Publications
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Estimating rates of debris flow entrainment from ground vibrations
Debris flows generate seismic waves as they travel downslope and can become more dangerous
as they entrain sediment along their path. We present field observations that show a systematic relation
between the magnitude of seismic waves and the amount of erodible sediment beneath the flow. Specifically,
we observe that a debris flow traveling along a channel filled initially with sediment 0.34m thic
Authors
Jason W. Kean, Jeffrey A. Coe, V. Coviello, Joel B. Smith, S.W. McCoy, M. Arattano
Evaluating the importance of characterizing soil structure and horizons in parameterizing a hydrologic process model
Incorporating the influence of soil structure and horizons into parameterizations of distributed surface water/groundwater models remains a challenge. Often, only a single soil unit is employed, and soil-hydraulic properties are assigned based on textural classification, without evaluating the potential impact of these simplifications. This study uses a distributed physics-based model to assess th
Authors
Benjamin B. Mirus
Assessment of existing and potential landslide hazards resulting from the April 25, 2015 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake sequence
Introduction
On April 25, 2015, a large (M7.8) earthquake shook much of central Nepal and was followed by a series of M>6 aftershocks, including a M7.3 event on May 12, 2015. This earthquake and aftershocks, referred to as the “Gorkha earthquake sequence,” caused thousands of fatalities, damaged and destroyed entire villages, and displaced millions of residents. The earthquakes also triggered thou
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Randall W. Jibson
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Landslide Hazards Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Can low-resolution airborne laser scanning data be used to model stream rating curves?
This pilot study explores the potential of using low-resolution (0.2 points/m2) airborne laser scanning (ALS)-derived elevation data to model stream rating curves. Rating curves, which allow the functional translation of stream water depth into discharge, making them integral to water resource monitoring efforts, were modeled using a physics-based approach that captures basic geometric measurement
Authors
Steve Lyon, Marcus Nathanson, Norris Lam, Helen Dahlke, Martin Rutzinger, Jason W. Kean, Hjalmar Laudon
Controls on valley spacing in landscapes subject to rapid base-level fall
What controls the architecture of drainage networks is a fundamental question in geomorphology. Recent work has elucidated the mechanisms of drainage network development in steadily uplifting landscapes, but the controls on drainage-network morphology in transient landscapes are relatively unknown. In this paper we exploit natural experiments in drainage network development in incised Plio-Quatern
Authors
Luke McGuire, John D. Pelletier
Timing of susceptibility to post-fire debris flows in the western USA
Watersheds recently burned by wildfires can have an increased susceptibility to debris flow, although little is known about how long this susceptibility persists, and how it changes over time. We here use a compilation of 75 debris-flow response and fire-ignition dates, vegetation and bedrock class, rainfall regime, and initiation process from throughout the western U.S. to address these issues. T
Authors
Jerome V. DeGraff, Susan H. Cannon, Joseph E. Gartner
Objective definition of rainfall intensity-duration thresholds for post-fire flash floods and debris flows in the area burned by the Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado, USA
We present an objectively defined rainfall intensity-duration (I-D) threshold for the initiation of flash floods and debris flows for basins recently burned in the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire near Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. Our results are based on 453 rainfall records which include 8 instances of hazardous flooding and debris flow from 10 July 2012 to 14 August 2013. We objectively defined the t
Authors
Dennis M. Staley, Joseph E. Gartner, Jason W. Kean
Measurements of the initiation of post-wildfire runoff during rainstorms using in situ overland flow detectors
Overland flow detectors (OFDs) were deployed in 2012 on a hillslope burned by the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire near Boulder, Colorado, USA. These detectors were simple, electrical resistor-type instruments that output a voltage (0–2·5 V) and were designed to measure and record the time of runoff initiation, a signal proportional to water depth, and the runoff hydrograph during natural convective rain
Authors
John A. Moody, Richard G. Martin
Aspect-dependent soil saturation and insight into debris-flow initiation during extreme rainfall in the Colorado Front Range
Hydrologic processes during extreme rainfall events are poorly characterized because of the rarity of measurements. Improved understanding of hydrologic controls on natural hazards is needed because of the potential for substantial risk during extreme precipitation events. We present field measurements of the degree of soil saturation and estimates of available soil-water storage during the Septem
Authors
Brian A. Ebel, Francis K. Rengers, Gregory E. Tucker
Geotechnical soil characterization of intact Quaternary deposits forming the March 22, 2014 SR-530 (Oso) landslide, Snohomish County, Washington
During the late morning of March 22, 2014, a devastating landslide occurred near the town of Oso, Washington. The landslide with an estimated volume of 10.9 million cubic yards (8.3 x 106 m3) of both intact glacially deposited and previously disturbed landslide sediments, reached speeds averaging 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour) and crossed the entire 2/3-mile (~1100 m) width of the adja
Authors
Michael F. Riemer, Brian D. Collins, Thomas C. Badger, Csilla Toth, Yat Chun Yu
By
Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Natural Hazards Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Landslide Hazards Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Laboratories Program, Science and Decisions Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Hydroclimatic conditions preceding the March 2014 Oso landslide
The 22 March 2014 Oso landslide was one of the deadliest in U.S. history, resulting in 43 fatalities and the destruction of more than 40 structures. We examine synoptic conditions, precipitation records and soil moisture reconstructions in the days, months, and years preceding the landslide. Atmospheric reanalysis shows a period of enhanced moisture transport to the Pacific Northwest beginning on
Authors
Brian Henn, Qian Cao, Dennis P. Lettenmaier, Christopher S. Magirl, Clifford Mass, J. Brent Bower, Michael St. Laurent, Yixin Mao, Sanja Perica
Landslide modeling and forecasting—recent progress by the u.s. geological survey
Landslide studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are focused on two main objectives: scientific understanding and forecasting. The first objective is to gain better understanding of the physical processes involved in landslide initiation and movement. This objective is largely in support of the second objective, to develop predictive capabilities to answer the main hazard questions. Answers
Authors
Rex L. Baum, Jason W. Kean