Coastal Hazards Program Manager
Sedimentology, stratigraphy, tectonics, photogrammetry, geohazards, and outreach
Education and/or Training
Ph.D. 2017, Stanford University - Geological & Environmental Sciences
B.S. 2011, University of Utah - Geology
B.A. 2011, University of Utah - French
Projects and/or Research Interests
Nora manages the State of Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Coastal Hazards Program, which aims to enhance decision making support for coastal geohazard response and resource management by providing Alaskans with sound scientific investigations of coastal processes and change. Nearly 150 communities in Alaska are threatened by flooding, erosion, and permafrost degradation. The Program currently focuses on baseline data collection, statewide flooding & erosion assessments, community-based monitoring, event response, improving data accessibility, and developing exciting future directions of research.
Nora's research interests involve source-to-sink sediment transport, coastal and marine depositional systems, and linking the stratigraphic record to geologic hazards.
Professional Experience
2023-present, Coastal Hazards Program Manager, Alaksa Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Anchorage, AK
2019-2022, Mendenhall Research Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA
2018, Postdoctoral Researcher, Stanford University / Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, CA
2017, Lecturer, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Selected Publications
- Horen, K.C., Nieminski, N.M., Poisson, A.C., and Siemsen, Z.J., 2024, Photogrammetry-derived orthoimagery and elevation data for Tuntutuliak, Alaska, collected June 8, 2023: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Raw Data File 2024-24, 6 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31292
- Horen, K.C., and Nieminski, N.M., 2024, Photogrammetry-derived orthoimagery and elevation for Kivalina, Alaska, collected August 21 and 23, 2023: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Raw Data File 2024-19, 6 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31287
- Horen, K.C., Nieminski, N.M., Poisson, A.C., and Siemsen, Z.J., 2024, Photogrammetry-derived orthoimagery and elevation data for Kongiganak, Alaska, collected June 7, 2023: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Raw Data File 2024-20, 9 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31288
- Horen, K.C., Poisson, A.C., Siemsen, Z.J., Christian, J.E., and Nieminski, N.M., 2024, Coastal flood impact assessment for Kipnuk, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigation 2024-5, 45 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31280
- Nieminski, N.M., Sylvester, Z., Covault, J.A., Gomberg, J., and McBrearty, I.A., 2024, Turbidite correlation for paleoseismology: Geological Society of America, Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1130/B37343.1
- Horen, K.C., Poisson, A.C., Christian, J.E., and Nieminski, N.M., 2024, Methods for evaluating coastal flood impacts in Alaska communities: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication 177, 13 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31279
- Lundsten, E., Paull, C.K., Gwiazda, R., Dobbs, S., Caress, D.W., Kuhnz, L.A., Walton, M., Nieminski, N.M., McGann, Mary, Lorenson, T.D., Cochrane, G.R., and Addison, J.A., 2024, Pockmarks offshore Big Sur, California provide evidence for recurrent, regional, and unconfined sediment gravity flows: Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, v. 129, no. 5, doi: 10.1029/2023JF007374. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JF007374
- Sahakian, V.J., Kilb, D., Gomberg, J., Nieminski, N.M., and Covault, J.A., 2024, Submarine avalanche deposits hold clues to past earthquakes: Eos, 105. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024EO240122
- Horen, K.C., Nieminski, N.M., Poisson, A.C., and Siemsen, Z.J., 2024, Single-beam bathymetric data near Tuntutuliak, Alaska, collected June 8, 2023: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Raw Data File 2024-3, 8 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31148
- Horen, K.C., Nieminski, N.M., Poisson, A.C., and Siemsen, Z.J., 2024, Single-beam bathymetric data near Kongiganak, Alaska, collected June 6, 2023: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Raw Data File 2024-4, 9 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31149
- Nieminski, N.M., McHargue, T.R., Gooley, J.T., Fildani, Andrea, and Lowe, D.R., 2023, Spatial distribution and variability of lobe facies in a large sand-rich submarine fan system: Neoproterozoic Zerrissene Group, Namibia: Sedimentology. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.13129
- Wolfson-Schwehr, M., Paull, C.K., Caress, D.W., Gwiazda, Roberto, Nieminski, N.M., Talling, P.J., Carvajal, C., Simmons, S., and Troni, G., 2023, Time-lapse seafloor surveys reveal how turbidity currents and internal tides in Monterey Canyon interact with the seabed at centimeter-scale: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 128, no. 4. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006705
- Dobbs, S.C., Paull, C.K., Lundsten, E.M., Gwiazda, R., Caress, D.W., McGann, M., Coholich, M.M., Walton, M.A.L., Nieminski, N.M., McHargue, T., and Graham, S.A., 2023, Sediment gravity flow frequency offshore central California diminished significantly following the Last Glacial Maximum: Frontiers in Marine Science, v. 10:1099472. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1099472
- Gooley, J.T., and Nieminski, N.M., 2022, Detrital zircon provenance of the Cretaceous-Neogene East Coast Basin reveals changing tectonic conditions and drainage reorganization along the Pacific margin of Zealandia: Geosphere, v. 18, no. 2, p. 616-646. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES02404.1
- Maier, K.L., Paull, C.K., Caress, D.W., Anderson, Krystle, Nieminski, N.M., Lundsten, Eve, Erwin, B.E., Gwiazda, Roberto, and Fildani, Andrea, 2020, Submarine fan development revealed by integrated high-resolution datasets from La Jolla Fan, offshore California, U.S.A: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 90, no. 5, p. 468-479. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2020.22
- Maier, K.L., Gales, J.A., Paull, C.K., Rosenberger, Kurt, Talling, P.J., Simmons, S.M., Gwiazda, Roberto, McGann, Mary, Cartigny, M.J.B., Lundsten, Eve, Anderson, Krystle, Clare, M.A., Xu, Jingping, Parsons, Daniel, Barry, J.P., Wolfson-Schwher, M., Nieminski, N.M., and Sumner, E.J., 2019, Linking direct measurements of turbidity currents to submarine canyon-floor deposits: Frontiers in Earth Science, v. 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00144
- Nieminski, N.M., Grove, M., and Lowe, D.R., 2018, Provenance of the Neoproterozoic deep-water Zerrissene Group of the Damara Orogen, Namibia and paleogeographic implications for the closing of the Adamastor Ocean and assembly of the Gondwana supercontinent: Geological Society of America, Bulletin v. 131, no. 3-4, p. 355-371. https://doi.org/10.1130/B32032.1
- Nieminski, N.M., and Graham, S.A., 2017, Modeling stratigraphic architecture using small unmanned aerial vehicles and photogrammetry: Examples from the Miocene East Coast Basin, New Zealand: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 87, no. 2, p. 126. https://doi.org/10.2110/jsr.2017.5
- Sharman, G.R., Schwartz, T.M., Shumaker, L.E., Trigg, C.R., Nieminski, N.M., Sickmann, Z.T., Malkowski, M.A., Hourigan, J.K., Schulein, B.J., and Graham, S.A., 2017, Submarine mass failure within the deltaic Domengine Formation (Eocene), California (USA): Geosphere, v. 13, no. 3, p. 950-973. https://doi.org/10.1130/GES01442.1
- Nieminski, N.M., and Johnson, C.L., 2014, A guide to the bedrock geology of Range Creek Canyon, Book Cliffs, Utah: Geology of the Intermountain West, v. 1, p. 6-31. https://doi.org/10.31711/giw.v1.pp6-31
Selected Presentations
- Nieminski, N.M., Horen, K.C., and Christian, J.E., 2024, Flood impact assessments to serve vulnerable Alaskan communities (presentation): Association of State Floodplain Managers Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 23-27, 2024: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, 25 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31301
- Horen, K.C., Nieminski, N.M., and Christian, J.E., 2024, Seeking local knowledge to improve flood hazard assessments and forecasting in Alaska (presentation): Community and Citizen Science in the Far North 2024 Conference, April 17-18, 2024: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, 11 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31267
- Christian, J.E., Horen, K.C., and Nieminski, N.M., 2024, Improving flood estimate accuracy with coastal inundation modeling (presentation): Alaska Forum on the Environment, Anchorage, Alaska, Feb 5-9, 2024: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, 12 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31156
- Horen, K.C., Nieminski, N.M., Poisson, A.C., and Christian, J.E., 2023, Monitoring event-driven erosion in Wainwright, Alaska (StoryMap): Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, 20 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31097
- Nieminski, N.M., Poisson, A.C., Horen, K.C., and Siemsen, Z.J., 2023, Alaska's Coastal Hazards Program serving communities at risk (presentation): Association of American State Geologists Meeting, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, June 13, 2023 : Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, 16 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31042
