State Geologists & Geological Surveys

Alaska is the largest and arguably most geomorphologically diverse state in the union, as well as being the most sparsely mapped and poorly understood. While slope instability features are abundant and obvious on the landscape, only a handful have been documented due to the huge area, low population, and unique remoteness of most of the state.

The talk will cover the Arkansas Geological Survey Landslide Program, statewide inventory activities and projects, collaboration partners and future research goals.

California is one of the most geologically diverse states in the nation, the second most seismically active, and first in seismic risk with a population approaching 40 million.

Landslides are a significant hazard in Idaho because they are widespread, destructive, disruptive, and their exact timing and location is unpredictable. Despite the drastic precipitation gradient across Idaho, landslides occur throughout the state. Idaho’s underlying geology and steep topography create favorable conditions for landsliding.

The majority of Maine’s mass wasting events occur in glacial deposits and can be roughly divided into three geographic groups: coastal, inland lowland, and inland upland. Maine’s variety of landscapes and surficial materials has also resulted in diverse events from isolated rock falls to large (> 1 km2) spreads in geotechnically sensitive glaciomarine deposits.

Building and maintaining a landslide hazards program as a state agency presents many opportunities and challenges.

A broad overview of landslide geology across Pennsylvania, and historical and current work on landslides by the Pennsylvania Survey and others. The diverse geology and topography of Pennsylvania's woods provides a variety of landslide problems beyond the well-known issues around Pittsburgh.

The bedrock geology and fluvial erosional history of New York State has resulted in unique physiographic settings. Late Pleistocene glaciations engaged the existing landscape, altered and dammed drainage resulting in the formation of extensive proglacial lakes.

Utah is the second driest state in the nation but has a surprising number of active landslides, different landslide types, and some large landslides. The presentation will provide an overview of Utah landslides, their problems, implemented risk-reduction measures, and the ongoing efforts of the Utah Geological Survey to understand and manage Utah landslides.

During the late Oligocene to early Miocene, the Marysvale volcanic field of southwestern Utah experienced three consecutive, catastrophic, mega-scale collapse events: the Sevier, Markagunt, and Black Mountains gravity slides, which we refer to collectively as the Marysvale gravity slide complex (MGSC).

In 2015, the Washington Geological Survey received legislative funding to start a Landslide Hazards Program (LHP). The LHP has three primary functions: landslide inventory mapping, post-wildfire debris flow assessments, and emergency response.

The Washington Geological Survey works to increase public and scientific understanding of landslide hazards in Washington State. One of the ways that we do this is through use of interpretive maps, illustrations, and other types of graphics. I will show several examples of these products and will discuss some of the methods used to construct them.