Coastal dunes provide a diverse set of ecosystem services including coastal protection against destructive surge and waves during storm events. Dunes are constantly evolving through various stages of response to storm events and post-storm recovery at rates that vary due to a range of drivers including pre-existing morphology, environmental forcing...
The coast of Oregon is highly dynamic, with beach and dune morphodynamics constantly evolving in response to physical and ecological forcing at scales ranging from seconds to decades and meters to tens of kilometers. Evaluating spatial and temporal trends in shoreline evolution is paramount in understanding and eventually developing a...
The subaerial beach, composed of sand dunes and the foreshore, provides a natural buffer zone between vulnerable land and the dissipation of storm wave energy due to wave breaking. The natural beauty of this region is attractive to people, and as a result, significant investment has been placed in this...
This dissertation focuses on two core aspects of remote sensing: (a) interpretation of the remotely sensed data to identify and characterize sea surface features of interest, and (b) the quantitative analysis of previously characterized features to produce robust estimates of geophysical variables. Specifically, these aspects are addressed in the context...
Mapping out multidimensional potential energy surfaces has been a goal of
physical chemistry for decades in the quest to both predict and control chemical
reactivity. Recently a new spectroscopic approach called Femtosecond Stimulated Raman
Spectroscopy or FSRS was introduced that can structurally interrogate multiple
dimensions of a reactive potential energy...
Sandy beaches and dunes cover approximately one-third of the world’s ice-free coastlines and provide ecosystem services including coastal protection, recreation, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. These dynamic interface habitats are variably shaped by wind, waves, sedimentary processes, and vegetation feedbacks. Positive biophysical feedbacks lead to the formation of vegetated coastal...
Documented and forecasted trends in rising sea levels and changes in storminess patterns have the potential to increase the frequency, magnitude, and spatial extent of coastal change hazards. To develop realistic adaptation strategies, coastal planners need information about coastal change hazards that recognizes the dynamic temporal and spatial scales of...
A technique is presented to remotely measure the scales and morphology of natural sandbars based
on the preferential dissipation of wind waves and swell over the crests of the bar. Photographic or
video images are recorded and statistical uncertainties associated with incident wave height modulations
removed by averaging (time exposures)....