The Landslide Hazards Program from USGS works to help reduce the impact of landslides to people and infrastructure by furthering our understanding of causes of ground failure and by recommending strategies for risk mitigation. In Puerto Rico, USGS researchers have rigorously studied rainfall-induced landslides to provide maps that depict landslide susceptibility. Educational materials that illustrate scientific concepts in an accessible format are available for residents and emergency managers. Explore publications, news, and other information related to landslide research in Puerto Rico on this page.
El Programa de Riesgos por Deslizamientos de Tierra del USGS trabaja para ayudar a reducir el impacto de los deslizamientos de tierra en la infraestructura y las personas, ampliando el conocimiento de las causas de las fallas de terreno y recomendando estrategias para la mitigación de riesgos. En Puerto Rico, los investigadores del USGS han estudiado rigurosamente los deslizamientos de tierra provocados por precipitaciones, a fin de proporcionar mapas que describan la susceptibilidad a estos acontecimientos. El USGS tiene disponibles materiales educativos que ilustran los conceptos científicos en un formato accesible para los residentes y los manejadores de emergencia. Explore en esta página publicaciones, noticias y otra información relacionada con las investigaciones sobre el deslizamiento de tierra en Puerto Rico.
Landslide Susceptibility Map | Mapa de susceptibilidad a los deslizamientos de tierra
Figura 1: El Mapa de la susceptibilidad al desprendimiento de tierra de Puerto Rico es una herramienta interactiva del USGS que evalúa el riesgo en la isla a los deslizamientos de tierra desde baja susceptibilidad a extremadamente alta.
Hurricane Maria triggered over seventy thousand landslides in Puerto Rico, which led, directly and indirectly, to loss of human lives and affected critical infrastructure across the island, disrupting roads and dislodging houses from their foundations. USGS researchers have been working closely with local collaborators to improve the understanding of rainfall-induced landslides in Puerto Rico by studying landslides triggered by events of extreme rainfall, such as Hurricane Maria. Using remote sensing techniques and field observations, scientists can illustrate landslide parameters such as size, failure mode and style, mobility of debris slides, flows of geologic material, location, and timing. Using this information, as well as other important factors such as proximity to roads and streams, local scientists and USGS scientists have worked together to model landslide susceptibility and create maps showing landslide hazards in Puerto Rico. With these maps, stakeholders can identify high-priority areas and share resources with communities that have a high likelihood of being adversely impacted. Learn more about landslide susceptibility.
Learn about landslide hazard assessment and risk communication following Hurricane Maria.
El huracán María desencadenó más de 70,000 deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico, los que provocaron, directa o indirectamente, la pérdida de vidas humanas y afectaron la infraestructura crítica en toda la isla, interrumpiendo caminos y desplazando casas de sus cimientos. Algunos investigadores del USGS han trabajado estrechamente con colaboradores locales para profundizar la comprensión de los deslizamientos de tierra provocados por precipitaciones en Puerto Rico, mediante el estudio de los deslizamientos de tierra causados por acontecimientos de precipitaciones extremas, como el huracán María. Mediante técnicas de teledetección y observaciones de campo, los científicos pueden ilustrar parámetros de los deslizamientos de tierra, tales como el tamaño, el modo y estilo de la falla, la movilidad de los deslizamientos, los flujos del material geológico, la ubicación y el momento. Usando esta información y otros factores importantes, como la proximidad de los caminos y caudales de agua, los científicos locales y del USGS han trabajado conjuntamente para hacer un modelo de la susceptibilidad a los deslizamientos de tierra y crear mapas que muestren dichos peligros en Puerto Rico. En los mapas creados se pueden identificar las zonas de alta prioridad para difundir - recursos a las comunidades que tienen más probabilidades de verse perjudicadas.
Obtenga más información sobre la evaluación del peligro de deslizamientos de tierra y la comunicación de riesgos después del huracán María.
Outreach Efforts | Las actividades de divulgación
At the request of local stakeholders, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the USGS Landslide Hazards Program collaborated to create educational materials for residents of Puerto Rico to learn about how to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from landslides. These products describe landslide risk in a format accessible to a wide variety of audiences, from children to emergency managers. All the educational materials, including a "Landslide Guide for Residents of Puerto Rico," can be accessed via the Landslide Hazard Mitigation Project.
A pedido de las partes interesadas locales, la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Mayagüez, el Centro de Amenazas Naturales de la Universidad de Colorado Boulder y el Programa de Riesgos por Deslizamientos de Tierra del USGS colaboraron para crear materiales educativos con el propósito de que los residentes de Puerto Rico aprendan a prepararse, mitigar, responder y recuperarse de los deslizamientos de tierra. Estos productos describen el riesgo de deslizamientos de tierra en un formato accesible para el público, desde niños hasta manejadores de emergencia. Todos los materiales educativos, incluyendo la "Guía sobre deslizamientos de tierra para residentes de Puerto Rico," están disponibles en el sitio web del Proyecto de mitigación de deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico.

Figura 2: Algunas secciones de la "Guía sobre deslizamientos de tierra para residentes de Puerto Rico."
Learn more about USGS Puerto Rico hazards research and tools. | Obtenga más información sobre las herramientas e investigaciones del USGS acerca de riesgos en Puerto Rico.
Science
USGS researchers investigate rainfall-induced landslides, post-fire debris flows, and performs related hazards and risk assessment. They also provide technical assistance for landslide emergency response. Learn more about Puerto Rico landslide science in the links below.
Ciencias
Los investigadores del USGS estudian los deslizamientos de tierra provocados por precipitaciones y realiza evaluaciones de riesgo y peligros relacionados. También ofrecen asistencia técnica para las respuestas de emergencia ante los deslizamientos de tierra. Obtenga más información sobre la ciencia de los deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico en los siguientes enlaces.
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico
Rainfall-Induced Landslides in Puerto Rico
Explore data releases for Puerto Rico about landslide hazards.
Explore las cesiones de datos del USGS para Puerto Rico sobre riesgos por deslizamientos de tierra.
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in the greater karst region of northwest Puerto Rico
Geographic Information System Layer of a Map Depicting Susceptibility to Landslides Triggered by Intense Rainfall, Puerto Rico
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in four study areas of Puerto Rico
Infiltration data collected post-Hurricane Maria across landslide source area materials, Puerto Rico, USA
Map of slope-failure locations in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria
Map data showing concentration of landslides caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
View maps of landslides in Puerto Rico.
Vea mapas de deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico.
Map showing landslides and areas of susceptibility to landsliding in Puerto Rico
Explore scientific publications by USGS researchers about landslide hazards in Puerto Rico from the Landslide Hazards Program.
Explore publicaciones científicas por investigadores del USGS sobre riesgos por deslizamiento de tierra en Puerto Rico.
Hillslopes in humid-tropical climates aren’t always wet: Implications for hydrologic response and landslide initiation in Puerto Rico, USA
The devastating impacts of the widespread flooding and landsliding in Puerto Rico following the September 2017 landfall of Hurricane Maria highlight the increasingly extreme atmospheric disturbances and enhanced hazard potential in mountainous humid‐tropical climate zones. Long‐standing conceptual models for hydrologically driven hazards in Puerto Rico posit that hillslope soils remain wet through
Mobility characteristics of landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
Map depicting susceptibility to landslides triggered by intense rainfall, Puerto Rico
Landslides in Puerto Rico range from nuisances to deadly events. Centuries of agricultural and urban modification of the landscape have perturbed many already unstable hillsides on the tropical island. One of the main triggers of mass wasting on the island is the high-intensity rainfall that is associated with tropical atmospheric systems. Puerto Rico’s geographic position and rugged topography re
Debris-flow growth in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria: Preliminary results from analyses of pre- and post-event lidar data
The 3D Elevation Program: summary for Puerto Rico
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, scientific research, national security, recreation, and many others. For the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, elevation data are critical for flood risk management, landslide mitigation, natural resources conservation, sea level rise and subsidence, coastal zone manage
Landslides and sediment budgets in four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico: Chapter F in Water quality and landscape processes of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico
The low-latitude regions of the Earth are undergoing profound, rapid landscape change as forests are converted to agriculture to support growing population. Understanding the effects of these land-use changes requires analysis of watershed-scale geomorphic processes to better inform and manage this usually disorganized process. The investigation of hillslope erosion and the development of sediment
Water quality and landscape processes of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico
Humid tropical regions occupy about a quarter of Earth's land surface, yet they contribute a substantially higher fraction of the water, solutes, and sediment discharged to the world's oceans. Nearly half of Earth's population lives in the tropics, and development stresses can potentially harm soil resources, water quality, and water supply and in addition increase landslide and flood hazards. Owi
Submarine landslide as the source for the October 11, 1918 Mona Passage tsunami: Observations and modeling
Submarine slides north of Puerto Rico and their tsunami potential
New multibeam bathymetry of the entire Puerto Rico trench reveals numerous retrograde slope failures at various scales at the edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The slumped material comprises carbonate blocks, which fail, at least in initial stages, as a coherent rock mass. This, combined with the fact that the edge of the carbonate platform is steeper than
Size distribution of submarine landslides and its implication to tsunami hazard in Puerto Rico
We have established for the first time a size frequency distribution for carbonate submarine slope failures. Using detailed bathymetry along the northern edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico, we show that the cumulative distribution of slope failure volumes follows a power-law distribution. The power-law exponent of this distribution is similar to those for rock falls on land, comme
The hurricane-flood-landslide continuum
In August 2004, representatives from NOAA, NASA, the US Geological Survey (USGS), as well as other government agencies and academic institutions convened in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at a workshop to discuss a proposed research project called the Hurricane-Flood-Landslide Continuum (HFLC). The purpose of the HFLC is to develop and integrate the multidisciplinary tools needed to issue regional guidanc
Map Showing Susceptibility to Earthquake-Induced Landsliding, San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico
Analysis of slope angle and rock type using a geographic information system indicates that about 68 percent of the San Juan metropolitan area has low to no susceptibility to earthquake-induced landslides. This is at least partly due to the fact that 45 percent of the San Juan metropolitan area is constructed on slopes of 3 degrees or less, which are too gentle for landslides to occur. The areas wi
Read news highlights about USGS landslide research on Puerto Rico.
Lea las noticias más importantes sobre investigaciones de deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico.
- Overview
The Landslide Hazards Program from USGS works to help reduce the impact of landslides to people and infrastructure by furthering our understanding of causes of ground failure and by recommending strategies for risk mitigation. In Puerto Rico, USGS researchers have rigorously studied rainfall-induced landslides to provide maps that depict landslide susceptibility. Educational materials that illustrate scientific concepts in an accessible format are available for residents and emergency managers. Explore publications, news, and other information related to landslide research in Puerto Rico on this page.
El Programa de Riesgos por Deslizamientos de Tierra del USGS trabaja para ayudar a reducir el impacto de los deslizamientos de tierra en la infraestructura y las personas, ampliando el conocimiento de las causas de las fallas de terreno y recomendando estrategias para la mitigación de riesgos. En Puerto Rico, los investigadores del USGS han estudiado rigurosamente los deslizamientos de tierra provocados por precipitaciones, a fin de proporcionar mapas que describan la susceptibilidad a estos acontecimientos. El USGS tiene disponibles materiales educativos que ilustran los conceptos científicos en un formato accesible para los residentes y los manejadores de emergencia. Explore en esta página publicaciones, noticias y otra información relacionada con las investigaciones sobre el deslizamiento de tierra en Puerto Rico.
Landslide Susceptibility Map | Mapa de susceptibilidad a los deslizamientos de tierra
Figure 1: The USGS Puerto Rico Landslide Susceptibility Map is an interactive web viewer that evaluates the island's landslide risk from low susceptibility to extremely high.
Figura 1: El Mapa de la susceptibilidad al desprendimiento de tierra de Puerto Rico es una herramienta interactiva del USGS que evalúa el riesgo en la isla a los deslizamientos de tierra desde baja susceptibilidad a extremadamente alta.Hurricane Maria triggered over seventy thousand landslides in Puerto Rico, which led, directly and indirectly, to loss of human lives and affected critical infrastructure across the island, disrupting roads and dislodging houses from their foundations. USGS researchers have been working closely with local collaborators to improve the understanding of rainfall-induced landslides in Puerto Rico by studying landslides triggered by events of extreme rainfall, such as Hurricane Maria. Using remote sensing techniques and field observations, scientists can illustrate landslide parameters such as size, failure mode and style, mobility of debris slides, flows of geologic material, location, and timing. Using this information, as well as other important factors such as proximity to roads and streams, local scientists and USGS scientists have worked together to model landslide susceptibility and create maps showing landslide hazards in Puerto Rico. With these maps, stakeholders can identify high-priority areas and share resources with communities that have a high likelihood of being adversely impacted. Learn more about landslide susceptibility.
Learn about landslide hazard assessment and risk communication following Hurricane Maria.
El huracán María desencadenó más de 70,000 deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico, los que provocaron, directa o indirectamente, la pérdida de vidas humanas y afectaron la infraestructura crítica en toda la isla, interrumpiendo caminos y desplazando casas de sus cimientos. Algunos investigadores del USGS han trabajado estrechamente con colaboradores locales para profundizar la comprensión de los deslizamientos de tierra provocados por precipitaciones en Puerto Rico, mediante el estudio de los deslizamientos de tierra causados por acontecimientos de precipitaciones extremas, como el huracán María. Mediante técnicas de teledetección y observaciones de campo, los científicos pueden ilustrar parámetros de los deslizamientos de tierra, tales como el tamaño, el modo y estilo de la falla, la movilidad de los deslizamientos, los flujos del material geológico, la ubicación y el momento. Usando esta información y otros factores importantes, como la proximidad de los caminos y caudales de agua, los científicos locales y del USGS han trabajado conjuntamente para hacer un modelo de la susceptibilidad a los deslizamientos de tierra y crear mapas que muestren dichos peligros en Puerto Rico. En los mapas creados se pueden identificar las zonas de alta prioridad para difundir - recursos a las comunidades que tienen más probabilidades de verse perjudicadas.
Obtenga más información sobre la evaluación del peligro de deslizamientos de tierra y la comunicación de riesgos después del huracán María.
Outreach Efforts | Las actividades de divulgación
At the request of local stakeholders, the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, and the USGS Landslide Hazards Program collaborated to create educational materials for residents of Puerto Rico to learn about how to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from landslides. These products describe landslide risk in a format accessible to a wide variety of audiences, from children to emergency managers. All the educational materials, including a "Landslide Guide for Residents of Puerto Rico," can be accessed via the Landslide Hazard Mitigation Project.
A pedido de las partes interesadas locales, la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Mayagüez, el Centro de Amenazas Naturales de la Universidad de Colorado Boulder y el Programa de Riesgos por Deslizamientos de Tierra del USGS colaboraron para crear materiales educativos con el propósito de que los residentes de Puerto Rico aprendan a prepararse, mitigar, responder y recuperarse de los deslizamientos de tierra. Estos productos describen el riesgo de deslizamientos de tierra en un formato accesible para el público, desde niños hasta manejadores de emergencia. Todos los materiales educativos, incluyendo la "Guía sobre deslizamientos de tierra para residentes de Puerto Rico," están disponibles en el sitio web del Proyecto de mitigación de deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico.
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. Visit Media to see details.Figure 2: Sections from the “Landslide Guide for Residents of Puerto Rico."
Figura 2: Algunas secciones de la "Guía sobre deslizamientos de tierra para residentes de Puerto Rico." Learn more about USGS Puerto Rico hazards research and tools. | Obtenga más información sobre las herramientas e investigaciones del USGS acerca de riesgos en Puerto Rico.
- Science
Science
USGS researchers investigate rainfall-induced landslides, post-fire debris flows, and performs related hazards and risk assessment. They also provide technical assistance for landslide emergency response. Learn more about Puerto Rico landslide science in the links below.
CienciasLos investigadores del USGS estudian los deslizamientos de tierra provocados por precipitaciones y realiza evaluaciones de riesgo y peligros relacionados. También ofrecen asistencia técnica para las respuestas de emergencia ante los deslizamientos de tierra. Obtenga más información sobre la ciencia de los deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico en los siguientes enlaces.
Puerto Rico Natural Hazards | Peligros naturales de Puerto Rico
The island of Puerto Rico is subject to numerous threats from natural hazards, including hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, coastal and inland flooding, environmental contaminants, and freshwater scarcity, among others. USGS science can help citizens better prepare for, mitigate, and adapt to these hazards. This website compiles USGS resources available for Puerto Rico to provide...Rainfall-Induced Landslides in Puerto Rico
In September 2017 Hurricane María triggered more than 70,000 landslides across Puerto Rico that caused loss of life and widespread damage to transportation, communication, and power-supply infrastructure, and to other public and private property. - Data
Explore data releases for Puerto Rico about landslide hazards.
Explore las cesiones de datos del USGS para Puerto Rico sobre riesgos por deslizamientos de tierra.
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in the greater karst region of northwest Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout Puerto Rico in September 2017. While the majority of landslide inventories following the hurricane focused on mountainous regions underlain by igneous and volcaniclastic bedrock (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2017, 2019), here we fill an important knowledge gap and document the occurrence of landslides along the greater karst region on the northweGeographic Information System Layer of a Map Depicting Susceptibility to Landslides Triggered by Intense Rainfall, Puerto Rico
This data release comprises a georeferenced raster layer depicting the estimated susceptibility to intense rainfall-induced landslides in Puerto Rico, which is a supplement to: Hughes, K.S., and Schulz, W.H., 2020, Map depicting susceptibility to landslides triggered by intense rainfall, Puerto Rico: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2020-1022, 91 p., 1 plate, scale 1:150,000, https://doi.orMap data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in four study areas of Puerto Rico
In September 2017, Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout mountainous regions of Puerto Rico. Nearly all landslides mobilized as debris flows (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019), but herein, we simply use the term "landslides" when describing all types of slope failures that occurred during Hurricane Maria. To examine the extent and physical characteristics of landslides in severely iInfiltration data collected post-Hurricane Maria across landslide source area materials, Puerto Rico, USA
This Data Release includes information to support the characterization of surface/near-surface infiltration rates of selected landslide source area materials following Hurricane Maria across Puerto Rico, USA. The dataset includes comma-delimited measurements of field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) collected over two field campaigns (Fall 2018 and Spring 2019) as well as laboratory-derivedMap of slope-failure locations in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria
In Puerto Rico, tens of thousands of landslides, slumps, debris flows, rock falls, and other slope failures were triggered by Hurricane Maria, which made landfall on 20 September 2017. "Landslide" is used here and below to represent all types of slope failures. This dataset is a point shapefile of landslide headscarps identified across Puerto Rico using georeferenced aerial and satellite imagery rMap data showing concentration of landslides caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria hit the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico as a category 4 storm. Heavy rainfall caused landslides in mountainous regions throughout the territory. This data release presents geospatial data describing the concentration of landslides generated by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. We used post-hurricane satellite and aerial imagery collected between September 26, 201 - Maps
View maps of landslides in Puerto Rico.
Vea mapas de deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico.
Map showing landslides and areas of susceptibility to landsliding in Puerto Rico
No abstract available. - Multimedia
- Publications
Explore scientific publications by USGS researchers about landslide hazards in Puerto Rico from the Landslide Hazards Program.
Explore publicaciones científicas por investigadores del USGS sobre riesgos por deslizamiento de tierra en Puerto Rico.
Filter Total Items: 18Hillslopes in humid-tropical climates aren’t always wet: Implications for hydrologic response and landslide initiation in Puerto Rico, USA
The devastating impacts of the widespread flooding and landsliding in Puerto Rico following the September 2017 landfall of Hurricane Maria highlight the increasingly extreme atmospheric disturbances and enhanced hazard potential in mountainous humid‐tropical climate zones. Long‐standing conceptual models for hydrologically driven hazards in Puerto Rico posit that hillslope soils remain wet through
AuthorsMatthew A. Thomas, Benjamin B. Mirus, Joel B. SmithMobility characteristics of landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
Mobility is an important element of landslide hazard and risk assessments yet has been seldom studied for shallow landslides and debris flows in tropical environments. In September 2017, Hurricane Maria triggered > 70,000 landslides across Puerto Rico. Using aerial imagery and a lidar digital elevation model (DEM), we mapped and characterized the mobility of debris slides and flows in four differeAuthorsErin K. Bessette-Kirton, Jeffrey A. Coe, William Schulz, Corina Cerovski-Darriau, Mason Muir EinbundMap depicting susceptibility to landslides triggered by intense rainfall, Puerto Rico
Landslides in Puerto Rico range from nuisances to deadly events. Centuries of agricultural and urban modification of the landscape have perturbed many already unstable hillsides on the tropical island. One of the main triggers of mass wasting on the island is the high-intensity rainfall that is associated with tropical atmospheric systems. Puerto Rico’s geographic position and rugged topography re
AuthorsK. Stephen Hughes, William SchulzDebris-flow growth in Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria: Preliminary results from analyses of pre- and post-event lidar data
On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria triggered widespread debris flows in Puerto Rico. We used field observations and pre- and post-Maria lidar to study the volumetric growth of long-travelled (>400 m) debris flows in four basins. We found overall growth rates that ranged from 0.7 to 30.4 m3 per meter of channel length. We partitioned the rates into two growth mechanisms, aggregation of multipleAuthorsJeffrey A. Coe, Erin K. Bessette-Kirton, Dianne L. Brien, Mark E. ReidThe 3D Elevation Program: summary for Puerto Rico
Elevation data are essential to a broad range of applications, including forest resources management, wildlife and habitat management, scientific research, national security, recreation, and many others. For the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, elevation data are critical for flood risk management, landslide mitigation, natural resources conservation, sea level rise and subsidence, coastal zone manage
AuthorsWilliam J. CarswellLandslides and sediment budgets in four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico: Chapter F in Water quality and landscape processes of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico
The low-latitude regions of the Earth are undergoing profound, rapid landscape change as forests are converted to agriculture to support growing population. Understanding the effects of these land-use changes requires analysis of watershed-scale geomorphic processes to better inform and manage this usually disorganized process. The investigation of hillslope erosion and the development of sediment
AuthorsMatthew C. LarsenWater quality and landscape processes of four watersheds in eastern Puerto Rico
Humid tropical regions occupy about a quarter of Earth's land surface, yet they contribute a substantially higher fraction of the water, solutes, and sediment discharged to the world's oceans. Nearly half of Earth's population lives in the tropics, and development stresses can potentially harm soil resources, water quality, and water supply and in addition increase landslide and flood hazards. Owi
AuthorsSheila F. Murphy, Robert F. Stallard, Heather L. Contributions by Buss, William A. Gould, Matthew C. Larsen, Zhigang Liu, Sebastian Martinuzzi, Isabel K. Pares-Ramos, Arthur F. White, Xiaoming ZouSubmarine landslide as the source for the October 11, 1918 Mona Passage tsunami: Observations and modeling
The October 11, 1918 ML 7.5 earthquake in the Mona Passage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico generated a local tsunami that claimed approximately 100 lives along the western coast of Puerto Rico. The area affected by this tsunami is now significantly more populated. Newly acquired high-resolution bathymetry and seismic reflection lines in the Mona Passage show a fresh submarine landslide 15AuthorsA.M. López-Venegas, Uri S. ten Brink, Eric L. GeistSubmarine slides north of Puerto Rico and their tsunami potential
New multibeam bathymetry of the entire Puerto Rico trench reveals numerous retrograde slope failures at various scales at the edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The slumped material comprises carbonate blocks, which fail, at least in initial stages, as a coherent rock mass. This, combined with the fact that the edge of the carbonate platform is steeper than
AuthorsUri S. ten Brink, Eric L. Geist, Patrick J. Lynett, Brian D. AndrewsSize distribution of submarine landslides and its implication to tsunami hazard in Puerto Rico
We have established for the first time a size frequency distribution for carbonate submarine slope failures. Using detailed bathymetry along the northern edge of the carbonate platform north of Puerto Rico, we show that the cumulative distribution of slope failure volumes follows a power-law distribution. The power-law exponent of this distribution is similar to those for rock falls on land, comme
AuthorsUri S. ten Brink, E.L. Geist, B.D. AndrewsThe hurricane-flood-landslide continuum
In August 2004, representatives from NOAA, NASA, the US Geological Survey (USGS), as well as other government agencies and academic institutions convened in San Juan, Puerto Rico, at a workshop to discuss a proposed research project called the Hurricane-Flood-Landslide Continuum (HFLC). The purpose of the HFLC is to develop and integrate the multidisciplinary tools needed to issue regional guidanc
AuthorsA. J. Negri, N. Burkardt, J. H. Golden, J. B. Halverson, G. J. Huffman, M. C. Larsen, J. A. McGinley, R. G. Updike, J. P. Verdin, G. F. WieczorekMap Showing Susceptibility to Earthquake-Induced Landsliding, San Juan Metropolitan Area, Puerto Rico
Analysis of slope angle and rock type using a geographic information system indicates that about 68 percent of the San Juan metropolitan area has low to no susceptibility to earthquake-induced landslides. This is at least partly due to the fact that 45 percent of the San Juan metropolitan area is constructed on slopes of 3 degrees or less, which are too gentle for landslides to occur. The areas wi
AuthorsMarilyn Santiago, Matthew C. Larsen - News
Read news highlights about USGS landslide research on Puerto Rico.
Lea las noticias más importantes sobre investigaciones de deslizamientos de tierra en Puerto Rico.