Description of the Research Opportunity
Rapid event characterization and dynamic hazard assessments can help reduce landslide losses and improve communication and emergency preparedness by ensuring decisionmakers have the best possible information during responses to landslide events. The USGS is sometimes asked to provide this technical assistance, both domestically and internationally. Having better workflows or tools for rapid characterization (within hours) and better approaches for assessing ongoing or subsequent events (within days) is key. Subsequent collection of perishable scientific data ensures lessons learned lead to scientific advancements.
Widespread landslide-triggering events such as atmospheric rivers, hurricanes, and earthquakes can trigger thousands of landslides over vast areas in a few minutes to hours, yet it can take many days to take full stock of what occurred. Thus, responding initially can require prioritizing reconnaissance areas based on where societal disruption is expected based on simple models (e.g., existing global models include the USGS Ground Failure product and the LHASA 2.0 model for earthquake and precipitation triggers, respectively). In subsequent days to weeks, rapid mapping and interpretation of satellite imagery, field reconnaissance, aerial photos, meteorological and geophysical data and more can help quantify the locations and impacts of landslide activity. Subsequent assessments incorporating historical and geologic context can help responding agencies with decision-making.
Individual, large, rapid landslides can also be destructive and sometimes occur with no warning. Even remote slides can still lead to cascading hazards that can affect populated areas (e.g., tsunamis, landslide dam failures, debris flows). For slopes known to have potential for catastrophic failure with severe consequences, methods for monitoring and predicting when and how these landslides will behave (e.g., how fast, how far) are still fairly uncertain and untested (if in-situ or remote monitoring is implemented at all).
We seek proposals with innovative ideas that can lead to better rapid characterization and assessments during such landslide events that allow us to provide better information to partners sooner. Proposed projects should fulfill the need for better response capabilities and information products outlined in the National Strategy for Landslide Loss Reduction that accompanies the recently passed National Landslide Preparedness Act.
The list below includes some example project ideas or topics. However, applicants need not be limited by this list and are encouraged to think creatively (while contacting research advisors early to ensure the idea is compatible with USGS needs):
- A near-real-time geospatial model broadly applicable (e.g., across the U.S.) for shallow landslides triggered by storms such as atmospheric rivers and hurricanes. This might involve near-real-time geospatial maps of the quantitative precipitation estimates most relevant for landslide triggering based on available meteorological models and datasets.
- Tools for prioritizing remote mapping or field reconnaissance following major regional landslide triggering events such as earthquakes or storms. For example, this might incorporate new or existing hazard models with population or infrastructure and potential sources of cascading hazard issues such as landslide dams.
- Workflows for rapidly creating topographic models and detecting change over large areas using a variety of tools (e.g., aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion). This could involve, for example, developing data acquisition guidelines for photographers on reconnaissance flights and optimizing the subsequent processing pipelines for use in regional event responses using cloud computing resources.
- Innovative methods and approaches (remote sensing, geophysical, in situ) for monitoring individual slow-moving or accelerating landslides and measuring characteristics needed for hazard modeling (e.g., geometry, kinematics, subsurface properties).
- Streamlined and generalizable rapid remote landslide detection and characterization methods using tools such as satellite-based imagery or seismoacoustic methods.
- Compilation of a historical landslide event behavior and mobility database and associated tools (e.g. heuristic, statistical) for use in quickly providing historical context for current landslide events.
Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the Research Advisor(s) early in the application process to discuss project ideas.
Proposed Duty Station(s)
Golden, Colorado
Areas of PhD
Geology, geography, hydrology, geophysics, remote sensing, applied mathematics, meteorology, civil engineering, or related fields (candidates holding a Ph.D. in other disciplines, but with extensive knowledge and skills relevant to the Research Opportunity may be considered).
Qualifications
Applicants must meet one of the following qualifications: Research Geographer, Research Geologist, Research Geophysicist, Research Hydrologist, or Research Civil Engineer.
(This type of research is performed by those who have backgrounds for the occupations stated above. However, other titles may be applicable depending on the applicant's background, education, and research proposal. The final classification of the position will be made by the Human Resources specialist.)
