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At least 1,135 records · Page 63Linked to original sources
USGS2017

Implications of rapid environmental change for polar bear behavior and sociality

Historically, the Arctic sea ice has functioned as a structural barrier that has limited the nature and extent of interactions between humans and polar bears ( Ursus maritimus ). However, declining sea ice extent, brought about by global climate change, is increasing the potential for human-polar bear interactions. Loss of sea ice habitat is driving changes to both human and polar bear behavior—it is facilitating increases in human activities (e.g., offshore oil and gas exploration and extraction, trans-Arctic shipping, recreation), while also causing the displacement of bears from preferred foraging habitat (i.e., sea ice over biologically productive shallow) to land in some portions of their range. The end result of these changes is that polar bears are spending greater amounts of time in close proximity to people. Coexistence between humans and polar bears will require imposing mechanisms to manage further development, as well as mitigation strategies that reduce the burden to local communities.

Book chapter↗
USGS2009

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

This chapter documents our effort to map benthic habitats within the KalokoHonokohau National Historic Park, Hawai`i, USA. We produce detailed benthichabitat maps by using a combination of color aerial photography, high-resolution bathymetry, and georeferenced underwater video and still photography. We classify individual habitat polygons using five basic attributes and additional information regarding geology, morphology, and coral species. Derivative data sets including isobaths, hillshades, and slope maps are also generated. The mapping shows that benthic habitat and seafloor morphology varies greatly throughout the study area. Nearly 73% of the study area consists of a hardbottom structure that is potentially available for coral habitation; the remaining 27% includes unconsolidated sediment and artificial or historical features. Coral cover is generally low and increases with water depth. The offshore geology is predominantly composed of smooth to undulating pahoehoe-type basalt flows that form flat to gently sloping benches, vertical walls, and steep escarpments. In some locations the basalt surface is irregular and mounded into ridges, pinnacles, and arches. Large rounded basaltic boulders and smaller scattered rocks are common throughout the marine portions of the park. Coral or accreted carbonate reef obscures the underlying volcanic surface in only a few areas. The underlying geologic framework and morphology of the submerged volcanic flows within Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park provide the primary control on benthic habitats within the park. The habitat maps and associated data can be used as a stand-alone product or in a GIS to provide useful baseline information to scientists, managers and the general public.

Hawaii↗
USGS1994

Tectonics and geology of spreading ridge subduction at the Chile Triple Junction: a synthesis of results from Leg 141 of the Ocean Drilling Program

An active oceanic spreading ridge is being subducted beneath the South American continent at the Chile Triple Junction. This process has played a major part in the evolution of most of the continental margins that border the Pacific Ocean basin. A combination of high resolution swath bathymetric maps, seismic reflection profiles and drillhole and core data from five sites drilled during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 141 provide important data that define the tectonic, structural and stratigraphic effects of this modern example of spreading ridge subduction. A change from subduction accretion to subduction erosion occurs along-strike of the South American forearc. This change is prominently expressed by normal faulting, forearc subsidence, oversteepening of topographic slopes and intensive sedimentary mass wasting, overprinted on older signatures of sediment accretion, overthrusting and uplift processes in the forearc. Data from drill sites north of the triple junction (Sites 859-861) show that after an important phase of forearc building in the early to late Pliocene, subduction accretion had ceased in the late Pliocene. Since that time sediment on the downgoing oceanic Nazca plate has been subducted. Site 863 was drilled into the forearc in the immediate vicinity of the triple junction above the subducted spreading ridge axis. Here, thick and intensely folded and faulted trench slope sediments of Pleistocene age are currently involved in the frontal deformation of the forearc. Early faults with thrust and reverse kinematics are overprinted by later normal faults. The Chile Triple Junction is also the site of apparent ophiolite emplacement into the South American forearc. Drilling at Site 862 on the Taitao Ridge revealed an offshore volcanic sequence of Plio-Pleistocene age associated with the Taitao Fracture Zone, adjacent to exposures of the Pliocene-aged Taitao ophiolite onshore. Despite the large-scale loss of material from the forearc at the triple junction, ophiolite emplacement produces a large topographic promontory in the forearc immediately after ridge subduction, and represents the first stage of forearc rebuilding. ?? 1994 Springer-Verlag.

Geologische Rundschau↗
USGS1987

Coastal lava flows from Mauna Loa and Hualalai volcanoes, Kona, Hawaii

A major carbonate reef which drowned 13 ka is now submerged 150 m below sea level on the west coast of the island of Hawaii. A 25-km span of this reef was investigated using the submersible Makali'i. The reef occurs on the flanks of two active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Hualalai, and the lavas from both volcanoes both underlie and overlie the submerged reef. Most of the basaltic lava flows that crossed the reef did so when the water was much shallower, and when they had to flow a shorter distance from shoreline to reef face. Lava flows on top of the reef have protected it from erosion and solution and now occur at seaward-projecting salients on the reef face. These relations suggest that the reef has retreated shoreward as much as 50 m since it formed. A 7-km-wide "shadow zone" occurs where no Hualalai lava flows cross the reef south of Kailua. These lava flows were probably diverted around a large summit cone complex. A similar "shadow zone" on the flank of Mauna Loa volcano in the Kealakekua Bay region is downslope from the present Mauna Loa caldera, which ponds Mauna Loa lava and prevents it from reaching the coastline. South of the Mauna Loa "shadow zone" the - 150 m reef has been totally covered and obscured by Mauna Loa lava. The boundary between Hualalai and Mauna Loa lava on land occurs over a 6-km-wide zone, whereas flows crossing the - 150 m reef show a sharper boundary offshore from the north side of the subaerial transition zone. This indicates that since the formation of the reef, Hualalai lava has migrated south, mantling Mauna Loa lava. More recently, Mauna Loa lava is again encroaching north on Hualalai lava.

Hawaii↗
USGS1992

Seismic excitation by space shuttles

Shock waves generated by the space shuttles Columbia (August 13, 1989), Atlantis (April 11, 1991) and Discovery (September 18, 1991) on their return to Edwards Air Force Base, California, were recorded by TERRAscope (Caltech's broadband seismic network), the Caltech-U.S.G.S Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN), and the University of Southern California (USC) Los Angeles Basin Seismic Network. The spatial pattern of the arrival times exhibits hyperbolic shock fronts from which the path, velocity and altitude of the space shuttle could be determined. The shock wave was acoustically coupled to the ground, converted to a seismic wave, and recorded clearly at the broadband TERRAscope stations. The acoustic coupling occurred very differently depending on the conditions of the Earth's surface surrounding the station. For a seismic station located on hard bedrock, the shock wave (N wave) was clearly recorded with little distortion. Aside from the N wave, very little acoustic coupling of the shock wave energy to the ground occurred at these sites. The observed N wave record was used to estimate the overpressure of the shock wave accurately; a pressure change of 0.5 to 2.2 mbars was obtained. For a seismic station located close to the ocean or soft sedimentary basins, a significant amount of shock wave energy was transferred to the ground through acoustic coupling of the shock wave and the oceanic Rayleigh wave. A distinct topography such as a mountain range was found effective to couple the shock wave energy to the ground. Shock wave energy was also coupled to the ground very effectively through large man made structures such as high rise buildings and offshore oil drilling platforms. For the space shuttle Columbia, in particular, a distinct pulse having a period of about 2 to 3 seconds was observed, 12.5 s before the shock wave, with a broadband seismograph in Pasadena. This pulse was probably excited by the high rise buildings in downtown Los Angeles which were simultaneously hit by the space shuttle shock waves. The proximity of the natural periods of the high rise buildings and the modal periods of the Los Angeles basin enabled efficient energy transfer from shock wave to seismic wave. ?? 1992 Springer-Verlag.

Shock Waves↗
USGS1988

Acoustic stratigraphy and hydrothermal activity within Epi Submarine Caldera, Vanuatu, New Hebrides Arc

Geological and geophysical surveys of active submarine volcanoes offshore and southeast of Epi Island, Vanuatu, New Hebrides Arc, have delineated details of the structure and acoustic stratigraphy of three volcanic cones. These submarine cones, named Epia, Epib, and Epic, are aligned east-west and spaced 3.5 km apart on the rim of a submerged caldera. At least three acoustic sequences, of presumed Quaternary age, can be identified on single-channel seismic-reflection profiles. Rocks dredged from these cones include basalt, dacite, and cognate gabbroic inclusions with magmatic affinities similar to those of the Karua (an active submarine volcano off the southeastern tip of Epi) lavas. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Geo-Marine Letters↗
USGS1988

Hydrocarbon gas in sediment of the Southern Pacific Ocean

Methane, ethane, ethene, propane, and propene are common hydrocarbon gases in near-surface sediment from offshore areas in the southern Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, New Zealand, and Antarctica. Sea floor sites for sampling of sediment were selected on the basis of anomalies in marine seismic records, and the samples were intentionally biased toward finding possible thermogenic hydrocarbon gases. In none of the areas, however, were thermogenic hydrocarbons clearly identified. The hydrocarbon gases that were found appear to be mainly the products of in situ microbial processes. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Geo-Marine Letters↗
USGS1979

Geologic implications and potential hazards of scour depressions on bering shelf, Alaska

Flat-bottomed depression 50-150 m in diameter and 60-80 cm deep occur in the floor of Norton Sound, Bering Sea. These large erosional bedforms and associated current ripples are found in areas where sediment grain size is 0.063-0.044 mm (4-4.5 ??), speeds of bottom currents are greatest (20-30 cm/s mean speeds under nonstorm conditions, 70 cm/s during typical storms), circulation of water is constricted by major topographic shoals (kilometers in scale), and small-scale topographic disruptions, such as ice gouges, occur locally on slopes of shoals. These local obstructions on shoals appear to disrupt currents, causing separation of flow and generating eddies that produce large-scale scour. Offshore artificial structures also may disrupt bottom currents in these same areas and have the potential to generate turbulence and induce extensive scour in the area of disrupted flow. The size and character of natural scour depressions in areas of ice gouging suggest that large-scale regions of scour may develop from enlargement of local scour sites around pilings, platforms, or pipelines. Consequently, loss of substrate support for pipelines and gravity structures is possible during frequent autumn storms. ?? 1979 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Environmental Geology↗
USGS1984

Delgada Fan: Preliminary interpretation of channel development

The Delgada Fan, an irregularly shaped turbidite deposit extending more than 350 km offshore from northern California, consists of two large leveed-valley units each fed by a separate complex of coalescing submarine canyons and slope gullies. Although the leveed-valley units head within 25 km of each other, both appear to have developed independently during fan growth. The larger southern leveed-valley system has not developed middle-fan distributary channels and appears to illustrate a period of progressive valley abandonment. Although the lower-fan area is underlain by sandy sediments, little sand has been recovered in piston cores from the leveed-valley unit. ?? 1984 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

Geo-Marine Letters↗
USGS1982

Erosional channels on the shoreface of Nauset Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Many channels (1 to 3 m relief)_are located offshore of Nauset Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in water 4 to 18 m deep. The channels are oblique to the shoreline, are spaced approximately 260 m apart, and deepen seaward. The southern flank of each channel is rippled whereas the northern flank and interchannel areas are smooth. The origin of the channels is unknown. They probably formed by erosion of the shoreface, perhaps by rip-current circulation during storm conditions or by rip-current circulation under quiet conditions. The channels may control current flow and thereby maintain themselves even though formative conditions may no longer exist.

Massachusetts↗
USGS1981

Storm-built sand ridges on the Maryland inner shelf: a preliminary report

Several aspects of the Maryland ridge field are pertinent to the problem of ridge genesis in response to Holocene sea-level rise. There is a systematic morphologic change from shoreface ridges through nearshore ridges to offshore ridges, which reflects the changing hydraulic regime. Grain size is 90?? out of phase with topography, so that the coarsest sand lies between the axis of each trough and the adjacent seaward ridge crest, while the finest sand lies between each ridge crest and the axis of the adjacent seaward trough. Finally, analysis over a 43-year period on an outer ridge reveals a systematic pattern of landward flank erosion, seaward flank deposition, and seaward crest migration. These relationships support a model which explains the ridges as consequences of the up-current shift of maximum bottom shear stress with respect to the crests of initial bottom irregularities. The oblique orientation of the ridges with respect to the beach may be at least partly due to the more rapid migration rate of the ridges' inshore ends. ?? 1981 A.M. Dowden, Inc.

Geo-Marine Letters↗
USGS2003

Erosion and sedimentation from the 17 July, 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami

This paper describes erosion and sedimentation associated with the 17 July 1998 Papua New Guinea tsunami. Observed within two months of the tsunami, distinct deposits of a layer averaging 8-cm thick of gray sand rested on a brown muddy soil. In most cases the sand is normally graded, with more coarse sand near the base and fine sand at the top. In some cases the deposit contains rip-up clasts of muddy soil and in some locations it has a mud cap. Detailed measurements of coastal topography, tsunami flow height and direction indicators, and deposit thickness were made in the field, and samples of the deposit were collected for grain-size analysis in the laboratory. Four shore-normal transects were examined in detail to assess the shore-normal and along shore distribution of the tsunami deposit. Near the shoreline, the tsunami eroded approximately 10-25 cm of sand from the beach and berm. The sandy layer deposited by the tsunami began 50-150 m inland from the shoreline and extended across the coastal plain to within about 40 m of the limit of inundation; a total distance of up to 750 m from the beach. As much as 2/3 of the sand in the deposit originated from offshore. Across most of the coastal plain the deposit thickness and mean grain size varied little. In the along-shore direction the deposit thickness varied with the tsunami wave height; both largest near the entrance to Sissano Lagoon.

Pure and Applied Geophysics↗
USGS2010

Field survey of the March 28, 2005 Nias-Simeulue earthquake and Tsunami

On the evening of March 28, 2005 at 11:09 p.m. local time (16:09 UTC), a large earthquake occurred offshore of West Sumatra, Indonesia. With a moment magnitude (Mw) of 8.6, the event caused substantial shaking damage and land level changes between Simeulue Island in the north and the Batu Islands in the south. The earthquake also generated a tsunami, which was observed throughout the source region as well as on distant tide gauges. While the tsunami was not as extreme as the tsunami of December 26th, 2004, it did cause significant flooding and damage at some locations. The spatial and temporal proximity of the two events led to a unique set of observational data from the earthquake and tsunami as well as insights relevant to tsunami hazard planning and education efforts. ?? 2010 Springer Basel AG.

Pure and Applied Geophysics↗
USGS2017

Introduction to “Global tsunami science: Past and future, Volume II”

Twenty-two papers on the study of tsunamis are included in Volume II of the PAGEOPH topical issue “Global Tsunami Science: Past and Future”. Volume I of this topical issue was published as PAGEOPH, vol. 173, No. 12, 2016 (Eds., E. L. Geist, H. M. Fritz, A. B. Rabinovich, and Y. Tanioka). Three papers in Volume II focus on details of the 2011 and 2016 tsunami-generating earthquakes offshore of Tohoku, Japan. The next six papers describe important case studies and observations of recent and historical events. Four papers related to tsunami hazard assessment are followed by three papers on tsunami hydrodynamics and numerical modelling. Three papers discuss problems of tsunami warning and real-time forecasting. The final set of three papers importantly investigates tsunamis generated by non-seismic sources: volcanic explosions, landslides, and meteorological disturbances. Collectively, this volume highlights contemporary trends in global tsunami research, both fundamental and applied toward hazard assessment and mitigation.

Pure and Applied Geophysics↗
USGS2019

Migration routes, foraging behavior, and site fidelity of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) satellite tracked from a globally important rookery

The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA (27.946°N, − 80.494°W) represents one of the largest loggerhead turtle ( Caretta caretta ) nesting sites in the Western Hemisphere. Surprisingly, little work has been conducted to determine females’ post-nesting migratory behavior and characteristics of their foraging areas. Between 2008 and 2017, satellite telemetry was used to trace the locations and movements of 45 post-nesting loggerhead turtles. A switching state-space model was employed to estimate the behavioral state of each location. Internesting, migrating and foraging activity periods were determined for 38 loggerheads based on the SSSM. Seven environmental variables were extracted from remote sensing imagery for each location to compare values among behaviors. Core primary foraging areas ranged in size from 5.89 to 4572.80 km 2 . Four foraging types (primary, secondary, seasonal, and loops) were observed. Most turtles resided at a primary foraging area year round. A few individuals conducted foraging loops away from a primary foraging area. Both seasonal and loop movements were associated with changes in sea surface temperature as turtles moved to avoid temperatures that could cause cold-stunning or mortality. Turtle size and nesting beach offshore currents may play a role in foraging area selection, and date of departure from the nesting beach may be linked to foraging destination. By making the connection among oceanic features, foraging areas, and the influence of environmental variables on these areas, it is possible to identify and characterize critically important feeding areas and migration corridors for loggerheads nesting on the east coast of Florida.

Marine Biology↗
USGS2004

Sediment resuspension and transport patterns on a fringing reef flat, Molokai, Hawaii

Corals are known to flourish in various turbid environments around the world. The quantitative distinction between clear and turbid water in coral habitats is not well defined nor are the amount of sediment in suspension and rates of sedimentation used to evaluate the condition of reef environments well established. This study of sediment resuspension, transport, and resulting deposition on a fringing reef flat off Molokai, Hawaii, uses a year of time-series data from a small, instrumented tripod. It shows the importance of trade winds and ocean wave heights in controlling the movement of sediment. Sediment is typically resuspended daily and the dominant controls on the magnitude of events (10-25 mg/l) are the trade-wind-generated waves and currents and tidal elevation on the reef flat. The net flux of sediment on this reef is primarily along the reef flat in the direction of the prevailing trade winds (to the west), with a secondary direction of slightly offshore, towards a zone of low coral abundance. These results have application to reef studies and reef management in other areas in several ways. First, the observed resuspension and turbidity results from fine-grained terrigenous sediment that appears to be trapped and recycled on the reef flat. Thus corals are subjected to light attenuation by the same particles repeatedly, however small the amount. Secondly, the measurements show high temporal variability (from daily to seasonal scales) of sediment resuspension, indicating that single measurements are inadequate to accurately describe conditions on a reef flat. ?? Springer-Verlag 2004.

Coral Reefs↗
USGS2011

Numerical modeling of the impact of sea-level rise on fringing coral reef hydrodynamics and sediment transport

Most climate projections suggest that sea level may rise on the order of 0.5-1.0 m by 2100; it is not clear, however, how fluid flow and sediment dynamics on exposed fringing reefs might change in response to this rapid sea-level rise. Coupled hydrodynamic and sediment-transport numerical modeling is consistent with recent published results that suggest that an increase in water depth on the order of 0.5-1.0 m on a 1-2 m deep exposed fringing reef flat would result in larger significant wave heights and setup, further elevating water depths on the reef flat. Larger waves would generate higher near-bed shear stresses, which, in turn, would result in an increase in both the size and the quantity of sediment that can be resuspended from the seabed or eroded from adjacent coastal plain deposits. Greater wave- and wind-driven currents would develop with increasing water depth, increasing the alongshore and offshore flux of water and sediment from the inner reef flat to the outer reef flat and fore reef where coral growth is typically greatest. Sediment residence time on the fringing reef flat was modeled to decrease exponentially with increasing sea-level rise as the magnitude of sea-level rise approached the mean water depth over the reef flat. The model results presented here suggest that a 0.5-1.0 m rise in sea level will likely increase coastal erosion, mixing and circulation, the amount of sediment resuspended, and the duration of high turbidity on exposed reef flats, resulting in decreased light availability for photosynthesis, increased sediment-induced stress on the reef ecosystem, and potentially affecting a number of other ecological processes.

Coral Reefs↗
USGS2020

Annual outbreaks of coral disease coincide with extreme seasonal warming

Reef-building corals living in extreme environments can provide insight into the negative effects of future climate scenarios. In hot environments, coral communities experience disproportionate thermal stress as they live very near or at their upper thermal limits. This results in a high frequency of bleaching episodes, but it is unknown whether temperature-driven outbreaks of coral disease follow a similar trajectory. Here we tracked outbreaks of a white-syndrome (WS) disease over three years in the hottest region inhabited by reef-building corals, the southern Persian Gulf. From 2014 to 2016, WS affected 10 of the 16 scleractinian genera recorded at inshore and offshore sites. Intra- and inter-specific transmission of lesions was frequently observed, indicative of a single contagious disease infecting multiple coral taxa. Colonies of Acropora were the most susceptible to WS disease and were more than twice as likely to experience lesions than any other genera. Prevalence reached 42% of Acropora colonies and lesions progressed at an average rate of 1 mm day −1 . Platygyra colonies were the second most susceptible to WS disease, where prevalence reached 33% and lesions progressed at 0.3 mm day −1 . Affected colonies of both of these genera suffered considerable partial mortality that was not recovered between years, promoting the fragmentation of larger colonies into smaller size classes. Across the 3 years of our study, the onset of WS outbreaks occurred early in summer and prevalence increased exponentially with cumulative heat exposure (coral community r 2 = 0.55, Acropora r 2 = 0.72, Platygyra r 2 = 0.75). Peak levels of community-wide prevalence occurred in August (10% of all coral colonies) to September (14%) when preceding 4-week and 8-week average temperatures exceeded 34.5 °C and 34 °C, respectively. Outbreaks ceased following the return of cooler temperatures with prevalence remaining below 0.5% between December and June. Levels of bleaching remained relatively low (< 5% prevalence), despite exposure to daily temperatures ≥ 35 °C each summer. These findings demonstrate that thermal stress on coral reefs does not always manifest as coral bleaching and diseases can present as a primary sign of thermal stress. Consequently, temperature-driven outbreaks of coral disease are expected to become more widespread as climate warming pushes corals to be living increasingly closer to their upper thermal limits.

Saadiyat Island, Sir Bu Nair Island↗