Staff / Capabilities

return to search page



	Nathan Wood
	Research Geographer
	Vancouver, WA
	nwood@usgs.gov
	360-993-8951
Project Skills:	Hazards - Community vulnerability assessments to tsunamis, volcanic lahars, hurricanestorm surge, coastal storms, and sealevel rise
	Climate Change - Assessing future community vulnerability to climate-change-enhanced natural hazards (e.g., stormsurge, erosion)
	Land Use/Land Cover Studies - Use of landcover data for approximating community vulnerabilityto natural hazards
	Tools and Techniques - Statistical approaches for summarizing data
	GIS - Spatial analysis for vulnerability research

Geographic Regions:	Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Florida.

Current/Recent Projects:	1) Community vulnerability to tsunamis: Research focuses on assessing community exposure (in terms of land cover, human populations, economic assets, and critical facilities) to tsunamis in Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. Research includes the use of midresolution land-cover data, community- based collaborative processes, and principal component analysis to characterize variations in vulnerability. Research efforts have included formal interagency agreements with State-level emergency management agencies in Washington and Hawaii, as well as research cooperatives with The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of South Carolina. Dr. Wood is currently on a National Research Council to assess the Nation's tsunami warning-system and preparedness. 2) Community vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal storms: Research focuses on assessing current and future community vulnerability to coastal storms, sea level rise due to climate change, and increasing urbanization of hazard-prone areas. Research includes efforts in Sarasota County (Florida), the Oregon and Washington coast, and Kauai Island (Hawaii). Research is done in collaboration with colleagues at The Pennsylvania State University and Oregon State University, via grants from the NOAA Climate Change Program. 3) Community vulnerability to volcano hazards: Research focuses on assessing variations in community vulnerability to lahar hazards related to Mount Rainier, Washington. Research efforts also include preparation of a textbook on volcano-hydrologic processes with USGS colleagues in the Volcano Hazards Program (to be published by Cambridge University Press).

Collaborations:	Community vulnerability to tsunamis: Hawaii State Civil Defense, Hawaii Office of Planning, Pacific Disaster Center, The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of South Carolina, Washington State Emergency Management Division, Washington State/Local Tsunami Working Group, Hawaii Tsunami Technical Review Committee, National Research Council, Oregon Sea Grant, Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup, Pacific Risk Management 'Ohana Community vulnerability to sea-level rise and coastal storms: The Pennsylvania State University, Oregon State University, Oregon Sea Grant, NOAA Climate Change Program Community vulnerability to volcano hazards: Washington State Emergency Management

Recent Publications:	Wood, N., Burton, C., and Cutter, S., in press, Community variations in social vulnerability to Cascadia-related tsunamis in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, Natural Hazards, DOI: 10.1007/s11069-009-9376-1. Wood, N., 2009, Tsunami exposure estimation with land-cover data: Oregon and the Cascadia subduction zone, Applied Geography 29, 158-170. Wood, N., and Soulard, C., 2008, Variations in community exposure and sensitivity to tsunami hazards on the open-ocean and Strait of Juan de Fuca coasts of Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5004, 34 p. [http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2008/5004/]. Wood, N., 2007, Variations in community exposure and sensitivity to tsunami hazards in Oregon: Reston, Va., USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5283, 43 p. [http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2007/5283/]. Wood, N., Church, A., Frazier, T., and B. Yarnal, 2007, Variations in community exposure and sensitivity to tsunami hazards in the State of Hawai`i: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigation Report 2007-5208, 42 p. [http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2007/5208/] [http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2007/5208/]. Wood, N., and Hine, A., 2007, Spatial trends in marsh sediment deposition within a microtidal creek system, Waccasassa Bay, Florida, Journal of Coastal Research, 23 (4): p. 823 ? 833. Bernknopf, R., Rabinovici, S., Wood, N. and Dinitz, L., 2006, The influence of hazard models on GIS-based regional risk assessments and mitigation policies, International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 6 (4/5/6), 369 ? 387. Wood, N., and Good, J., 2005, Perceptions of earthquake and tsunami issues in U.S. Pacific Northwest port and harbor communities, International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 23 (3), 103?138. Wood, N., and Good, J., 2004, Vulnerability of a port and harbor community to earthquake and tsunami hazards: the use of GIS incommunity hazard planning, Coastal Management, 32 (3), 243-269. Wood, N., and Hine, A., 2003, Sediment dynamics of a sediment-starved, open-marine marsh embayment: Waccasassa Bay, Florida, Journal of Coastal Research, 19 (3), 574?583. Wood, N., Good, J., and Goodwin, B., 2002, Vulnerability assessment of a port and harbor community to earthquake and tsunami hazards: integrating technical expert and stakeholder input,, Natural Hazards Review, 3 (4), 148-157.

Academic Background:	Oregon State University, Geography, Ph.D., 2002 University of South Florida, Marine Science, M.S., 1996 Duke University, Geology, B.S., 1992