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Precipitation-induced landslides

Landslides related to snowmelt and heavy rainfall cause widespread property damage and occasional loss of life. In recent years, the Landslide Hazards Program has conducted research on precipitation-induced landslides in selected areas of California, Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington. The research includes field investigations, monitoring, modeling and analysis. USGS research on precipitation-induced landslides has focused mainly on developing predictive understanding of where and when landslides are likely to occur. Some effort is also being devoted to understanding how far landslides will travel and how large they will be. The following links and references provide information about and results of recent and ongoing USGS research on precipitation-induced landslides.

Seattle-area Landslide Hazard Assessment (Rainfall and Snowmelt Triggered Landslides)

  • Schulz, W.H., 2007, Landslide susceptibility revealed by LIDAR imagery and historical records, Seattle, Washington: Engineering Geology, v. 89, p. 67-87.
  • Schulz, W.H., Lidke, D.J., and Godt, J.W., 2008, Modeling the spatial distribution of landslide-prone colluvium and shallow groundwater on hillslopes of Seattle, Washington: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, v. 33, p. 123-141.
  • Godt, J.W., Baum, R.L., and Chleborad, A.F., 2006, Rainfall characteristics for shallow landsliding in Seattle, Washington, USA: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, v. 31, p 97-110.
  • Baum, R.L., Coe, J.A., Godt, J.W., Harp, E.L., Reid, M.E. Savage, W.Z., Schulz, W.H., Brien, D.L., Chleborad, A.F., McKenna, J.P., and Michael, J.A., 2005, Regional Landslide-Hazard Assessment for Seattle, Washington, USA: Landslides, v. 2, no. 4, p. 266-279, DOI: 10.1007/s10346-005-0023-y
  • Baum, R.L., Godt, J.W., Harp, E.L., McKenna, J.P., and McMullen, S.R., 2005, Early Warning of Landslides for Rail Traffic Between Seattle and Everett, Washington, USA in Hungr, O., Fell, R., Couture, R., and Ebdrhardt, E., eds., Landslide Risk Management, Proceedings of the 2005 International Conference on Landslide Risk Management: New York, A.A. Balkema, p. 731-740.
  • Baum. R.L., McKenna, J.P., Godt, J.W., Harp, E.L., & McMullen, S.R., 2005, Hydrologic monitoring of landslide-prone coastal bluffs near Edmonds and Everett, Washington, 2001-2004: U.S. Geological Survey Open- File Report 2005-1063, 42 p.
  • Baum, R.L., Savage, W.Z., Coe, J.A., Godt, J.W., Harp, E.L., Schulz, W.H., Reid, M.E., McKenna, J.P., Michael, J.A., and Brien, D.L., 2005, Regional landslide-hazard assessment for Seattle, Washington, USA: Geophysical Research Abstracts, v. 7, p. 02190.
  • Schulz, W.H., 2004, Landslides mapped using LIDAR imagery, Seattle, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2004-1396, 11 p., 1 plate
  • Coe, J.A., Michael, J.A., Crovelli, R.A., and Savage, W.Z., Laprade, W.T., and Nashem, W.D., 2004, Probabilistic assessment of precipitation-triggered landslides using historical records of landslide occurrence, Seattle, Washington: Environmental and Engineering Geoscience, v. 10, no. 2, p. 103-122.
  • Chleborad A.F., 2003, Preliminary evaluation of a precipitation threshold for anticipating the occurrence of landslides in the Seattle, Washington, Area: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File report 03-463, 39 p.
  • Chleborad, A.F., 2000, Preliminary method for anticipating the occurrence of precipitation-induced landslides in Seattle, Washington, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-469, 29p.
  • Baum, R.L., Harp, E.L., and Hultman, W.A., 2000, Map showing recent and historic landslide activity on coastal bluffs of Puget Sound between Shilshole Bay and Everett, Washington, U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF2346
  • Coe, J.A., Michael, J.A., Crovelli, R.A., and Savage, W.Z., 2000, Preliminary map showing landslide densities, mean recurrence intervals, and exceedance probabilities as determined from historic records, Seattle, Washington, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-303
  • W.Z. Savage, R.L. Baum, M.M. Morrissey, and B.P. Arndt, 2000, Finite-element analysis of the Woodway landslide, U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2180
  • Savage, W.Z., Morrissey, M.M., and Baum, R.L., 2000, Geotechnical properties for landslide-prone Seattle-area glacial deposits, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-0228
  • Arndt, B.P., Higgins, J.E., and Baum, R.L., 1998, The Woodway, Washington, landslide-An unusual failure of the Lawton Clay Member in the steep bluffs along Puget Sound Washington, Association of Engineering Geologists program with Abstracts, 41st Annual Meeting, p.74.
  • Baum, R.L., Harp, E.L., Lahusen, R.G., Likos, W.J., and Powers, P.S., 1998, Real-time monitoring of bluff stability at Woodway, Washington, USA, Procedings of the Second International Symposium on the Geotechnics of Hard Soils, Soft Rocks '98, Naples Italy, October p. 1057-1065.
  • Biavati, G., Godt, J.W., and McKenna, J.P., 2006, Drainage effects on the transient, near-surface hydrologic response of a steep hillslope to rainfall: implications for slope stability, Edmonds, Washington, USA. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, v. 6, p. 343-355.

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Landslides caused by the 1998 El Niño rain storms, San Francisco Bay Area

  • Coe, J.A., Godt, J.W., Tachker, P., 2004, Map showing recent (1997-98 El Niño) and historical landslides, Crow Creek and vicinity, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2859.
  • Wieczorek, G.F., Coe, J.A., Godt, J.W., 2003, Remote sensing of rainfall for debris-flow hazard assessment: In, Rickenmann, D.and Chen, C., eds., Debris flow hazards mitigation: mechanics, prediction, and assessment, Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation, Millpress, Rotterdam, pp. 1257-1268.
  • Coe, J.A., and Godt, J.W., 2001, Debris Flows Triggered by the El Niño Rainstorm of February 2-3, 1998, Walpert Ridge and Vicinity, Alameda County, California: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2384
  • Godt, J.W., Coe, J.A., and Savage, W.Z., 2000, Relation between cost of damaging landslides and construction age, Alameda County, California, USA El Niño winter storm season, 1997-98, In: E.N. Bromhead, M.L. Ibsen, N. Dixon and E. Sfakianaki (Editors), Landslides in research, theory and practice, Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Landslides, Cardiff, Wales, v. 2, p. 641-646.
  • Godt, J.W. (ed.), 1999, Maps showing damaging landslides caused by El Niño rainstorms, winter season 1997-98, San Francisco Bay region, California, U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Investigation Series Maps MF-2325-A-J, 8 p. 10 pl.

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Debris flows from Summer Thunderstorms, Colorado

  • Coe, Jeffrey A., Baum, Rex L., McKenna, Jonathan P., Langard, Sophie, and Bourgine, Agn?s, 2004, Debris flows initiated by runoff in Cottonwood Canyon, San Isabel National Forest, central Colorado: Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Nov. 7-10, Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, no. 5.
  • Godt, J.W., and Coe, J.A., 2003, Map showing alpine debris flows triggered by a July 28, 1999 thunderstorm in the central Front Range of Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 03-350.
  • Coe, J.A. and Godt, J.W., 2003, Historical debris flows along the Interstate 70 corridor in Clear Creek County: In, Boyer, D.D., Santi, P.M., and Rogers, W.P., eds, Engineering Geology in Colorado, Contributions, Trends, and Case Histories: Association of Engineering Geologists Special Publication No. 15 and Colorado Geological Survey Special Publication 55, available on CD-ROM, 28 p.
  • Coe, J.A., Godt, J.W., Parise, M, and Moscariello, A., 2003, Estimating debris-flow probability using debris-fan stratigraphy, historic records, and drainage-basin morphology, Interstate 70 Highway Corridor, Central Colorado: In, Rickenmann, D.and Chen, C., eds., Debris flow hazards mitigation: mechanics, prediction, and assessment, Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation, Millpress, Rotterdam, pp. 1085-1096.

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Debris flows from heavy rainfall in the Blue Ridge of Virginia

  • Wieczorek, G.F., Mossa, G.S., Morgan, B.A., 2004, Regional debris-flow distribution and preliminary risk assessment from severe storm events in the Appalachian Blue Ridge Province, USA: Landslides, v. 1, p. 53-59 (DOI 10.1007/s10346-003-0003-z)
  • Wieczorek, G.F., Coe, J.A., Godt, J.W., 2003, Remote sensing of rainfall for debris-flow hazard assessment: In, Rickenmann, D.and Chen, C., eds., Debris flow hazards mitigation: mechanics, prediction, and assessment, Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation, Millpress, Rotterdam, pp. 1257-1268.

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Modeling Time-Dependent Rainfall Infiltration and Slope Instability

  • Salciarini, D., Godt, J.W., Savage, W.Z., Conversini, P., Baum, R.L., and Michael, J.A., 2005, Modeling regional initiation of rainfall-induced shallow landslides in the eastern Umbria region of central Italy: Geophysical Research Abstracts, v. 7, p. 01694.
  • Savage, W.Z., and Baum, R.L., 2005, Instability of steep slopes, Chapter 4 in Jakob, M. and Hungr, O., Debris Flow and Debris Avalanches-A Practically Oriented Overview of the State of the Art: Chichester, U.K., Praxis Publishing House p. 53-79.
  • Godt, J.W., Baum, R.L., Savage, W.Z., and Schulz, W.H., 2004, Modeling rainfall conditions for shallow landsliding in Seattle, Washington: Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Nov. 7-10, Abstracts with Programs, v. 36, no. 5.
  • Savage, W.Z., Godt, J.W., and Baum, R.L., 2004, Modeling time-dependent aerial slope stability, in Lacerda, W.A., Erlich, M., Fontoura, S.A.B., and Sayao, A.S.F., eds., Landslides-evaluation and stabilization, Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Landslides: London, A.A. Balkema Publishers, v. 1, p. 23-36.
  • Savage, W.Z., Godt, J.W., and Baum, R.L., 2003, A model for spatially and temporally distributed shallow landslide initiation by rainfall infiltration, in Rickenmann, D. and Chen, C., eds., Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation-Mechanics, Prediction, and Assessment: Rotterdam, Millpress (Proceedings of the 3rd International conference on Debris Flow Hazards, Davos, Switzerland, September 10-13, 2003), p. 179-187.
  • Baum, R.L., Savage, W.Z., and Godt, J.W., 2002, TRIGRS—A FORTRAN Program for Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-Based Regional Slope-Stability Analysis: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-0424, 35 p., 2 appendices.

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Landslide Susceptibility

  • Schulz, W.H., 2007, Landslide susceptibility revealed by LIDAR imagery and historical records, Seattle, Washington: Engineering Geology, v. 89, p. 67-87.
  • Schulz, W.H., Lidke, D.J., and Godt, J.W., 2008, Modeling the spatial distribution of landslide-prone colluvium and shallow groundwater on hillslopes of Seattle, Washington: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, v. 33, p. 123-141.
  • Coe, J.A., Godt, J.W., Baum, R.L., Bucknam, R.C., and Michael, J.A., 2004, Landslide susceptibility from topography in Guatemala, in Lacerda, W.A., Erlich, M., Fontoura, S.A.B., and Sayao, A.S.F., eds., Landslides-evaluation and stabilization, Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Landslides: London, A.A. Balkema Publishers, v. 1, p. 69-78.

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Landslides and Debris Flows Triggered by Tropical Storms

  • Harp, Edwin L., Mark E. Reid, and John A. Michael. 2004. Hazard analysis of landslides triggered by Typhoon Chata'an on July 2, 2002, in Chuuk State, Federated States of Micronesia. OF 2004-1348
  • Wieczorek, G.F., Larsen, M.C., Eaton, L.S., Morgan, B.A., and Blair, J.L., 2002, Debris-Flow and Flooding Deposits in Coastal Venezuela Associated with the Storm of December 14-16, 1999: U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Investigations Series Map I-2772
  • Harp, E.L., and Savage, W.Z., 1998, Landslides triggered by the April 1997 tropical storms in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, Landslide News, no. 11, p. 29-32
  • Harp, E.L., and Savage, W.Z., 1997, Landslides triggered by the April 1997, tropical storms in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia, U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 97-696, 10 p., 1 pl

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Reactivation of landslides

  • Schulz, W.H., and Ellis, W.L., 2007, Preliminary results of subsurface exploration and monitoring at the Johnson Creek landslide, Lincoln County, Oregon: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007-1127, 11 p., 1 appendix.
  • Schulz, W.H., McKenna, J.P., Biavati, Giulia, and Kibler, J.D., 2007, Characteristics of Slumgullion Landslide inferred from subsurface exploration, in-situ and laboratory testing, and monitoring, in Schaefer, V.R., Schuster, R.L., and Turner, A.K., eds., 1st North American Landslide Conference, Vail, Colo., June 3-8, 2007, Proceedings: AEG Special Publication No. 23, p. 1084-1097.
  • Baum, R.L., and Reid, M.E., 2000, Groundwater isolation by low-permeability clays in landslide shear zones, in Bromhead, E., Dixon, N, and Ibsen, M., eds., Landslides in Research, Theory and Practice, Proceedings of the 8th International Symposium on Landslides: London, Thomas Telford p. 139-144.
  • Reid, M.E., Brien, D. L., LaHusen, R.L., Roering, J. J., de la Fuente, J., and Ellen, S. D., 2003, Debris-flow initiation from large, slow-moving landslides: Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Prediction and Assessment; Proceedings of the Third International DFHM Conference, Davos, Switzerland, Rickenmann, D. and Chen, C., eds., Millpress Science Publishers, Rotterdam, p. 155-166.

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