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2 The Coastal and Marine Geology Program
Pages 19-39

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From page 19... ... The stated mission of CMGP is to "provide the nation with objective and credible marine geologic science information based on research, long-term monitoring, and assessments." CMGP is designed to describe marine and coastal geologic systems; to understand the fundamental processes that create, modify and maintain them; and to develop the capability to predict future change through models that integrate the characteristics of natural systems and the effects of human activities. In the committee's opinion, CMGP conducts unbiased, high-quality scientific research and provides key geologic data and information to address issues along the U.S. Read the entire page →
From page 20... ... Fundamentai Resources ~: Energy Resources Marine Mineral Resources Water Resources Fundamentai Studies Earthquakes, Tsunami\\ ~ Fundamentai (b) SCIENCE FOR DECISIONMAKING Salaries $1 0.2M Project Operations $7.8M Theme 1 - Environmental Quality and Preservation Theme 2 - Natural Hazards Poliut~on and Waste and Public Safety Disoosai Theme 3 - Natural Resources Theme 4 - Information and Technology Fragile Environments Marine Reserves and Habitats Coastal and Nearshore Erosion FIGURE 2-1 (a) Read the entire page →
From page 21... ... , the CMGP also examines long-term geologic changes through studies of the sedimentary records preserved in seafloor environments. Such studies provide the geologic framework of the coastal areas Read the entire page →
From page 22... ... , and their variety of behaviors in the coastal and marine environment, require that a combination of basic scientific and applied regional studies be undertaken (see Box 2-1~. The CMGP is studying sediment transport processes and the long-term fate of pollutants (e.g., in Massachusetts Bay, Long Island Sound, Florida's Santa Monica Bay, Hawaii, Monterey Bay, Lake Pontchartrain) Read the entire page →
From page 24... ... During major northeasters, fine sediments along the western shore of Massachusetts Bay are resuspended by the wave currents and transported by the wind-driven flow to the southeast toward Cape Cod Bay, where they settle. They are protected from the influence of subsequent storms by water depth and basin geometry. Read the entire page →
From page 25... ... In several instances, the management agencies have requested that the USGS provide seafloor bathymetry and sediment distribution maps (e.g., for Stellwagen Bank, Florida Keys, Monterey Bay) , which are critical to managing marine reserves. Read the entire page →
From page 27... ... . Theme 2: Natural Hazards and Public Safety The overall goal of the natural hazards and public safety theme is to better understand the processes that produce hazards in the coastal and marine environment and their impact on the human population and the natural environment. Read the entire page →
From page 28... ... Sediment generation, transport, and redistribution along our coastlines and across the continental shelf are the natural processes by which coastline and nearshore environments evolve. However, the development of large tracts of the coastline as urban and suburban areas, as well as human activities to reshape the coastlines and intercede in the natural riverine, estuarine, and coastal sediment transport processes, have exacerbated the problem of coastal erosion in many areas. Read the entire page →
From page 29... ... To assess the risks of disaster and to aid in mitigation planning, regional studies are focused on areas at high risk, providing a geologic framework in the context of historical events and their associated damage. Read the entire page →
From page 30... ... Columbla River Lh10ral Cell Erosion Ho1 Spots FIGURE 2-4a Erosion "botspot~' in Washington state (SWLER, 1997) Read the entire page →
From page 31... ... The identification of new mineral and energy resources in the marine environment and a better understanding of the geologic controls on subsurface flow of groundwaters in the coastal zone are critical to the management of the supply of resources. CMGP studies of natural resources are broken down into three subthemes (with the objective of understanding the formation, location, and geologic setting of coastal and marine natural resources; the geologic effects of resource extraction and its impact on coastal and marine ecosystems; and how onshore exploration for economic mineral deposits can be refined and broadened, based on information gained from offshore resource oc currences. Read the entire page →
From page 32... ... It is critical to understand and model the subsurface fluid flow between onshore and offshore aquifers if coastal aquifers are to be managed effectively. Subsurface fluid flow is governed to a large extent by the characteristics of the subsurface geology; hence the geologic framework is required as a basis for determining fluid flow patterns and the chemical reactions between the fluids and the host rocks. Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... Recent advances in processing and imaging of these data and the ability to overlay data sets have resulted in the production of spectacular three-dimensional visualizations of critical regions of the seafloor (e.g., Stellwagen Bank, Lake Tahoe, Hawaii) that have significantly enhanced the geologic interpretation of the seafloor features. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... . Subtheme 3: Assessments and Evaluation of the Information Bank The information bank allows for periodic assessments of the adequacy of knowledge about the coastal and marine geologic environment. Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... The role of coastal and marine geologic studies in the USGS and the inclusion of the coastal areas and FEZ as part of the responsibility of the USGS are not clearly articulated in this document. Unlike other Geologic Division programs that are each explicitly tied to at least one of the division's seven Strategic Science Goals, the CMGP, because of its geographic focus, addresses aspects of all the goals. Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... As presently configured, the CMGP is fragmented into unrelated projects. Although these projects fit into the Geologic Division's Strategic Science Goals on an individual basis, as a group, they do not convey the sense of a coherent scientific effort focused primarily on the geologic framework of coastal and marine areas. Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... The committee therefore recommends that the themes and subthemes of the CMGP address the geologic framework component of scientific issues in coastal and marine regions. While maintaining a close link to the Geologic Division's Strategic Science Goals, CMGP should redefine the themes to address fundamental scientific issues or what the committee concluded are grand challenges related to the coastal and marine realm through coherent project groupings. Read the entire page →

From page 19...

... The stated mission of CMGP is to "provide the nation with objective and credible marine geologic science information based on research, long-term monitoring, and assessments." CMGP is designed to describe marine and coastal geologic systems; to understand the fundamental processes that create, modify and maintain them; and to develop the capability to predict future change through models that integrate the characteristics of natural systems and the effects of human activities. In the committee's opinion, CMGP conducts unbiased, high-quality scientific research and provides key geologic data and information to address issues along the U.S.

2 The Coastal and Marine Geology Program Pages 19-39

2 The Coastal and Marine Geology Program
Pages 19-39