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Erosion
The process whereby materials of the earth's crust are loosened, dissolved, or worn away and simultaneously moved from one place to another.
Subtopics:
Sinkhole formation (2 items)

Shoreline erosion (28 items)
Coastal erosion (28 items)
Beach erosion (28 items)
Shoreline retreat (28 items)
Related topics:
Results 1 - 45 of 45 listed by similarity [list alphabetically]
Erosion in the Rio Puerco: geography and processes [More info]
Paper on the accelerated erosion of the Rio Puerco, a tributary of the Rio Grande in New Mexico, which has deepened and widened its channel, or arroyo, since the settlement of the region.
Erosion of a sea stack over 100 years [More info]
Series of photographs showing the demise of Jump-off Joe, a sea stack at Nye Beach, Newport, Oregon from 1890 as a result of erosion.
PDF From ridge to reef--linking erosion and changing watersheds to impacts on the coral reef ecosystems of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Ocean [More info]
Explains how land processes on hills near the shoreline affect the health of coral reefs.
PDF Seafloor erosional processes offshore of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana [More info]
Study addresses questions and concerns related to limited sand resources along the Louisiana shelf and their implications to long-term relative sea-level rise and storm impacts, using newly acquired geophysical and vibracore data.
PDF South Carolina coastal erosion study [More info]
USGS project to understand coastal evolution and modern beach behavior; to identify and model the physical processes affecting coastal ocean circulation and sediment transport; and to identify sediment sources and construct a regional sediment budget.
Topics in coastal and marine sciences: Coastal erosion [More info]
Topics in Coastal and Marine Sciences provides background science materials, definitions, and links to give a common context for users from a variety of backgrounds. Coastal erosion was chosen as the first topic.
West-central Florida erosion study [More info]
West central Florida erosion interactive map with GIS datasets to download including geologic interpretative layers, samples, bathymetry, and imagery.
An overview of coastal land loss with emphasis on the southeastern United States [More info]
Comprehensive background information on coastal land loss, discussing the influence of waves and storms, the intrinsic characteristics of the shoreline materials, and the role of human activities.
Coastal and Marine Geology Program [More info]
Home page for Coastal and Marine Geology with links to topics of interest (sea level change, erosion, corals, pollution, sonar mapping, and others), Sound Waves monthly newsletter, field centers, regions of interest, and subject search system.
Coastal and Marine Geology Program interactive map server [More info]
Interactive map server to view and create maps using available coastal and marine geology data sets of offshore and coastal U.S. and the Gulf of Mexico. Links to available data and metadata that can be downloaded.
Coastal change hazards digital library [More info]
Online catalog of reports and data on coastal change hazards, indexed by author, agency, project, location, feature type, and topic
Coastal storms and tsunamis [More info]
USGS responses to and studies of the hazards and impact of major hurricanes, tsunamis, and El Nino storms. Includes links to oblique aerial photography and LIDAR surveys recording coastal changes and other effects of storms and waves.
Hurricane and extreme storm impact studies: coastal and nearshore mapping with oblique aerial video and still photography [More info]
Information on video and still photography used to supplement laser altimetry measurements of the coast. The photography is used for recognizing geomorphic and cultural features impacted by storms. Links to photo collections of hurricanes and El Nino.
PDF Hurricane impact and recovery shoreline change analysis of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, USA: 1855 to 2005 [More info]
Results from historical (1855-2005) shoreline change analysis demonstrate that tropical cyclone frequency dominates the long-term evolution of this barrier-island arc.
PDF Impacts and predictions of coastal change during hurricanes [More info]
Shows how observations and modeling can help anticipate practical problems in coastal areas when hurricanes arrive. Focuses primarily on areas where people have built houses and roads that may be destroyed during storms.
Louisiana coastal land loss [More info]
Homepage for Louisiana coastal land loss, including links to press release, animation of wetland loss, and PDF digital images of land change maps.
National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards [More info]
The National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards is a multi-year undertaking to identify and quantify the vulnerability of U.S. shorelines to coastal change hazards such as the effects of severe storms, sea-level rise, and shoreline erosion and retreat.
National Assessment of Shoreline Change Project [More info]
The Coastal and Marine Geology Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting an analysis of historical shoreline changes along open-ocean sandy shores of the conterminous United States and parts of Alaska and Hawaii.
National assessment of coastal vulnerability to sea-level rise: preliminary results for the U.S. Pacific Coast [More info]
Report on the potential of coastal change due to future sea level rise using the coastal vulnerability index (C.V.I.) with two regional examples in San Francisco and Monterey Bay and Tillamook Head, Oregon, to Ocean Shores, WA.
National assessment of coastal vulnerability to sea-level rise: preliminary results of the U.S. Atlantic coast [More info]
Brief report on map showing the relative vulnerability of the Atlantic coast to changes due to future rise in sea level. Includes links to similar maps in Open-file report 2000-178 on the Pacific Coast and 2000-179 on the Gulf of Mexico Coast.
PDF USGS science for the Nation's changing coasts: Shoreline change research [More info]
Explains how and why coasts, beaches, and shorelines change, and how we study these changes.
PDF USGS science for the Nation's changing coasts; Shoreline change assessment [More info]
Shorelines are always changing, yet we use these areas heavily. This shows what we measure and how, to help adapt to changing coastal zones.
Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology [More info]
Western Region Coastal and Marine Geology science center conducts research in the coastal and offshore areas of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and other U.S. Pacific Islands.
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Geology Field Center [More info]
Site with links to projects of the field center of the Woods Hole Coastal Marine Geology Program on underwater areas between shorelines and the deep ocean, off the U.S. East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and in parts of the Caribbean and Great Lakes.
PDF A dryland river transformed--the Little Colorado, 1936-2010 [More info]
We mapped substantial migration of the river channel between the City of Winslow and the Navajo Nation community of Leupp; in a human lifetime the river has moved more than a mile across its valley floor.
Bedrock geology of the Yosemite Valley area Yosemite National Park, California [More info]
Site explains the general bedrock geology of the Yosemite Valley area.
Biological soil crusts [More info]
Explains biological soil crusts, organism-produced soil formations commonly found in semiarid and arid environments, with special reference to their biological composition, physical characteristics, and ecological significance.
Cryptobiotic soils: holding the place in place [More info]
Describes biological soil crusts, with special reference to their role in resisting soil erosion, improving soil fertility, and increasing water infiltration in the deserts of the Colorado Plateau region.
PDF Early results from the Northern Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Change and Hazard Susceptibility Project [More info]
A coordinated set of studies shows development of coastal features, aspects of marine water quality, and impacts of hurricanes along this section of important coastline.
PDF Effects of Ocean Acidification and Sea-Level Rise on Coral Reefs [More info]
By measuring the current and historical growth rates of coral skeletons, and using field experiments, we intend to find out whether rising atmospheric CO2 and rising sea levels will cause coral reefs to erode and cease to function.
Geologic history of Cape Cod, Massachusetts [More info]
Describes the history, geologic changes (including the glacial formation and sea level changes), and geologic mapping of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
PDF Holocene evolution of Apalachicola Bay, Florida [More info]
Geophysical surveying, combined with analysis of sediment cores and radiometric dating were used to describe the likely history of formation of this area.
Hurricane and extreme storm impact studies [More info]
Homepage for programs of the Center for Coastal Geology on hurricanes and extreme storms with links to technology, related aerial photography, hurricanes, El Nino, northeasters, and specific storms.
PDF Identification of tsunami deposits in the geologic record; developing criteria using recent tsunami deposits [More info]
Characteristics of recent tsunami deposits, with the knowledge we have about the events that caused them, give us ways to recognize ancient deposits of this type and infer characteristics of those ancient tsunamis as well.
Karst Interest Group Proceedings (February 2001) [More info]
Scientific presentations and papers about geologic, geophysical, and hydrologic studies of karst areas in the U.S.
Land Subsidence in the United States [More info]
Describes and provides examples of impacts of human-induced land subsidence resulting from the extraction of subsurface water, including aquifer-system compaction, drainage of organic soils, dissolution and collapse of susceptible rocks.
Land Subsidence in the United States [More info]
Describes and provides several detiled examples of impacts of human-induced land subsidence resulting from the extraction of subsurface water, including aquifer-system compaction, drainage of organic soils, dissolution and collapse of susceptible rocks.
PDF Limestone - A crucial and versatile industrial mineral commodity [More info]
Uses and availability of limestone and related commodities such as lime and portland cement. Hazards of limestone terranes due to erosion and sinkhole formation.
Missouri District Surface-Water Data & Analysis Section [More info]
Overview of the Surface-Water Data & Analysis Section of the Missouri District with links to real-time and historic water data, staff members, and projects on bridge scour and gaging station network.
National bridge scour database [More info]
Database with detailed data on sites and data collected on scour (downward erosion by streamflow) at bridges, piers, and abutments in the United States.
Sinkholes [More info]
Explains sinkhole formation and distribution, with special emphasis on their occurrence in Missouri
USGS Pacific coral reefs website [More info]
Overview of research in the Hawaiian Islands and Guam to gain insight into the structure of coral reefs, to provide the basis for future monitoring, and to understand the influences of natural processes and human activities on coral reef health.
USGS news and information on El Nino [More info]
Information sources on El Nino effects such as landslides, coastal hazards, floods. Includes links to maps and images.
PDF Using terrestrial light detection and ranging (lidar) technology for land-surface analysis in the Southwest [More info]
Tripod-mounted lidar makes it inexpensive and efficient to measure and map geographic features that change with time, such as sand dunes and erosional features, and soil microtopography.
Yosemite Valley geologic story [More info]
Site describes the present understanding of the various geologic processes that contributed to the valley's creation. Links to Yosemite Valley's geologic maps.
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