Francis Rengers
I investigate landslide and debris flow processes, primarily after wildfire.
General Research Statement:
My work leverages high-resolution topography from airborne and ground-based lidar, as well as drone-based structure-from-motion, to characterize the controls on mass movement after wildfire. I also use modeling and field-instrumentation to characterize how wildfire creates the hydrologic and soil conditions that lead to sedimentation hazards. My work is primarily focused in the semi-arid portions of the Western United States, and I have worked on projects in Australia, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. In addition, I serve as an adjunct professor at the Colorado School of Mines, I advise USGS post-docs, and I am currently serving on Ph.D. thesis committees at several universities.
Education:
- Ph.D., Geology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. 2014. The Influence of Transient Perturbations on Landscape Evolution: Exploring Gully Erosion and Post-Wildfire Erosion.
- M. S., Geology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. 2005. Grain Size Trends of Gravel Bars on the Rio Chagres, Panama
- B. S., Geology, Summa Cum Laude, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. 2003. Spatial Analysis of Landforms on Reclaimed Surface Mines of Monongalia County
- B. A., French, Summa Cum Laude, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV. 2003
Professional Appointments:
2016-present Research Geologist
2014-2016 Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Staley, D.M., Kean, J.W., Rengers, F.K. 2020. The recurrence interval of post-fire debris-flow generating rainfall in the southwestern United States. Geomorphology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107392
Rengers, F.K., McGuire, L.A., Oakley, N.S., Tang, H., Kean, J.W., and Staley, D.M. 2020. Landslides after Wildfire: initiation, magnitude, and mobility after fire. Landslides. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-020-01506-3
Rengers, F.K., Kean, J.W., Reitman, N.G., Smith, J.B., Coe, J.A., McGuire, L.A., 2020. The Influence of Frost Weathering on Debris Flow Sediment Supply in an Alpine Basin. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface 125, e2019JF005369. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005369
Wall, S., Roering, J., Rengers, F.K., 2020. Runoff-initiated post-fire debris flow Western Cascades, Oregon. Landslides. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-020-01376-9
Rapstine, T.D., Rengers, F.K., Allstadt, K.E., Iverson, R.M., Smith, J.B., Obryk, M.K., Logan, M. Olsen, M.J. 2020. Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005348
Kean, Jason W., Staley, D.M., Lancaster, J.T., Rengers, F.K., Swanson, B.J., Coe, J.A., Hernandez, J.L., Sigman, A.J., Allst
Science and Products
Using high sample rate lidar to measure debris-flow velocity and surface geometry
Modeling hydrologic processes associated with soil saturation and debris flow initiation during the September 2013 storm, Colorado Front Range
Wildfire and landscape change
Wildfire and Earth surface processes
The recurrence interval of post-fire debris-flow generating rainfall in the southwestern United States
Landslides after wildfire: Initiation, magnitude, and mobility
Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video
Runoff-initiated post-fire debris flow Western Cascades, Oregon
The influence of frost weathering on the debris flow sediment supply in an alpine basin
Controls on debris‐flow initiation on burned and unburned hillslopes during an exceptional rainstorm in southern New Mexico, USA
Developing and testing physically based triggering thresholds for runoff‐generated debris flows
An evaluation of debris-flow runout model accuracy and complexity in Montecito, CA: Towards a framework for regional inundation-hazard forecasting
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Using high sample rate lidar to measure debris-flow velocity and surface geometry
Modeling hydrologic processes associated with soil saturation and debris flow initiation during the September 2013 storm, Colorado Front Range
Wildfire and landscape change
Wildfire and Earth surface processes
The recurrence interval of post-fire debris-flow generating rainfall in the southwestern United States
Landslides after wildfire: Initiation, magnitude, and mobility
Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video
Runoff-initiated post-fire debris flow Western Cascades, Oregon
The influence of frost weathering on the debris flow sediment supply in an alpine basin
Controls on debris‐flow initiation on burned and unburned hillslopes during an exceptional rainstorm in southern New Mexico, USA
Developing and testing physically based triggering thresholds for runoff‐generated debris flows
An evaluation of debris-flow runout model accuracy and complexity in Montecito, CA: Towards a framework for regional inundation-hazard forecasting
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.