Projects

Landslides are a prominent natural hazard across the U.S. globally and can result in fatalities as well as costly and disruptive infrastructure damage. To better understand landslide hazards and risk, we need more accurate assessments of landslide potential across the country. The NLHM project aims to improve understanding of landslide occurrence, susceptibility, and frequency to produce accurate...

When and where will landslides happen? How far will they go, how big and how fast will they be? These questions are difficult to answer because many factors contribute to landslide occurrence, magnitude, and mobility; some factors remain unknown, while nearly all are very difficult to quantify and account for. Researchers use surface, subsurface, remote sensing, and laboratory observations along...

Landslide crises can unfold in many ways, but in all cases, responders and the public need information about what happened and what might happen next as soon as possible. The LASER project seeks to provide event-driven information products and assessments for landslide events to help guide decision-making and inform the public. The project also conducts research and development aimed towards...

A large steep slope in the Barry Arm fjord 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Whittier, Alaska has the potential to fall into the water and generate a tsunami that could have devastating local effects on those who live, work, and recreate in and around Whittier and in northern Prince William Sound.

Estimates of the probability and volume of debris flows that may be produced by a storm in a recently burned area, using a model with characteristics related to basin shape, burn severity, soil properties, and rainfall. Wildfire can significantly alter the hydrologic response of a watershed to the extent that even modest rainstorms can produce dangerous flash floods and debris flows. The USGS...