Skip Links

USGS - science for a changing world

U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2011–3073

USGS Science for the Nation’s Changing Coasts:
Shoreline Change Research

By Cheryl J. Hapke and E. Robert Thieler

Thumbnail of and link to report PDF (6.2 MB)

Summary

The demands of increasing human population in the coastal zone create competition with coastal habitat preservation and with recreational and commercial uses of the coast and nearshore waters. As climate changes over the coming century, these problems facing coastal communities will likely worsen. Good management and policy decision-making require baseline information on the rates, trends, and scientific understanding of the processes of coastal change on a regional to national scale. To address this need, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is engaged in a research project of national scope to measure, report, and interpret historical shoreline change along open-ocean coasts of the United States. One of the primary goals of this project is to understand shoreline change hazards using methods that are comparable from one area of the country to another and that will allow for future, repeatable analyses of shoreline movement, coastal erosion, and land loss.

Also of Interest

USGS Science for the Nation’s Changing Coasts: Shoreline Change Assessment by E. Robert Thieler and Cheryl J. Hapke, USGS Fact Sheet 2011–3074

  • This report is also available in print from:

    USGS Information Services, Box 25286,
    Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225
    telephone: 888 ASK-USGS; e-mail: infoservices@usgs.gov

For additional information:
Contact Information, Woods Hole Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
384 Woods Hole Road
Quissett Campus
Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598
http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov/

This report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Adobe Reader, free of charge.


Suggested citation:

Hapke, C.J., and Thieler, E.R., 2011, USGS science for the Nation’s changing coasts; shoreline change research: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2011–3073, 2 p.



Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
[an error occurred while processing this directive] URL: https://pubsdata.usgs.gov
Page Contact Information: USGS Publications Team
Page Last Modified: Tuesday, 29-Nov-2016 17:45:50 EST