Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) that provides support for coastal, lacustrine and marine geologic research. The staff has a wide-range of expertise and is responsible for geophysical and sampling data acquisition, processing, interpretation and publication, logistics, design, and research and development. SFMG has...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization, Hurricane Sandy
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Sea Floor Mapping Group

The Sea Floor Mapping Group (SFMG) is a core capability at the Woods Hole Coastal & Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) that provides support for coastal, lacustrine and marine geologic research. The staff has a wide-range of expertise and is responsible for geophysical and sampling data acquisition, processing, interpretation and publication, logistics, design, and research and development. SFMG has...
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 17

Oceanographic conditions at Richardson reef reveal new suitable habitat for cold-water corals

Cold-water corals create complex structures, but our incomplete knowledge of their niche space limits our ability to understand their distribution and therefore the impact of the ecosystem services they provide in the ocean. The Richardson reef complex consists of over 150 km of linear reef tracts within an area of 75 km2 between 700-900 m depth. This reef experiences rapid shifts in temperature,
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

High-resolution geophysical data collected in Nantucket Sound Massachusetts in the vicinity of Horseshoe Shoal, during USGS Field Activity 2022-001-FA

In June 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, collected high-resolution geophysical data, in Nantucket Sound to understand the regional geology in the vicinity of Horseshoe Shoal. This effort is part of a long-term collaboration between the USGS and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to map the State’s waters, support research o
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

A bathymetric terrain model of multibeam sonar data collected between 2005 and 2018 along the Queen Charlotte Fault System in the Eastern Gulf of Alaska from Cross Sound, Alaska to Queen Charlotte Sound, Canada

This data publication is a compilation of six different multibeam surveys covering the previously unmapped Queen Charlotte Fault offshore southeast Alaska and Haida Gwaii, Canada. These data were collected between 2005 and 2018 under a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Geological Survey, Natural Resources Canada, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The six source surveys
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization

Multibeam bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data collected in 2017 and 2018 of Noyes Submarine Canyon and vicinity, southeast Alaska

This data release provides U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2017 and 2018 bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data collected on the Noyes Submarine Canyon and vicinity in southeast Alaska. In 2017 and 2018 the NOAA survey vessel Fairweather collected bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data u
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical and geological data collected in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts during USGS Field Activities 2019-002-FA and 2019-034-FA (ver. 2.0, September 2022)

Accurate data and maps of sea floor geology are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine resources, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. To address these concerns the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), comprehensively mapped the Cape Cod Bay sea floor to characterize
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical and sample data collected in the vicinity of Buffalo Reef, Michigan, within Lake Superior, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2021-005-FA

In August 2021, the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, collected high-resolution geophysical data, sediment samples, and bottom imagery to determine the distribution of historical mine tailings on the floor of Lake Superior. Large amounts of waste material from copper mining, locally known as “stamp sands,” were dumped into the lake in the early 20th ce
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data collected in the eastern Gulf of Alaska during USGS Field Activity 2016-625-FA using a Reson 7160 multibeam echosounder

Marine geophysical mapping of the Queen Charlotte Fault in the eastern Gulf of Alaska was conducted in 2016 as part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to understand the morphology and subsurface geology of the entire Queen Charlotte system. The Queen Charlotte fault is the offshore portion of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution marine geophysical data collected by the USGS in the Belfast Bay, Maine pockmark field in 2006, 2008, and 2009.

The U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center in cooperation with the University of Maine mapped approximately 50 square kilometers of the seafloor within Belfast Bay, Maine. Three geophysical surveys conducted in 2006, 2008 and 2009 collected swath bathymetric (2006 and 2008) and chirp seismic reflection profile data (2006 and 2009). The project characterized the spatia
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical data collected in the vicinity of Buffalo Reef, Michigan, within Lake Superior, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2018-043-FA

In September 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, conducted high-resolution geophysical mapping and sediment sampling to determine the distribution of historical mine tailings on the floor of Lake Superior. Large amounts of waste material from copper mining, locally known as "stamp sands," were dumped into the lake in the early 20th century, wit
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Geospatial Data Layers of Shallow Geology, Sea-Floor Texture, and Physiographic Zones from the Inner Continental Shelf of Martha's Vineyard from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, and Nantucket from Eel Point to Great Point

Geologic, sediment texture, and physiographic zone maps characterize the sea floor south and west of Martha's Vineyard and north of Nantucket, Massachusetts. These maps were derived from interpretations of seismic-reflection profiles, high-resolution bathymetry, acoustic-backscatter intensity, bottom photographs, and surficial sediment samples. The interpretation of the seismic stratigraphy and ma
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical data collected in Lake Powell, Utah-Arizona, U.S. Geological Survey Field Activity 2017-049-FA

High-resolution geophysical mapping of Lake Powell in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah and Arizona was conducted between October 8 and November 15, 2017, as part of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation to provide high-quality data needed to reassess the area-capacity tables for the Lake Powell reservoir. Seismic data collected duri
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

DDT and related compounds in pore water of shallow sediments on the Palos Verdes Shelf, CA

For nearly two and a half decades following World War II, production wastes from the worlds largest manufacturer of technical DDT were discharged into sewers of Los Angeles County. Following treatment, the wastes were released via a submarine outfall system to nearshore coastal waters where a portion accumulated in shallow sediments of the Palos Verdes Shelf (PVS). An investigation of the pore-wat
By
Water Resources Mission Area
Map of the US east coast, displaying sea-floor mapping achievements from 2022
Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers
Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers
Map of the US east coast, displaying sea-floor mapping achievements from 2022

Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers

Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers

The year of 2022 was big for the Sea-Floor Mapping Group at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center! These data were collected as part of a collaborative research program and include data collected by USGS and our partners.

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Map of the US east coast, displaying sea-floor mapping achievements from 2022

Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers

Sea-Floor Mapping: 2022 by the numbers

The year of 2022 was big for the Sea-Floor Mapping Group at the Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center! These data were collected as part of a collaborative research program and include data collected by USGS and our partners.

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.

Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior

Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior

 Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.  The 2018 data are shown in gray hillshade, with the combined 2021 data superimposed in color.  Index map at lower right shows the extent of each survey. 

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.

Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior

Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior

 Bathymetric map of Grand Traverse Bay, Lake Superior.  The 2018 data are shown in gray hillshade, with the combined 2021 data superimposed in color.  Index map at lower right shows the extent of each survey. 

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef.  Improvements in grid resolution between the 2018 (left) and 2021 (right) surveys were facilitated by decreasing line spacing from 50 meters to 35 meters or less between adjacent lines.  

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef

Detailed bathymetric maps of Buffalo Reef.  Improvements in grid resolution between the 2018 (left) and 2021 (right) surveys were facilitated by decreasing line spacing from 50 meters to 35 meters or less between adjacent lines.  

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
man standing on a boat deck surrounded by equipment
SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior
SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior
man standing on a boat deck surrounded by equipment

SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior

SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior

Patrick Berube of WHCMSC prepares the SEABOSS for deployment in Lake Superior. 

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
man standing on a boat deck surrounded by equipment

SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior

SeaBOSS deployment in Lake Superior

Patrick Berube of WHCMSC prepares the SEABOSS for deployment in Lake Superior. 

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
two men standing on two boats
Sampling operations on Lake Superior
Sampling operations on Lake Superior
two men standing on two boats

Sampling operations on Lake Superior

Sampling operations on Lake Superior

The RV Desmid (foreground) alongside the RV Rafael during sampling operations on Lake Superior.

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
two men standing on two boats

Sampling operations on Lake Superior

Sampling operations on Lake Superior

The RV Desmid (foreground) alongside the RV Rafael during sampling operations on Lake Superior.

By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Color hillside image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, NJ
Color hillside image of terrain model
Color hillside image of terrain model
Color hillside image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, NJ

Color hillside image of terrain model

Color hillside image of terrain model

Color hillshade image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Color hillside image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, NJ

Color hillside image of terrain model

Color hillside image of terrain model

Color hillshade image of terrain model of Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Yellow seafloor surface overlain on a sub-bottom profile shows holes in the seafloor, with labels
3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry
3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry
Yellow seafloor surface overlain on a sub-bottom profile shows holes in the seafloor, with labels

3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry

3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry

A sub-bottom profile of CHIRP seismic data is draped over swath bathymetry showing the Gulf of Maine pockmark field stratigraphy common to the area. Seafloor mapping combined with sub-bottom geologic profiles shows that Holocene mud ranges in thickness between 5 and 10 meters but pockmarks in Belfast Bay do not penetrate below the geologic unconformity. Th

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Yellow seafloor surface overlain on a sub-bottom profile shows holes in the seafloor, with labels

3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry

3D view of a seismic profile draped under bathymetry

A sub-bottom profile of CHIRP seismic data is draped over swath bathymetry showing the Gulf of Maine pockmark field stratigraphy common to the area. Seafloor mapping combined with sub-bottom geologic profiles shows that Holocene mud ranges in thickness between 5 and 10 meters but pockmarks in Belfast Bay do not penetrate below the geologic unconformity. Th

By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Filter Total Items: 32

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau
Authors
Erik E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew J. Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria C. Rhoads, Elizabeth Loebeker, Derek Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis M. Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey T. Sutton, Catherine S. McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa J. Betters, Peter J. Etnoyer, Gary A. Wolff, Bernie B. Bernard, James M. Brooks, Michael K. Rasser, Caitlin Adams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Expanding our view of the cold-water coral niche and accounting of the ecosystem services of the reef habitat

Coral reefs are iconic ecosystems that support diverse, productive communities in both shallow and deep waters. However, our incomplete knowledge of cold-water coral (CWC) niche space limits our understanding of their distribution and precludes a complete accounting of the ecosystem services they provide. Here, we present the results of recent surveys of the CWC mound province on the Blake Plateau
Authors
Erick E. Cordes, Amanda Demopoulos, Andrew Davies, Ryan Gasbarro, Alexandria Rhoads, Elizabeth Lobecker, Dereck Sowers, Jason Chaytor, Cheryl Morrison, Alexis Marie Weinnig, Sandra Brooke, Jay J. Lunden, Furu Mienis, Samantha B. Joye, Andrea M. Quattrini, Tracey Sutton, Catherine McFadden, Jill Bourque, Jennifer McClain Counts, Brian D. Andrews, Melissa Betters, Peter Etnoyer, Gary Wolff, Bernie Bernard, James Brooks, Michael Rasser, Caitlin Adams
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center , Eastern Ecological Science Center

Seafloor observations eliminate a landslide as the source of the 1918 Puerto Rico Tsunami

The 11 October 1918 devastating tsunami in northwest Puerto Rico had been used as an example for earthquake‐induced landslide tsunami hazard. Three pieces of evidence pointed to a landslide as the origin of the tsunami: the discovery of a large submarine landslide scar from bathymetry data collected by shipboard high‐resolution multibeam sonar, reported breaks of submarine cable within the scar, a
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Jason Chaytor, Claudia Flores, Yong Wei, Simon Detmer, Lilian Lucas, Brian D. Andrews, Aggeliki Georgiopoulou
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Systematic mapping of the ocean-continent transform plate boundary of the Queen Charlotte fault system, southeastern Alaska and western British Columbia—A preliminary bathymetric terrain model

In 2015, U.S. Geological Survey scientists in collaboration with scientists from other institutions began a study of the Queen Charlotte fault—the first systematic study of the fault in more than three decades. The primary goal of the study was to gain a better understanding of the earthquake, tsunami, and underwater-landslide hazards throughout southeastern Alaska, as well as gather data to devel
Authors
Brian D. Andrews, Daniel S. Brothers, Peter Dartnell, J. Vaughn Barrie, Peter J. Haeussler, Kristen M. Green, H. Gary Greene, Nathaniel C. Miller, Jared W. Kluesner, Uri S. ten Brink
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization

Mature diffuse tectonic block boundary revealed by the 2020 southwestern Puerto Rico seismic sequence

Distributed faulting typically tends to coalesce into one or a few faults with repeated deformation. The progression of clustered medium-sized (≥Mw4.5) earthquakes during the 2020 seismic sequence in southwestern Puerto Rico (SWPR), modeling shoreline subsidence from InSAR, and sub-seafloor mapping by high-resolution seismic reflection profiles, suggest that the 2020 SWPR seismic sequence was dist

Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, L Vanacore, E. J. Fielding, Jason Chaytor, A.M. Lopez-Venegas, Wayne E. Baldwin, David S. Foster, Brian D. Andrews
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Focused fluid flow and methane venting along the Queen Charlotte fault, offshore Alaska (USA) and British Columbia (Canada)

Fluid seepage along obliquely deforming plate boundaries can be an important indicator of crustal permeability and influence on fault-zone mechanics and hydrocarbon migration. The ~850-km-long Queen Charlotte fault (QCF) is the dominant structure along the right-lateral transform boundary that separates the Pacific and North American tectonic plates offshore southeastern Alaska (USA) and western B
Authors
Nancy G. Prouty, Daniel S. Brothers, Jared W. Kluesner, J. Vaughn Barrie, Brian D. Andrews, Rachel Lauer, Gary Greene, James E. Conrad, Thomas Lorenson, Michael D. Law, Diana Sahy, Kim Conway, Mary McGann, Peter Dartnell
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and Characterization

Plate boundary localization, slip-rates and rupture segmentation of the Queen Charlotte Fault based on submarine tectonic geomorphology

Linking fault behavior over many earthquake cycles to individual earthquake behavior is a primary goal in tectonic geomorphology, particularly across an entire plate boundary. Here, we examine the 1150-km-long, right-lateral Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault system using comprehensive multibeam bathymetry data acquired along the Queen Charlotte Fault (QCF) offshore southeastern Alaska and western
Authors
Daniel Brothers, Nathaniel C. Miller, Vaughn Barrie, Peter J. Haeussler, H. Gary Greene, Brian D. Andrews, Olaf Zielke, Peter Dartnell
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Alaska Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory

Shallow geology, sea-floor texture, and physiographic zones of the inner continental shelf from Aquinnah to Wasque Point, Martha’s Vineyard, and Eel Point to Great Point, Nantucket, Massachusetts

A series of interpretive maps that describe the shallow geology, distribution, and texture of sea-floor sediments, and physiographic zones of the sea floor along the south and west shores of Martha’s Vineyard and the north shore of Nantucket, Massachusetts, were produced by using high-resolution geophysical data (interferometric and multibeam swath bathymetry, light detection and ranging (lidar) b
Authors
Elizabeth A. Pendleton, Wayne E. Baldwin, Seth D. Ackerman, David S. Foster, Brian D. Andrews, William C. Schwab, Laura L. Brothers
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Rapid, remote assessment of Hurricane Matthew impacts using four-dimensional structure-from-motion photogrammetry

Timely assessment of coastal landforms and structures after storms is important for evaluating storm impacts, aiding emergency response and restoration, and initializing and assessing morphological models. Four-dimensional multiview photogrammetry, also known as structure from motion (4D SfM), provides a method for generating three-dimensional reconstructions of landscapes at two times (before and
Authors
Christopher R. Sherwood, Jonathan Warrick, Andrew D. Hill, Andrew C. Ritchie, Brian D. Andrews, Nathaniel G. Plant
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Slope failure and mass transport processes along the Queen Charlotte Fault, southeastern Alaska

The Queen Charlotte Fault defines the Pacific–North America transform plate boundary in western Canada and southeastern Alaska for c. 900 km. The entire length of the fault is submerged along a continental margin dominated by Quaternary glacial processes, yet the geomorphology along the margin has never been systematically examined due to the absence of high-resolution seafloor mapping data. Hence

Authors
Daniel Brothers, Brian D. Andrews, Maureen A. L. Walton, H. Gary Greene, J. Vaughn Barrie, Nathaniel C. Miller, Uri S. ten Brink, Amy E. East, Peter J. Haeussler, Jared W. Kluesner, James E. Conrad
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Deformation of the Pacific/North America plate boundary at Queen Charlotte Fault: The possible role of rheology

The Pacific/North America (PA/NA) plate boundary between Vancouver Island and Alaska is similar to the PA/NA boundary in California in its kinematic history and the rate and azimuth of current relative motion, yet their deformation styles are distinct. The California plate boundary shows a broad zone of parallel strike slip and thrust faults and folds, whereas the 49‐mm/yr PA/NA relative plate mot
Authors
Uri S. ten Brink, Nathaniel C. Miller, Brian D. Andrews, Daniel S. Brothers, Peter J. Haeussler
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

High-resolution geophysical data from the Inner Continental Shelf: South of Martha's Vineyard and north of Nantucket, Massachusetts

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management have cooperated to map approximately 185 square kilometers of the inner continental shelf south of Martha’s Vineyard and north of Nantucket, Massachusetts. This report contains geophysical data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during a survey in 2013. The geophysical data include (1) swath bathymetry collecte
Authors
Seth D. Ackerman, Laura L. Brothers, David S. Foster, Brian D. Andrews, Wayne E. Baldwin, William C. Schwab
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
Mapping the Entire Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System

Mapping the Entire Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault System

A recently completed series of data publications led by the U.S. Geological Survey represents the first time the fault has been mapped using...

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Mapping the Stamp Sands of Lake Superior

Mapping the Stamp Sands of Lake Superior

In September 2018, the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center (WHCMSC) conducted high-resolution geophysical mapping to determine the...

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Striking New Seafloor Imagery of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault in the Gulf of Alaska

Striking New Seafloor Imagery of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather Fault in the Gulf of Alaska

In 2016 the USGS led two geophysical surveys of the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault off the coast of southeast Alaska, using multibeam sonar to map...

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