USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program
Coastlines are constantly changing landscapes that pose fascinating science questions as well as unique management challenges. The National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards (NACCH) provides robust scientific findings that help to identify areas that are most vulnerable to diverse coastal change hazards including beach and dune erosion, long-term shoreline change, and sea-level rise. Through extensive observation, modeling and prediction of these processes, scientists gauge how U.S. shores have historically shifted, and how past changes will affect their vulnerability to future hazards. Read more in the Project Overview.
Understanding and Predicting Storm Impacts
Research to understand the magnitude and variability of extreme storm impacts on sandy beaches in order to improve real-time and scenario-based predictions of coastal change to support management of coastal infrastructure, resources, and safety.
Long-Term Coastal Change
Nationally-consistent analysis of shoreline positions and maps of changes along open-ocean sandy shores of the conterminous U.S. and parts of Alaska and Hawaii.
Understanding Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise
Historical and recent observations of coastal change are combined with model simulations of beaches, barrier islands, wetlands, and coastal aquifers to determine the probability of coastal change due to sea-level rise.
Coastal Change Hazards Portal
Online access to data and tools enables users to apply coastal change hazards assessments to their specific needs.
Integration of Processes over Different Spatial and Temporal Scales
Integration of the different scales of coastal processes to better understand future vulnerability to storms, long-term erosion, and sea-level rise.
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