Colloquium: Daniel M. Hanes

"The influence of the Golden Gate upon the ebb tidal delta, coastal processes, and sand dynamics near San Francisco, California"

Abstract: The steep and narrow Golden Gate entrance to the San Francisco estuary exerts strong controls upon the morphology and dynamics of the coastal region. The unusually strong tidal jet results in the formation of a large ebb tidal delta and a field of marine sand waves. The prominent bathymetry of the ebb tidal delta protects some of the coast from extreme storm waves, but the delta also focuses wave energy toward the central and southern portions of Ocean Beach. Wave transformation due to the ebb tidal delta likely contributes to a chronic erosion problem at the southern end of Ocean Beach and also to the intermittent closure of the entrance to Crissy Field Marsh, a recently restored tidal marsh.

Daniel M. Hanes , Professor
Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Saint Louis University Formerly: Senior Scientist, U.S. Geologic Survey Coastal and Marine Geology Program