Submarine landslide susceptibility in Alaskan fjords

Submarine terrain can be difficult to account for in landslide hazard assessments because of limitations in bathymetric data availability and access to underwater exposures of rock and sediment. However, historical submarine landslides, especially those triggered by earthquakes, have had devastating effects on coastal areas, causing tsunami waves and inundating communities. The fjords in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska are prime areas to study submarine landslide processes because of ongoing changing glacial conditions, high sediment yields, and the region's seismicity near plate boundaries. This presentation will discuss mapping submarine landslides and assessing submarine landslide susceptibility using bathymetric data and historical glacier maps in two Alaskan fjords, Glacier Bay in Glacier Bay National Park, and Barry Arm in Prince William Sound.

Avdievitch (2023) Submarine landslide susceptibility in Alaskan fjords, USGS Landslide Hazards Seminar, 11 January 2023.