Landslide Hazards
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The primary objective of the National Landslide Hazards Program is to reduce long-term losses from landslide hazards by improving our understanding of the causes of ground failure and suggesting mitigation strategies.
Landslide Risks Highlighted in New Online Tool
The U.S. Geological Survey today unveiled a new web-based interactive map that marks an important step toward mapping areas that could be at higher risk for future landslides.
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Emergency Assessment of Post-Fire Debris-Flow Hazards
Earthquake-Triggered Ground-Failure Inventories
Preliminary Landslide Assessments
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Announcing Gavin Hayes as USGS Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake & Geologic Hazards
On May 10, Gavin Hayes takes on the role of Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards within the USGS Natural Hazards Mission Area. The Senior Science Advisor serves as the coordinator for the Earthquake Hazards, Global Seismographic Network, and Geomagnetism Programs and provides oversight and guidance across the full breadth of USGS geohazard-related activities.
New USGS map can help Puerto Rico deal with risk of landslides after hurricanes
A new U.S. Geological Survey map of Puerto Rico shows the relative risks of landslides due to the kind of intense rainfall brought on by hurricanes. It identifies 20% of the island as at high risk, 9% at very high risk, and 1% at extremely high risk of landslides under those conditions.
New Landslide Guidebook for Puerto Rico Residents
A new landslide guidebook released February 5 is now available for Puerto Rico residents to learn more about the landslide hazards that can impact the island.
Publications
The future of landslides’ past—A framework for assessing consecutive landsliding systems
Landslides often happen where they have already occurred in the past. The potential of landslides to reduce or enhance conditions for further landsliding has long been recognized and has often been reported, but the mechanisms and spatial and temporal scales of these processes have previously received little specific attention. Despite a...
Temme, A.; Guzzetti, F.; Samia, J.; Mirus, Benjamin B.
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...
Hughes, K. Stephen; Schulz, William The influence of frost weathering on the debris flow sediment supply in an alpine basin
Rocky, alpine mountains are prone to mass wasting from debris flows. The Chalk Cliffs study area (central Colorado, USA) produces debris flows annually. These debris flows are triggered when overland flow driven by intense summer convective storms mobilizes large volumes of sediment within the channel network. Understanding the debris flow...
Rengers, Francis K.; Kean, Jason W.; Reitman, Nadine G.; Smith, Joel B.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; McGuire, Luke