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USGS2025

Declining marine survival of steelhead trout linked to climate and ecosystem change

Species with complex life cycles, such as anadromous fish that perform spawning migrations between freshwater and the ocean, may be particularly sensitive to global change because freshwater and marine habitats experience distinct shifts in climate and ecosystem dynamics. Abundances of wild steelhead trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) have declined across most of their range over the past 40–50 years. We examined whether declines in steelhead survival can be linked to changing climate conditions and species interactions. A novel hierarchical integrated population model that accounts for the species' complex life history was fitted to data from multiple wild steelhead populations on the Washington coast, U.S.A. The model estimates recruitment residuals and kelt survival rates as time-varying processes, which reflect annual variation in survival before and after first maturation. We found that survival rates of immature steelhead (recruits) and adult steelhead (kelts) have declined over time and that survival trends across populations were strongly associated with climate and ecosystem change, specifically summer sea surface temperature and pink salmon abundance in the North Pacific Ocean, the NPGO index and river flows. Including these drivers in the model reduced unexplained annual variation in shared recruitment and kelt survival anomalies and largely accounted for their negative long-term trends. Our findings provide evidence that rising temperatures and increased interspecific competition at sea have contributed to declines in steelhead survival over the last five decades. Considering projected warming and high pink salmon abundances in the ocean, steelhead will likely continue to experience low marine survival rates.

Washington↗

USGS2008

Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect and continental evolution involving subduction underplating and synchronous foreland thrusting

We investigate the crustal structure and tectonic evolution of the North American continent in Alaska, where the continent has grown through magmatism, accretion, and tectonic underplating. In the 1980s and early 1990s, we conducted a geological and geophysical investigation, known as the Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect (TACT), along a 1350-km-long corridor from the Aleutian Trench to the Arctic coast. The most distinctive crustal structures and the deepest Moho along the transect are located near the Pacific and Arctic margins. Near the Pacific margin, we infer a stack of tectonically underplated oceanic layers interpreted as remnants of the extinct Kula (or Resurrection) plate. Continental Moho just north of this underplated stack is more than 55 km deep. Near the Arctic margin, the Brooks Range is underlain by large-scale duplex structures that overlie a tectonic wedge of North Slope crust and mantle. There, the Moho has been depressed to nearly 50 km depth. In contrast, the Moho of central Alaska is on average 32 km deep. In the Paleogene, tectonic underplating of Kula (or Resurrection) plate fragments overlapped in time with duplexing in the Brooks Range. Possible tectonic models linking these two regions include flat-slab subduction and an orogenic-float model. In the Neogene, the tectonics of the accreting Yakutat terrane have differed across a newly interpreted tear in the subducting Pacific oceanic lithosphere. East of the tear, Pacific oceanic lithosphere subducts steeply and alone beneath the Wrangell volcanoes, because the overlying Yakutat terrane has been left behind as underplated rocks beneath the rising St. Elias Range, in the coastal region. West of the tear, the Yakutat terrane and Pacific oceanic lithosphere subduct together at a gentle angle, and this thickened package inhibits volcanism.

Alaska↗

USGS1996

Crustal and upper mantle velocity structure of the Salton Trough, southeast California

This paper presents data and modelling results from a crustal and upper mantle wide-angle seismic transect across the Salton Trough region in southeast California. The Salton Trough is a unique part of the Basin and Range province where mid-ocean ridge/transform spreading in the Gulf of California has evolved northward into the continent. In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted the final leg of the Pacific to Arizona Crustal Experiment (PACE). Two perpendicular models of the crust and upper mantle were fit to wide-angle reflection and refraction travel times, seismic amplitudes, and Bouguer gravity anomalies. The first profile crossed the Salton Trough from the southwest to the northeast, and the second was a strike line that paralleled the Salton Sea along its western edge. We found thin crust (∼21–22 km thick) beneath the axis of the Salton Trough (Imperial Valley) and locally thicker crust (∼27 km) beneath the Chocolate Mountains to the northeast. We modelled a slight thinning of the crust further to the northeast beneath the Colorado River (∼24 km) and subsequent thickening beneath the metamorphic core complex belt northeast of the Colorado River. There is a deep, apparently young basin (∼5–6 km unmetamorphosed sediments) beneath the Imperial Valley and a shallower (∼2–3 km) basin beneath the Colorado River. A regional 6.9-km/s layer (between ∼15-km depth and the Moho) underlies the Salton Trough as well as the Chocolate Mountains where it pinches out at the Moho. This lower crustal layer is spatially associated with a low-velocity (7.6–7.7 km/s) upper mantle. We found that our crustal model is locally compatible with the previously suggested notion that the crust of the Salton Trough has formed almost entirely from magmatism in the lower crust and sedimentation in the upper crust. However, we observe an apparently magmatically emplaced lower crust to the northeast, outside of the Salton Trough, and propose that this layer in part predates Salton Trough rifting. It may also in part result from migration of magmatic spreading centers associated with the southern San Andreas fault system. These spreading centers may have existed east of their current locations in the past and may have influenced the lower crust and upper mantle to the east of the current Salton Trough.

California↗

USGS2014

Interactions between waves, sediment, and turbulence on a shallow estuarine mudflat

Measurements were collected on a shallow estuarine mudflat in northern San Francisco Bay to examine the physical processes controlling waves, turbulence, sediment resuspension, and their interactions. Tides alone forced weak to moderate currents of 10–30 cm s -1 in depths of 0–3 m, and maintained a background suspension of 30–50 mg L21 of fine sediment. In the presence of wind waves, bottom orbital velocities spanned 20–30 cm s -1 , suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) at 15 and 30 cm above the bed (cmab) increased by 1–2 orders of magnitude, and vertical gradients in SSC were strong enough to produce turbulence-limiting stratification, with gradient Richardson numbers exceeding 0.25. Simultaneously, turbulent stresses (decomposed from wave motions) increased by an order of magnitude. The apparent contradiction of energetic turbulence in the presence of strong stratification was reconciled by considering the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget: in general, dissipation and buoyancy flux were balanced by local shear production, and each of these terms increased during wave events. The classic wave-current boundary layer model represented the observations qualitatively, but not quantitatively since the velocity profile could not be approximated as logarithmic. Rather, the mean shear was elevated by the Stokes drift return flow and wind-generated surface stress, which diffused sediment upward and limited stratification. Our findings highlight a pathway for waves to supply energy to both the production and destruction of turbulence, and demonstrate that in such shallow depths, TKE and SSC can be elevated over more of the water column than predicted by traditional models.

California↗

USGS2008

Seasonal variation in sensitivity of larval sea lampreys to the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol

We evaluated the sensitivity of larval sea lampreys Petromyzon marinus to the lampricide 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) in a series of toxicity tests in spring and summer. Although noted previously, the seasonal variation in sensitivity to TFM had never been tested as a means of reducing TFM usage in stream treatments. A preliminary study consisted of three spring and four summer static toxicity tests conducted at 12??C. A more comprehensive study consisted of 12 spring and summer paired flow-through toxicity tests conducted both at seasonal water temperatures and at 12??C. The sensitivity of larval sea lampreys to TFM was greater in spring than in summer. The preliminary static toxicity tests indicated that the concentration of TFM needed to kill larval sea lampreys in spring (May and June) was about one-half that required in summer (August); the concentrations lethal to 50% and 99.9% of the test animals (the LC50 and LC99.9 values) were less in spring than in summer. Analysis of variance of the flow-through toxicity data indicated that season significantly affected both the LC50 and LC99.9 values. For all 12 paired flow-through toxicity tests, the spring LC50 and LC99.9 values were less than the corresponding summer values. For 9 of the 12 paired flow-through toxicity tests, the dose-response toxicity lines were parallel and allowed statistical comparison of the LC50 values. The spring LC50 values were significantly lower than the summer values in eight of the nine tests. Verification of a seasonal variation in the sensitivity of larval sea lampreys to TFM will allow inclusion of this factor in the selection model currently used by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans-Canada to schedule lampricide stream treatments. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2008.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS1983

An interpretation of gravity and aeromagnetic surveys of the Greater Jiddah area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A gravity survey of the Jiddah area between lat 21°23' and 21°48' N., long 39°03' and 39°20' E., carried out in early 1977, covers an area of 744 km 2 and includes 215 stations, at an average spacing of 1.9 km. The resulting simple Bouguer gravity anomaly map shows a series of four large (7-15 mgal) gravity anomaly highs along a north-trending gravity gradient located immediately west of outcrops of Precambrian rocks. The regional Bouguer gravity anomaly field of the map area decreases eastward at an approximately constant rate of about 1.1 mgal-km-1. Several anomalies suggest northeast-trending, right-lateral strike-slip faulting throughout the area. Interpretation of the Bouguer gravity anomaly map, combined with geologic, aeromagnetic, and paleomagnetic data, leads to an interpretive model in which the gravity gradient marks the boundary zone between Precambrian continental crust to the east and oceanic sea-floor crust overlain by marine sedimentary rocks to the west. The strike-slip faults in the area are probably the landward extension of offshore Red Sea transform faults, and, because they penetrate and offset continental crust, their study may yield useful information about the mechanism of transform faulting. The gravity anomaly highs are interpreted to result from shallow intrusive bodies, probably gabbroic in composition, that are buried a few hundred meters below the surface and that are approximately 2 km thick.

Report↗

USGS2012

Free tropospheric transport of microorganisms from Asia to North America

Microorganisms are abundant in the troposphere and can be transported vast distances on prevailing winds. This study measures the abundance and diversity of airborne bacteria and fungi sampled at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory (located 2.7 km above sea level in North America) where incoming free tropospheric air routinely arrives from distant sources across the Pacific Ocean, including Asia. Overall deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) concentrations for microorganisms in the free troposphere, derived from quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays, averaged 4.94 × 10(-5) ng DNA m(-3) for bacteria and 4.77 × 10(-3) ng DNA m(-3) for fungi. Aerosols occasionally corresponded with microbial abundance, most often in the springtime. Viable cells were recovered from 27.4 % of bacterial and 47.6 % of fungal samples (N = 124), with 49 different species identified by ribosomal DNA gene sequencing. The number of microbial isolates rose significantly above baseline values on 22-23 April 2011 and 13-15 May 2011. Both events were analyzed in detail, revealing distinct free tropospheric chemistries (e.g., low water vapor, high aerosols, carbon monoxide, and ozone) useful for ruling out boundary layer contamination. Kinematic back trajectory modeling suggested air from these events probably originated near China or Japan. Even after traveling for 10 days across the Pacific Ocean in the free troposphere, diverse and viable microbial populations, including presumptive plant pathogens Alternaria infectoria and Chaetomium globosum, were detected in Asian air samples. Establishing a connection between the intercontinental transport of microorganisms and specific diseases in North America will require follow-up investigations on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

Microbial Ecology↗

USGS2010

Modeling downstream fining in sand-bed rivers. II: Application

In this paper the model presented in the companion paper, Wright and Parker (2005) is applied to a generic river reach typical of a large, sand-bed river flowing into the ocean in order to investigate the mechanisms controlling longitudinal profile development and downstream fining. Three mechanisms which drive downstream fining are studied: a delta prograding into standing water, sea-level rise, and tectonic subsidence. Various rates of sea-level rise (typical of the late Holocene) and tectonic subsidence are modeled in order to quantify their effects on the degree of profile concavity and downstream fining. Also, several other physical mechanisms which may affect fining are studied, including the relative importance of the suspended versus bed load, the effect of the loss of sediment overbank, and the influence of the delta bottom slope. Finally, sensitivity analysis is used to show that the grain-size distribution at the interface between the active layer and substrate has a significant effect on downstream fining.

Journal of Hydraulic Research↗

USGS2023

Coupling large-spatial scale larval dispersal modelling with barcoding to refine the amphi-Atlantic connectivity hypothesis in deep-sea seep mussels

In highly fragmented and relatively stable cold-seep ecosystems, species are expected to exhibit high migration rates and long-distance dispersal of long-lived pelagic larvae to maintain genetic integrity over their range. Accordingly, several species inhabiting cold seeps are widely distributed across the whole Atlantic Ocean, with low genetic divergence between metapopulations on both sides of the Atlantic Equatorial Belt (AEB, i.e. Barbados and African/European margins). Two hypotheses may explain such patterns: (i) the occurrence of present-day gene flow or (ii) incomplete lineage sorting due to large population sizes and low mutation rates. Here, we evaluated the first hypothesis using the cold seep mussels Gigantidas childressi, G. mauritanicus, Bathymodiolus heckerae and B. boomerang . We combined COI barcoding of 763 individuals with VIKING20X larval dispersal modelling at a large spatial scale not previously investigated. Population genetics supported the parallel evolution of Gigantidas and Bathymodiolus genera in the Atlantic Ocean and the occurrence of a 1-3 Million-year-old vicariance effect that isolated populations across the Caribbean Sea. Both population genetics and larval dispersal modelling suggested that contemporary gene flow and larval exchanges are possible across the AEB and the Caribbean Sea, although probably rare. When occurring, larval flow was eastward (AEB - only for B. boomerang ) or northward (Caribbean Sea - only for G. mauritanicus ). Caution is nevertheless required since we focused on only one mitochondrial gene, which may underestimate gene flow if a genetic barrier exists. Non-negligible genetic differentiation occurred between Barbados and African populations, so we could not discount the incomplete lineage sorting hypothesis. Larval dispersal modelling simulations supported the genetic findings along the American coast with high amounts of larval flow between the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) and the US Atlantic Margin, although the Blake Ridge population of B. heckerae appeared genetically differentiated. Overall, our results suggest that additional studies using nuclear genetic markers and population genomics approaches are needed to clarify the evolutionary history of the Atlantic bathymodioline mussels and to distinguish between ongoing and past processes.

Frontiers in Marine Science↗

USGS2015

Mercury in Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis):bioaccumulation and trans-Pacific Ocean migration

Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) have the largest home range of any tuna species and are well known for the capacity to make transoceanic migrations. We report the measurement of mercury (Hg) concentrations in wild Pacific bluefin tuna (PBFT), the first reported with known size-of-fish and capture location. The results indicate juvenile PBFT that are recently arrived in the California Current from the western Pacific Ocean have significantly higher Hg concentrations in white muscle (0.51 ug/g wet mass, wm) than PBFT of longer California Current residency (0.41 ug/g wm). These new arrivals are also higher in Hg concentration than PBFT in farm pens (0.43 ug/g wm) that were captured on arrival in the California Current and raised in pens on locally derived feed. Analysis by direct Hg analyzer and attention to Hg by tissue type and location on the fish allowed precise comparisons of mercury among wild and captive fish populations. Analysis of migration and nearshore residency, determined through extensive archival tagging, bioaccumulation models, trophic investigations, and potential coastal sources of methylmercury, indicates Hg bioaccumulation is likely greater for PBFT juvenile habitats in the western Pacific Ocean (East China Sea, Yellow Sea) than in the eastern Pacific Ocean (California Current). Differential bioaccumulation may be a trophic effect or reflect methylmercury availability, with potential sources for coastal China (large hypoxic continental shelf receiving discharge of three large rivers, and island-arc volcanism) different from those for coastal Baja California (small continental shelf, no large rivers, spreading-center volcanism).

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS2004

New constraints on the sources and behavior of neodymium and hafnium in seawater from Pacific Ocean ferromanganese crusts

The behavior of dissolved Hf in the marine environment is not well understood due to the lack of direct seawater measurements of Hf isotopes and the limited number of Hf isotope time-series obtained from ferromanganese crusts. In order to place better constraints on input sources and develop further applications, a combined Nd-Hf isotope time-series study of five Pacific ferromanganese crusts was carried out. The samples cover the past 38 Myr and their locations range from sites at the margin of the ocean to remote areas, sites from previously unstudied North and South Pacific areas, and water depths corresponding to deep and bottom waters. For most of the samples a broad coupling of Nd and Hf isotopes is observed. In the Equatorial Pacific ENd and EHf both decrease with water depth. Similarly, ENd and EHf both increase from the South to the North Pacific. These data indicate that the Hf isotopic composition is, in general terms, a suitable tracer for ocean circulation, since inflow and progressive admixture of bottom water is clearly identifiable. The time-series data indicate that inputs and outputs have been balanced throughout much of the late Cenozoic. A simple box model can constrain the relative importance of potential input sources to the North Pacific. Assuming steady state, the model implies significant contributions of radiogenic Nd and Hf from young circum-Pacific arcs and a subordinate role of dust inputs from the Asian continent for the dissolved Nd and Hf budget of the North Pacific. Some changes in ocean circulation that are clearly recognizable in Nd isotopes do not appear to be reflected by Hf isotopic compositions. At two locations within the Pacific Ocean a decoupling of Nd and Hf isotopes is found, indicating limited potential for Hf isotopes as a stand-alone oceanographic tracer and providing evidence of additional local processes that govern the Hf isotopic composition of deep water masses. In the case of the Southwest Pacific there is evidence that decoupling may have been the result of changes in weathering style related to the buildup of Antarctic glaciation. Copyright ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗

USGS1976

Digital-simulation model of the Wenonah-Mount Laurel Aquifer in the coastal plain of New Jersey

A digital computer-simulation model of the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer is used to evaluate the aquifer's capabilities of meeting the projected future demands and to study the cause of the rapidly declining water levels. The modelled area includes 1,500 square miles (3,885 square kilometres) of the New Jersey Coastal Plain and includes all the important centers of pumping in Monmouth, Burlington, and Ocean Counties from the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer. The Wenonah Formation and Mount Laurel Sand of Late Cretaceous age are exposed in the western part of the New Jersey Coastal Plain along a belt trending northeast-southwest from Raritan Bay to Delaware Bay. The formations typically consist of poorly sorted silty to fine quartz sand, the Wenonah Formation, and a coarse clastic quartz sand unit, the Mount Laurel Sand. The Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer is composed of the sandy part of the geologic units. Transmissivity of the aquifer ranges from 360 square feet per day (33.4 square metres per day) to 1,430 square feet per day (132.8 square metres per day); the estimated hydraulic conductivity ranges from about 1.5 x 10 -4 feet per second (4.6 x 10 -5 metres per second) to 2.2 x 10 -4 feet per second (6.7 x 10 -5 metres per second); and the storage coefficient varies from about 1.5 x 10 -5 to 3.5 x 10 -4 . The annual average rate of withdrawal from the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer in Monmouth, Burlington, and Ocean Counties increased from about 1 million gallons per day (44 cubic decimetres per second) in 1959 to slightly more than 2 million gallons per day (88 cubic decimetres per second) in 1970. Near the pumping centers in Monmouth County, the water level declined as much as 100 feet (30.5 metres) between 1959 and 1970. In the subjacent Englishtown aquifer underlying the lower confining unit (Marshalltown Formation), the annual average rate of withdrawal in all of Monmouth and Ocean Counties increased from 5.5 million gallons per day (241 cubic decimetres per second) in 1959 to 9.5 million gallons per day (416 cubic decimetres per second) in 1970. Water-level declines for the same period are as much as 140 feet (42.7 metres) near centers of pumping. The digital-simulation model was calibrated by matching computed declines in the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer with historic water-level declines over the 12-year period, 1959-70. The results of the modelling show that recharge to the aquifer occurs as leakage from the upper confining unit owing to withdrawals from the aquifer. Of equal significance is the effect of water-level declines in the Englishtown aquifer, which generate leakage from the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer through the lower confining unit, which in turn generates leakage (recharge) to the aquifer from the upper confining unit. The rapid declines of water levels in the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer in the northern part of the New Jersey Coastal Plain, hence, are caused directly by the withdrawals from the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer and indirectly by withdrawals from the underlying Englishtown aquifer.

New Jersey↗

USGS2016

Lake oxygen isotopes as recorders of North American Rocky Mountain hydroclimate: Holocene patterns and variability at multi-decadal to millennial time scales

Lake sediment oxygen isotope records (calcium carbonate-δ 18 O) in the western North American Cordillera developed during the past decade provide substantial evidence of Pacific ocean–atmosphere forcing of hydroclimatic variability during the Holocene. Here we present an overview of 18 lake sediment δ 18 O records along with a new compilation of lake water δ 18 O and δ 2 H that are used to characterize lake sediment sensitivity to precipitation-δ 18 O in contrast to fractionation by evaporation. Of the 18 records, 14 have substantial sensitivity to evaporation. Two records reflect precipitation-δ 18 O since the middle Holocene, Jellybean and Bison Lakes, and are geographically positioned in the northern and southern regions of the study area. Their comparative analysis indicates a sequence of time-varying north–south precipitation-δ 18 O patterns that is evidence for a highly non-stationary influence by Pacific ocean–atmosphere processes on the hydroclimate of western North America. These observations are discussed within the context of previous research on North Pacific precipitation-δ 18 O based on empirical and modeling methods. The Jellybean and Bison Lake records indicate that a prominent precipitation-δ 18 O dipole (enriched-north and depleted-south) was sustained between ~ 3.5 and 1.5 ka, which contrasts with earlier Holocene patterns, and appears to indicate the onset of a dominant tropical control on North Pacific ocean–atmosphere dynamics. This remains the state of the system today. Higher frequency reversals of the north–south precipitation-δ 18 O dipole between ~ 2.5 and 1.5 ka, and during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age, also suggest more varieties of Pacific ocean–atmosphere modes than a single Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) type analogue. Results indicate that further investigation of precipitation-δ 18 O patterns on short (observational) and long (Holocene) time scales is needed to improve our understanding of the processes that drive regional precipitation-δ 18 O responses to Pacific ocean–atmosphere variability, which in turn, will lead to a better understanding of internal Pacific ocean–atmosphere variability and its response to external climate forcing mechanisms.

North American Rocky Mountain↗

USGS1993

Sharpness of upper-mantle discontinuities determined from high-frequency reflections

An understanding of the nature of seismic discontinuities in the Earth's upper mantle is important for understanding mantle processes: in particular, the amplitude and sharpness of these discontinuities are critical for assessing models of upper-mantle phase changes and chemical layering. So far, seismic studies aimed at determining the thickness and lateral variability of upper-mantle discontinuities have yielded equivocal results, particularly for the discontinuity at 410km depth 1,2 . Here we present short-period (0.8–2.0 s) recordings of upper-mantle precursors to the seismic phase P′P′ (PKPPKP) from two South American earthquakes recorded by the ∼ 700-station short-period array in California. Our results show that the 410- and 660-km discontinuities beneath the Indian Ocean are locally simple and sharp, corresponding to transi-tion zones of 4 km or less. These observations pose problems for mineral physics models 3–5 , which predict a transitional thickness greater than 6 km for the peridotite to β -spinel phase transition. In contrast to the results of long-period studies 6,7 , we observe no short-period arrivals from near 520 km depth.

Nature↗

USGS2013

Intermediate‐depth intraslab earthquakes and arc volcanism as physical expressions of crustal and uppermost mantle metamorphism in subducting slabs

We elaborate on the well-known spatial association between axc volcanoes and Wadati Benioff zones and explore in detail their genetic relationships as dual physical expressions of slab metamorphism of the oceanic crust and uppermost mantle. At hypocentral depths less than 200 km intra slab Wadati-Benioff earthquakes tend to occur near the top surfaces of slabs. Subduction of very young lithosphere (age < 15-25 Ma) with high heat flow (> 75 mW/m 2) produces mainly shallow earthquakes and spaxse or absent arc volcanism. Subduction of older crust with normal heat flow (50-65 mW/m 2) produces markedly deeper intraslab earthquakes and generally normal volcanic vigor. Seismological observations show that the low-seismic-velocity gabbroic mineralogy of the crust may persist to depths of as much as 150 km in old, cold lithosphere but only to depths of 50-60 km in young, warm slabs. Metamorphic processes in the crust and shallow upper mantle of subducting slabs and the reactivation of faults originally created at shallow depths in the ocean basins probably control the occurrence of intraslab earthquakes to depths of as much as 350 kin. A conceptual model for this metamorphism incorporates the likely effects of water liberated by dehydration. Such dehydration facilitates both brittle faulting by fault reactivation and promotes the kinetics of the transformation of the anhydrous gabbro component of the crust to eclogite. Finite-element modelling shows that densification to eclogite is expected to produce extensional stresses in transformed crust and a smaller compression in the underlying mantle. This model helps explain why most intermediate-depth intraslab earthquakes occur just below the top surfaces of slabs and why many have focal mechanisms indicating down-dip extension. Young, warm slabs have mostly shallow intraslab earthquakes and sparse axc volcanoes because dehydration and eclogite formation largely cease before such slabs axe in contact with asthenosphere. These processes are evidently delayed by kinetic hindrance and the high pressure stability of hydrous phazes at low temperatures in older, colder subducting crust, and thus earthquake activity and asthenospheric-wedge melting tend to be focused at depths of 100-170 kin. Anomalous behavior correlated with the subduction of island-and seamount chains appears to be associated with anomalou shallow intraplate faulting and with perturbations of slab metamorphism by these chains.

Geophysical Monograph↗

USGS2014

The rock coast of the USA

The coastline of the USA is vast and comprises a variety of landform types including barrier islands, mainland beaches, soft bluffed coastlines and hard rocky coasts. The majority of the bluffed and rocky coasts are found in the northeastern part of the country (New England) and along the Pacific coast. Rocky and bluffed landform types are commonly interspersed along the coastline and occur as a result of relative lowering of sea level from tectonic or isostatic forcing, which can occur on timescales ranging from instantaneous to millenia. Recent research on sea cliffs in the contiguous USA has focused on a broad range of topics from documenting erosion rates to identifying processes and controls on morphology to prediction modelling. This chapter provides a detailed synthesis of recent and seminal research on rocky coast geomorphology along open-ocean coasts of the continental United States (USA).

Book chapter↗

USGS2006

The origin of neap-spring tidal cycles

The origin of oceanic tides is a basic concept taught in most introductory college-level sedimentology/geology, oceanography, and astronomy courses. Tides are typically explained in the context of the equilibrium tidal theory model. Yet this model does not take into account real tides in many parts of the world. Not only does the equilibrium tidal model fail to explicate amphidromic circulation, it also does not explain diurnal tides in low latitude positions. It likewise fails to explain the existence of tide-dominated areas where neap-spring cycles are synchronized with the 27.32-day orbital cycle of the Moon (tropical month), rather than with the more familiar 29.52-day cycle of lunar phases (synodic month). Both types of neap-spring cycles can be recognized in the rock record. A complete explanation of the origin of tides should include a discussion of dynamic tidal theory. In the dynamic tidal model, tides resulting from the motions of the Moon in its orbit around the Earth and the Earth in its orbit around the Sun are modeled as products of the combined effects of a series of phantom satellites. The movement of each of these satellites, relative to the Earth's equator, creates its own tidal wave that moves around an amphidromic point. Each of these waves is referred to as a tidal constituent. The geometries of the ocean basins determine which of these constituents are amplified. Thus, the tide-raising potential for any locality on Earth can be conceptualized as the result of a series of tidal constituents specific to that region. A better understanding of tidal cycles opens up remarkable opportunities for research on tidal deposits with implications for, among other things, a more complete understanding of the tidal dynamics responsible for sediment transport and deposition, changes in Earth-Moon distance through time, and the possible influences tidal cycles may exert on organisms. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Marine Geology↗

USGS2024

Scalable, data-assimilated models predict large-scale shoreline response to waves and sea-level rise

Coastal change is a complex combination of multi-scale processes (e.g., wave-driven cross-shore and longshore transport; dune, bluff, and cliff erosion; overwash; fluvial and inlet sediment supply; and sea-level-driven recession). Historical sea-level-driven coastal recession on open ocean coasts is often outpaced by wave-driven change. However, future sea-level-driven coastal recession is expected to increase significantly in tandem with accelerating rates of global sea-level rise. Few models of coastal sediment transport can resolve the multitude of coastal-change processes at a given beach, and fewer still are computationally efficient enough to achieve large-scale, long-term simulations, while accounting for historical behavior and uncertainties in future climate. Here, we show that a scalable, data-assimilated shoreline-change model can achieve realistic simulations of long-term coastal change and uncertainty across large coastal regions. As part of the modeling case study of the U.S. South Atlantic Coast (Miami, Florida to Delaware Bay) presented here, we apply historical, satellite-derived observations of shoreline position combined with daily hindcasted and projected wave and sea-level conditions to estimate long-term coastal change by 2100. We find that 63 to 94% of the shorelines on the U.S. South Atlantic Coast are projected to retreat past the present-day extent of sandy beach under 1.0 to 2.0 m of sea-level rise, respectively, without large-scale interventions.

North Carolina↗