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Brian Collins

Brian Collins is a supervisory research civil engineer with the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science center. Brian works primarily with the Landslide Hazards Program addressing a wide range of landslide issues including storm-induced shallow landslides and debris flows, deep-seated landslide mobility, and rockfall initiation.

Professional Experience

  • 2008-present, Research Civil Engineer, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA

  • 2006-2008, Mendenhall Post-doctoral Researcher, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA

  • 2005-2006, Engineering Research Manager, Blackhawk Geological Hazard Abatement District, San Ramon, CA

  • 2004-2005, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Berkeley, CA

  • 2000-2004, Research Assistant, University of California, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Berkeley, CA

  • 1998-2000, Staff Engineer, Golder Associates, Lakewood, CO

  • 1995-1998, Teaching Assistant, University of Colorado, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Boulder, CO

Education and Certifications

  • University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D., 2004, Geotechnical Engineering

  • University of Colorado, Boulder, M.S., 1997, Geotechnical Engineering

  • Purdue University, B.S.C.E., 1995, Civil Engineering

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, California

  • National Weather Service, Monterey, California, Weather Forecast Office

  • University of Lausanne, Risk Analysis Group, Lausanne, Switzerland

  • École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Experimental Rock Mechanics, Lausanne, Switzerland

Science and Products

a person sitting on a large boulder with other boulders around and a light snow

CSI: Rockfall Forensics

The next time you find yourself at the bottom of a cliff, make sure to look up.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program
CSI: Rockfall Forensics

CSI: Rockfall Forensics

The next time you find yourself at the bottom of a cliff, make sure to look up.
Learn More
grassy slope with landslide monitoring instrument

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
dry grassy slope with landslide monitoring instrument

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
steep dry grassy slopes in foreground with populated valley in background

San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA

San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
landslide monitoring equipment inside small fence on grassy slope

San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA

San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
A soil landslide scar above a neighborhood of houses.

Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

A summary of recent and past landslides and debris flows caused by rainfall in northern California, and links to current shallow landslide monitoring.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Big Sur Landslides
Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

A summary of recent and past landslides and debris flows caused by rainfall in northern California, and links to current shallow landslide monitoring.
Learn More

Landslide monitoring site installation details, geotechnical parameters, hydrologic time series data, and landslide locations from storms occurring between 25 December 2022 and 19 January 2023 in the San Francisco Bay area, California. Landslide monitoring site installation details, geotechnical parameters, hydrologic time series data, and landslide locations from storms occurring between 25 December 2022 and 19 January 2023 in the San Francisco Bay area, California.

This data release provides datasets supporting research on landslides triggered by a series of storms in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, that occurred between December 25, 2022, through January 19, 2023. During this period, eight atmospheric river storms delivered intense and prolonged rainfall across the region, leading to significant hydrological responses and widespread...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Ground-Based LIDAR Data of a Section of the Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin County, California, January 23, 2025 Ground-Based LIDAR Data of a Section of the Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin County, California, January 23, 2025

A rockfall occurred between the night of January 5 and the morning of January 6, 2025 on the Point Bonita Trail in the National Park Service Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California. The rockfall originated from a granodiorite rock face in the Franciscan Formation and deposited approximately 25 cubic meters of rock on the pedestrian trail below. The U.S. Geological Survey...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Ground-based lidar data of the southeast face of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California, May 4, 2022 Ground-based lidar data of the southeast face of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California, May 4, 2022

We collected two ground-based (terrestrial) lidar scans of the southeast face of El Capitan cliff, located in Yosemite National Park, California. El Capitan is one of several iconic granitic cliffs in Yosemite and rises approximately 1000 meters above the floor of Yosemite Valley. The scans were collected from the same location and from a single vantage point on the edge of El Capitan...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Rock mass quality and structural geology observations in northwest Prince William Sound, Alaska from the summer of 2021 Rock mass quality and structural geology observations in northwest Prince William Sound, Alaska from the summer of 2021

Multiple subaerial landslides adjacent to Prince William Sound, Alaska (for example, Dai and others, 2020; Higman and others, 2023; Schaefer and others, 2024) pose a threat to the public because of their potential to generate ocean waves (Dai and others, 2020; Barnhart and others, 2021; Barnhart and others, 2022) that could impact towns and marine activities. One bedrock landslide on the...
By
Geologic Hazards Science Center

San Francisco Bay Area Reconnaissance Landslide Inventory, January 2023 San Francisco Bay Area Reconnaissance Landslide Inventory, January 2023

From late December 2022 to January 2023, a series of atmospheric river storms produced widespread landsliding in the San Francisco Bay area of California. USGS scientists performed reconnaissance field work to document the extent of landsliding in the region and compiled reports of landslides from media and California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports. This data release documents locations of...
By
Landslide Hazards Program

Field-verified inventory of postfire hydrologic response for the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex, River, Camel, and Dolan Fires following a 26-29 January 2021 atmospheric river storm sequence Field-verified inventory of postfire hydrologic response for the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex, River, Camel, and Dolan Fires following a 26-29 January 2021 atmospheric river storm sequence

This data release is a field-verified inventory of postfire hydrologic response for the 2020 CZU (San Mateo–Santa Cruz Unit) Lightning Complex, River Fire, Camel Fire, and Dolan Fire following a 26-29 January 2021 atmospheric river storm sequence. Postfire hydrologic response types include a) no response, b) minor response, and c) major response. A “minor” response was deemed capable of...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Mapped polygons of landslides triggered by the 2016-2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California Mapped polygons of landslides triggered by the 2016-2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California

The winter rainy season of 2016-2017 brought abundant rainfall to the state of California, including the San Francisco Bay region. Thousands of shallow landslides were triggered as a result of saturated soils and intense rainfall from strong winter storms in January and February 2017. The highest concentration of landslides from these storms occurred in the eastern part of the bay region...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Hydrographic and sediment field data collected in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska, in 2009 Hydrographic and sediment field data collected in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska, in 2009

This dataset consists of hydrographic, geomorphic, and sediment field measurements obtained during the ice-free summer of 2009 in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska. Time-series data were collected with a bottom-mounted instrument package and consist of wave statistics, vertical water flow velocity profiles, water temperatures, conductivity, and salinity concentrations. Data collected at...
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Field, remote sensing, and modeling data used for Collins et al., Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock Resulting from the 2020 Whitney Portal, California Rockfalls Field, remote sensing, and modeling data used for Collins et al., Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock Resulting from the 2020 Whitney Portal, California Rockfalls

This data release includes information used to support the manuscript "Rockfall kinematics from massive rock cliffs: outlier boulders and flyrock from Whitney Portal, California rockfalls". The included datasets and supplement include data that was collected and processed to investigate the kinematics of boulder trajectories and impacts to both other boulders and to existing trees on the...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Field, geotechnical, and meteorological data of the 22 March 2018 narrow cold frontal rainband (NCFR) and its effects, Tuolumne River canyon, Sierra Nevada Foothills, California Field, geotechnical, and meteorological data of the 22 March 2018 narrow cold frontal rainband (NCFR) and its effects, Tuolumne River canyon, Sierra Nevada Foothills, California

This data release includes information used to support the manuscript "Linking mesoscale meteorology with extreme landscape response: effects of narrow cold frontal rainbands (NCFR)". The included datasets and supplement include information related to the 22 March 2018 NCFR and associated shallow landslides in the Toulumne Canyon triggered by this event. The three datasets and one...
By
National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Terrestrial LIDAR Data Set of the February 14, 2019 Sausalito Boulevard Landslide, Sausalito, California Terrestrial LIDAR Data Set of the February 14, 2019 Sausalito Boulevard Landslide, Sausalito, California

On February 14, 2019, just before 2:56 am local time (Pacific Standard Time), a landslide initiated from the natural hillslopes above the City of Sausalito, California. The landslide, properly identified as a debris flow, overran a road (Sausalito Boulevard) located immediately below the landslide source area, and impacted and destroyed several residential structures. One person was...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Data from ring shear strength testing of glaciolacustrine silty clay from the 2014, Oso, Washington landslide Data from ring shear strength testing of glaciolacustrine silty clay from the 2014, Oso, Washington landslide

We performed ring shear strength testing of three specimens from a glaciolacustrine silty clay unit involved in a large landslide that occurred March 22, 2014 near the town of Oso, Washington. Ring shear tests utilized apparatus DPRI-5 at Kyoto University, Japan and test results are presented herein. We refer to the specimens as the clay, clayey silt, and silt. Some tests were performed...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Landslides triggered by the 2016–2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California Landslides triggered by the 2016–2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California

Discussion The winter rainy season of 2016–2017 brought abundant rainfall to the State of California and to the San Francisco Bay region. In January and February of 2017, intense rainfall from strong winter storms saturated soils in the region and triggered thousands of shallow landslides. The highest concentration of these landslides was in the eastern part of the bay region, where...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Villagers in Kerauja below a rock slide that resulted from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25, 2015 in Gorkha district, Nepal.

By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Communications and Publishing
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Villagers in Kerauja below a rock slide that resulted from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25, 2015 in Gorkha district, Nepal.

By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 67

Shear surface undulations modulate clayey gouge strength and contribute to divergent landslide acceleration Shear surface undulations modulate clayey gouge strength and contribute to divergent landslide acceleration

Landslides display a spectrum of speeds for incompletely known reasons. Sliding occurs along slickensided undulatory shear surfaces within boundary shear gouge. Laboratory tests reveal that gouge shear strength generally decreases with finite cumulative displacement during relatively rapid failure and may increase or decrease with increasing shear rate; these behaviors can result in...
Authors
William Schulz, Gonghui Wang, Yao Jiang, Brian Collins, Mark Reid, Mason Einbund
By
Geologic Hazards Science Center

Characterizing the scale of regional landslide triggering from storm hydrometeorology Characterizing the scale of regional landslide triggering from storm hydrometeorology

Rainfall strongly affects landslide triggering; however, understanding how storm characteristics relate to the severity of landslides at the regional scale has thus far remained unclear, despite the societal benefits that would result from defining this relationship. As mapped landslide inventories typically cover a small region relative to a storm system, here we develop a dimensionless...
Authors
Jonathan Perkins, Nina Oakley, Brian Collins, Skye Corbett, W. Burgess
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Correction to A regime shift in sediment export from a coastal watershed during a record wet winter, California: Implications for landscape response to hydroclimatic extremes Correction to A regime shift in sediment export from a coastal watershed during a record wet winter, California: Implications for landscape response to hydroclimatic extremes

In the referenced article, the authors would like to correct text in the first paragraph on page 2571, Figure 9 and its caption. The changes reflect an error made in the processing of the rainfall intensity-duration data used to compare storms to published debris flow triggering thresholds. The correctly processed data does not change the interpretations made in the paper but does...
Authors
Amy East, Andrew Stevens, Andrew C. Ritchie, Patrick Barnard, Pamela L. Campbell‐Swarzenski, Brian Collins, Christopher H. Conaway
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Field evidence and indicators of rockfall fragmentation and implications for mobility Field evidence and indicators of rockfall fragmentation and implications for mobility

Rockfall fragmentation can play an important role in hazard studies and the design of protective measures. However, the current lack of modeling tools that incorporate rock fragmentation mechanics is a limitation to enhancing studies and design. This research investigates the fragmentation patterns of rockfalls and analyzes the resulting distribution of fragment sizes within...
Authors
Camilla Lanfranconi, Paolo Frattini, Federico Agliardi, Greg M. Stock, Brian Collins, Giovanni Crosta
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Investigating the atmospheric conditions associated with impactful shallow landslides in California (USA) Investigating the atmospheric conditions associated with impactful shallow landslides in California (USA)

Shallow landslides are often triggered during rainfall events, which can increase subsurface soil water pressure and destabilize hillslopes. The likelihood of regional shallow landslide initiation is often assessed through a comparison of rainfall intensity and duration to pre-established thresholds. While informative for landslide warning, this exclusive focus on rainfall exceeding...
Authors
Nina Oakley, Jonathan Perkins, Samuel Bartlett, Brian Collins, Karimah Comstock, Dianne Brien, W.P. Burgess, Skye Corbett
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Georeferencing of terrestrial radar images in geomonitoring using kernel correlation Georeferencing of terrestrial radar images in geomonitoring using kernel correlation

Terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI) provides accurate observations of displacements in the line-of-sight (LOS) direction and is therefore used in various monitoring applications. However, relating these displacements directly to the 3d world is challenging due to the particular imaging process. To address this, the radar results are projected onto a 3d model of the monitored area...
Authors
Lorenz Schmid, Tomislav Medic, Brian Collins, Lorenz Meier, Andreas Wieser
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Kinematic evolution of a large paraglacial landslide in the Barry Arm fjord of Alaska Kinematic evolution of a large paraglacial landslide in the Barry Arm fjord of Alaska

Our warming climate is adversely affecting cryospheric landscapes via glacial retreat, permafrost degradation, and associated slope destabilization. In Prince William Sound, Alaska, the rapid retreat of Barry Glacier has destabilized the slopes flanking the glacier, resulting in numerous landslides. The largest of these landslides (∼500 Mm3 in volume) is more than 2 km wide and has the...
Authors
Lauren Schaefer, Jeffrey Coe, Katreen Wikstrom Jones, Brian Collins, Dennis Staley, Michael West, Ezgi Karasozen, Charles Miles, Gabriel Wolken, Ronald Daanan, Kelli Baxstrom
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Postfire hydrologic response along the central California (USA) coast: Insights for the emergency assessment of postfire debris-flow hazards Postfire hydrologic response along the central California (USA) coast: Insights for the emergency assessment of postfire debris-flow hazards

The steep, tectonically active terrain along the Central California (USA) coast is well known to produce deadly and destructive debris flows. However, the extent to which fire affects debris-flow susceptibility in this region is an open question. We documented the occurrence of postfire debris floods and flows following the landfall of a storm that delivered intense rainfall across...
Authors
Matthew Thomas, Jason Kean, Scott W. McCoy, Donald Lindsay, Jaime Kostelnik, David Cavagnaro, Francis Rengers, Amy East, Jonathan Schwartz, Douglas Smith, Brian Collins
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities, Wildland Fire Science

Rockfall kinematics from massive rock cliffs: Outlier boulders and flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, rockfalls Rockfall kinematics from massive rock cliffs: Outlier boulders and flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, rockfalls

Geologic conditions and topographic setting are among the most critical factors for assessing rockfall hazards. However, other subtle features of rockfall motion may also govern the runout of rockfall debris, particularly for those sourced from massive cliffs where debris can have substantial momentum during transport. Rocks may undergo collisions with trees and talus boulders, with the...
Authors
Brian Collins, Skye Corbett, Elizabeth Horton, Alan J. Gallegos
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

When hazard avoidance is not an option: Lessons learned from monitoring the postdisaster Oso landslide, USA When hazard avoidance is not an option: Lessons learned from monitoring the postdisaster Oso landslide, USA

On 22 March 2014, a massive, catastrophic landslide occurred near Oso, Washington, USA, sweeping more than 1 km across the adjacent valley flats and killing 43 people. For the following 5 weeks, hundreds of workers engaged in an exhaustive search, rescue, and recovery effort directly in the landslide runout path. These workers could not avoid the risks posed by additional large-scale...
Authors
Mark Reid, Jonathan Godt, Richard LaHusen, Stephen Slaughter, Thomas Badger, Brian Collins, William Schulz, Rex Baum, Jeffrey Coe, Edwin Harp, Kevin Schmidt, Richard Iverson, Joel B. Smith, Ralph Haugerud, David George
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Volcano Science Center

Progress and lessons learned from responses to landslide disasters Progress and lessons learned from responses to landslide disasters

Landslides have the incredible power to transform landscapes and also, tragically, to cause disastrous societal impacts. Whereas the mechanics and effects of many landslide disasters have been analyzed in detail, the means by which landslide experts respond to these events has garnered much less attention. Herein, we evaluate nine landslide response case histories conducted by the U.S...
Authors
Brian Collins, Mark Reid, Jeffrey Coe, Jason Kean, Rex Baum, Randall Jibson, Jonathan Godt, Stephen Slaughter, Greg Stock
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Remote thermal detection of exfoliation sheet deformation Remote thermal detection of exfoliation sheet deformation

A growing body of research indicates that rock slope failures, particularly from exfoliating cliffs, are promoted by rock deformations induced by daily temperature cycles. Although previous research has described how these deformations occur, full three-dimensional monitoring of both the deformations and the associated temperature changes has not yet been performed. Here we use...
Authors
Antoine Guerin, Michel Jaboyedoff, Brian Collins, Greg M. Stock, Marc-Henri Derron, Antonio Abellan, Battista Matasci
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Ten years after the Oso landslide

Ten years after the Oso landslide

Ten years ago this week, on a clear and sunny Saturday morning in western Washington State, the hillside above the community of Steelhead Haven gave...

Read Article
Why Do Giant Rocks Suddenly Fall From Cliffs?

Why Do Giant Rocks Suddenly Fall From Cliffs?

"In Yosemite Valley, rockfalls can happen every four to five days, where boulders that can be larger than your average car or apartment building...

Read Article

Science and Products

a person sitting on a large boulder with other boulders around and a light snow

CSI: Rockfall Forensics

The next time you find yourself at the bottom of a cliff, make sure to look up.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program
CSI: Rockfall Forensics

CSI: Rockfall Forensics

The next time you find yourself at the bottom of a cliff, make sure to look up.
Learn More
grassy slope with landslide monitoring instrument

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
dry grassy slope with landslide monitoring instrument

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
steep dry grassy slopes in foreground with populated valley in background

San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA

San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
landslide monitoring equipment inside small fence on grassy slope

San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA

San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
A soil landslide scar above a neighborhood of houses.

Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

A summary of recent and past landslides and debris flows caused by rainfall in northern California, and links to current shallow landslide monitoring.
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Big Sur Landslides
Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California

A summary of recent and past landslides and debris flows caused by rainfall in northern California, and links to current shallow landslide monitoring.
Learn More

Landslide monitoring site installation details, geotechnical parameters, hydrologic time series data, and landslide locations from storms occurring between 25 December 2022 and 19 January 2023 in the San Francisco Bay area, California. Landslide monitoring site installation details, geotechnical parameters, hydrologic time series data, and landslide locations from storms occurring between 25 December 2022 and 19 January 2023 in the San Francisco Bay area, California.

This data release provides datasets supporting research on landslides triggered by a series of storms in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, that occurred between December 25, 2022, through January 19, 2023. During this period, eight atmospheric river storms delivered intense and prolonged rainfall across the region, leading to significant hydrological responses and widespread...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Ground-Based LIDAR Data of a Section of the Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin County, California, January 23, 2025 Ground-Based LIDAR Data of a Section of the Point Bonita Lighthouse Trail, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin County, California, January 23, 2025

A rockfall occurred between the night of January 5 and the morning of January 6, 2025 on the Point Bonita Trail in the National Park Service Golden Gate National Recreation Area, California. The rockfall originated from a granodiorite rock face in the Franciscan Formation and deposited approximately 25 cubic meters of rock on the pedestrian trail below. The U.S. Geological Survey...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Ground-based lidar data of the southeast face of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California, May 4, 2022 Ground-based lidar data of the southeast face of El Capitan, Yosemite National Park, California, May 4, 2022

We collected two ground-based (terrestrial) lidar scans of the southeast face of El Capitan cliff, located in Yosemite National Park, California. El Capitan is one of several iconic granitic cliffs in Yosemite and rises approximately 1000 meters above the floor of Yosemite Valley. The scans were collected from the same location and from a single vantage point on the edge of El Capitan...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Rock mass quality and structural geology observations in northwest Prince William Sound, Alaska from the summer of 2021 Rock mass quality and structural geology observations in northwest Prince William Sound, Alaska from the summer of 2021

Multiple subaerial landslides adjacent to Prince William Sound, Alaska (for example, Dai and others, 2020; Higman and others, 2023; Schaefer and others, 2024) pose a threat to the public because of their potential to generate ocean waves (Dai and others, 2020; Barnhart and others, 2021; Barnhart and others, 2022) that could impact towns and marine activities. One bedrock landslide on the...
By
Geologic Hazards Science Center

San Francisco Bay Area Reconnaissance Landslide Inventory, January 2023 San Francisco Bay Area Reconnaissance Landslide Inventory, January 2023

From late December 2022 to January 2023, a series of atmospheric river storms produced widespread landsliding in the San Francisco Bay area of California. USGS scientists performed reconnaissance field work to document the extent of landsliding in the region and compiled reports of landslides from media and California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports. This data release documents locations of...
By
Landslide Hazards Program

Field-verified inventory of postfire hydrologic response for the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex, River, Camel, and Dolan Fires following a 26-29 January 2021 atmospheric river storm sequence Field-verified inventory of postfire hydrologic response for the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex, River, Camel, and Dolan Fires following a 26-29 January 2021 atmospheric river storm sequence

This data release is a field-verified inventory of postfire hydrologic response for the 2020 CZU (San Mateo–Santa Cruz Unit) Lightning Complex, River Fire, Camel Fire, and Dolan Fire following a 26-29 January 2021 atmospheric river storm sequence. Postfire hydrologic response types include a) no response, b) minor response, and c) major response. A “minor” response was deemed capable of...
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

Mapped polygons of landslides triggered by the 2016-2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California Mapped polygons of landslides triggered by the 2016-2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California

The winter rainy season of 2016-2017 brought abundant rainfall to the state of California, including the San Francisco Bay region. Thousands of shallow landslides were triggered as a result of saturated soils and intense rainfall from strong winter storms in January and February 2017. The highest concentration of landslides from these storms occurred in the eastern part of the bay region...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Hydrographic and sediment field data collected in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska, in 2009 Hydrographic and sediment field data collected in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska, in 2009

This dataset consists of hydrographic, geomorphic, and sediment field measurements obtained during the ice-free summer of 2009 in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska. Time-series data were collected with a bottom-mounted instrument package and consist of wave statistics, vertical water flow velocity profiles, water temperatures, conductivity, and salinity concentrations. Data collected at...
By
Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Field, remote sensing, and modeling data used for Collins et al., Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock Resulting from the 2020 Whitney Portal, California Rockfalls Field, remote sensing, and modeling data used for Collins et al., Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock Resulting from the 2020 Whitney Portal, California Rockfalls

This data release includes information used to support the manuscript "Rockfall kinematics from massive rock cliffs: outlier boulders and flyrock from Whitney Portal, California rockfalls". The included datasets and supplement include data that was collected and processed to investigate the kinematics of boulder trajectories and impacts to both other boulders and to existing trees on the...
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Field, geotechnical, and meteorological data of the 22 March 2018 narrow cold frontal rainband (NCFR) and its effects, Tuolumne River canyon, Sierra Nevada Foothills, California Field, geotechnical, and meteorological data of the 22 March 2018 narrow cold frontal rainband (NCFR) and its effects, Tuolumne River canyon, Sierra Nevada Foothills, California

This data release includes information used to support the manuscript "Linking mesoscale meteorology with extreme landscape response: effects of narrow cold frontal rainbands (NCFR)". The included datasets and supplement include information related to the 22 March 2018 NCFR and associated shallow landslides in the Toulumne Canyon triggered by this event. The three datasets and one...
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National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Terrestrial LIDAR Data Set of the February 14, 2019 Sausalito Boulevard Landslide, Sausalito, California Terrestrial LIDAR Data Set of the February 14, 2019 Sausalito Boulevard Landslide, Sausalito, California

On February 14, 2019, just before 2:56 am local time (Pacific Standard Time), a landslide initiated from the natural hillslopes above the City of Sausalito, California. The landslide, properly identified as a debris flow, overran a road (Sausalito Boulevard) located immediately below the landslide source area, and impacted and destroyed several residential structures. One person was...
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Data from ring shear strength testing of glaciolacustrine silty clay from the 2014, Oso, Washington landslide Data from ring shear strength testing of glaciolacustrine silty clay from the 2014, Oso, Washington landslide

We performed ring shear strength testing of three specimens from a glaciolacustrine silty clay unit involved in a large landslide that occurred March 22, 2014 near the town of Oso, Washington. Ring shear tests utilized apparatus DPRI-5 at Kyoto University, Japan and test results are presented herein. We refer to the specimens as the clay, clayey silt, and silt. Some tests were performed...
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Landslides triggered by the 2016–2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California Landslides triggered by the 2016–2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California

Discussion The winter rainy season of 2016–2017 brought abundant rainfall to the State of California and to the San Francisco Bay region. In January and February of 2017, intense rainfall from strong winter storms saturated soils in the region and triggered thousands of shallow landslides. The highest concentration of these landslides was in the eastern part of the bay region, where...
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Villagers in Kerauja below a rock slide that resulted from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25, 2015 in Gorkha district, Nepal.

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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Communications and Publishing
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Villagers in Kerauja below a rock slide that resulted from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25, 2015 in Gorkha district, Nepal.

By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 67

Shear surface undulations modulate clayey gouge strength and contribute to divergent landslide acceleration Shear surface undulations modulate clayey gouge strength and contribute to divergent landslide acceleration

Landslides display a spectrum of speeds for incompletely known reasons. Sliding occurs along slickensided undulatory shear surfaces within boundary shear gouge. Laboratory tests reveal that gouge shear strength generally decreases with finite cumulative displacement during relatively rapid failure and may increase or decrease with increasing shear rate; these behaviors can result in...
Authors
William Schulz, Gonghui Wang, Yao Jiang, Brian Collins, Mark Reid, Mason Einbund
By
Geologic Hazards Science Center

Characterizing the scale of regional landslide triggering from storm hydrometeorology Characterizing the scale of regional landslide triggering from storm hydrometeorology

Rainfall strongly affects landslide triggering; however, understanding how storm characteristics relate to the severity of landslides at the regional scale has thus far remained unclear, despite the societal benefits that would result from defining this relationship. As mapped landslide inventories typically cover a small region relative to a storm system, here we develop a dimensionless...
Authors
Jonathan Perkins, Nina Oakley, Brian Collins, Skye Corbett, W. Burgess
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Correction to A regime shift in sediment export from a coastal watershed during a record wet winter, California: Implications for landscape response to hydroclimatic extremes Correction to A regime shift in sediment export from a coastal watershed during a record wet winter, California: Implications for landscape response to hydroclimatic extremes

In the referenced article, the authors would like to correct text in the first paragraph on page 2571, Figure 9 and its caption. The changes reflect an error made in the processing of the rainfall intensity-duration data used to compare storms to published debris flow triggering thresholds. The correctly processed data does not change the interpretations made in the paper but does...
Authors
Amy East, Andrew Stevens, Andrew C. Ritchie, Patrick Barnard, Pamela L. Campbell‐Swarzenski, Brian Collins, Christopher H. Conaway
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Field evidence and indicators of rockfall fragmentation and implications for mobility Field evidence and indicators of rockfall fragmentation and implications for mobility

Rockfall fragmentation can play an important role in hazard studies and the design of protective measures. However, the current lack of modeling tools that incorporate rock fragmentation mechanics is a limitation to enhancing studies and design. This research investigates the fragmentation patterns of rockfalls and analyzes the resulting distribution of fragment sizes within...
Authors
Camilla Lanfranconi, Paolo Frattini, Federico Agliardi, Greg M. Stock, Brian Collins, Giovanni Crosta
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Investigating the atmospheric conditions associated with impactful shallow landslides in California (USA) Investigating the atmospheric conditions associated with impactful shallow landslides in California (USA)

Shallow landslides are often triggered during rainfall events, which can increase subsurface soil water pressure and destabilize hillslopes. The likelihood of regional shallow landslide initiation is often assessed through a comparison of rainfall intensity and duration to pre-established thresholds. While informative for landslide warning, this exclusive focus on rainfall exceeding...
Authors
Nina Oakley, Jonathan Perkins, Samuel Bartlett, Brian Collins, Karimah Comstock, Dianne Brien, W.P. Burgess, Skye Corbett
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Georeferencing of terrestrial radar images in geomonitoring using kernel correlation Georeferencing of terrestrial radar images in geomonitoring using kernel correlation

Terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI) provides accurate observations of displacements in the line-of-sight (LOS) direction and is therefore used in various monitoring applications. However, relating these displacements directly to the 3d world is challenging due to the particular imaging process. To address this, the radar results are projected onto a 3d model of the monitored area...
Authors
Lorenz Schmid, Tomislav Medic, Brian Collins, Lorenz Meier, Andreas Wieser
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Kinematic evolution of a large paraglacial landslide in the Barry Arm fjord of Alaska Kinematic evolution of a large paraglacial landslide in the Barry Arm fjord of Alaska

Our warming climate is adversely affecting cryospheric landscapes via glacial retreat, permafrost degradation, and associated slope destabilization. In Prince William Sound, Alaska, the rapid retreat of Barry Glacier has destabilized the slopes flanking the glacier, resulting in numerous landslides. The largest of these landslides (∼500 Mm3 in volume) is more than 2 km wide and has the...
Authors
Lauren Schaefer, Jeffrey Coe, Katreen Wikstrom Jones, Brian Collins, Dennis Staley, Michael West, Ezgi Karasozen, Charles Miles, Gabriel Wolken, Ronald Daanan, Kelli Baxstrom
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Postfire hydrologic response along the central California (USA) coast: Insights for the emergency assessment of postfire debris-flow hazards Postfire hydrologic response along the central California (USA) coast: Insights for the emergency assessment of postfire debris-flow hazards

The steep, tectonically active terrain along the Central California (USA) coast is well known to produce deadly and destructive debris flows. However, the extent to which fire affects debris-flow susceptibility in this region is an open question. We documented the occurrence of postfire debris floods and flows following the landfall of a storm that delivered intense rainfall across...
Authors
Matthew Thomas, Jason Kean, Scott W. McCoy, Donald Lindsay, Jaime Kostelnik, David Cavagnaro, Francis Rengers, Amy East, Jonathan Schwartz, Douglas Smith, Brian Collins
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities, Wildland Fire Science

Rockfall kinematics from massive rock cliffs: Outlier boulders and flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, rockfalls Rockfall kinematics from massive rock cliffs: Outlier boulders and flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, rockfalls

Geologic conditions and topographic setting are among the most critical factors for assessing rockfall hazards. However, other subtle features of rockfall motion may also govern the runout of rockfall debris, particularly for those sourced from massive cliffs where debris can have substantial momentum during transport. Rocks may undergo collisions with trees and talus boulders, with the...
Authors
Brian Collins, Skye Corbett, Elizabeth Horton, Alan J. Gallegos
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

When hazard avoidance is not an option: Lessons learned from monitoring the postdisaster Oso landslide, USA When hazard avoidance is not an option: Lessons learned from monitoring the postdisaster Oso landslide, USA

On 22 March 2014, a massive, catastrophic landslide occurred near Oso, Washington, USA, sweeping more than 1 km across the adjacent valley flats and killing 43 people. For the following 5 weeks, hundreds of workers engaged in an exhaustive search, rescue, and recovery effort directly in the landslide runout path. These workers could not avoid the risks posed by additional large-scale...
Authors
Mark Reid, Jonathan Godt, Richard LaHusen, Stephen Slaughter, Thomas Badger, Brian Collins, William Schulz, Rex Baum, Jeffrey Coe, Edwin Harp, Kevin Schmidt, Richard Iverson, Joel B. Smith, Ralph Haugerud, David George
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Volcano Science Center

Progress and lessons learned from responses to landslide disasters Progress and lessons learned from responses to landslide disasters

Landslides have the incredible power to transform landscapes and also, tragically, to cause disastrous societal impacts. Whereas the mechanics and effects of many landslide disasters have been analyzed in detail, the means by which landslide experts respond to these events has garnered much less attention. Herein, we evaluate nine landslide response case histories conducted by the U.S...
Authors
Brian Collins, Mark Reid, Jeffrey Coe, Jason Kean, Rex Baum, Randall Jibson, Jonathan Godt, Stephen Slaughter, Greg Stock
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Remote thermal detection of exfoliation sheet deformation Remote thermal detection of exfoliation sheet deformation

A growing body of research indicates that rock slope failures, particularly from exfoliating cliffs, are promoted by rock deformations induced by daily temperature cycles. Although previous research has described how these deformations occur, full three-dimensional monitoring of both the deformations and the associated temperature changes has not yet been performed. Here we use...
Authors
Antoine Guerin, Michel Jaboyedoff, Brian Collins, Greg M. Stock, Marc-Henri Derron, Antonio Abellan, Battista Matasci
By
Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Ten years after the Oso landslide

Ten years after the Oso landslide

Ten years ago this week, on a clear and sunny Saturday morning in western Washington State, the hillside above the community of Steelhead Haven gave...

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Why Do Giant Rocks Suddenly Fall From Cliffs?

Why Do Giant Rocks Suddenly Fall From Cliffs?

"In Yosemite Valley, rockfalls can happen every four to five days, where boulders that can be larger than your average car or apartment building...

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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government

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