Images

Gould debris basin at a watershed outlet in Los Angeles County, California that has been filled with mud and debris. This photo was taken in 2010 after a major debris flow in the 2009 Station Fire burn area. The metal tower in the foreground is approximately 10 meters high.  

Elliot State Forest.

An unfilled debris basin at the outlet of Gould Canyon in Los Angeles County, California. The metal tower in the foreground is approximately 10 meters high.  

Oblique photograph of Knife Ridge monitoring site showing approximate soil pit locations.

 A USGS monitoring station in the 2009 Station Fire. The Station Fire burned approximately 160,000 acres from August to October 2009, including steep terrain in the Angeles National Forest. The USGS installed this monitoring station approximately 1 month after the fire was contained to collect information about rainfall and postfire soil properties.

Well-developed rills in the 2009 Station Fire.  Rills are small channels cut into the hillside by erosion processes.  They have the potential to generate a large amount of sediment, which may contribute to debris-flow formation.

A USGS walks on a very steep, burned hillslope in the 2009 Station Fire, Angeles National Forest, California.  The wildfire has removed nearly all of the vegetation from the hillslope and well-developed rills cover the ground's surface.  Rills are small channels cut into the hillside by erosion processes.

 A USGS monitoring station in the 2009 Station Fire. The Station Fire burned approximately 160,000 acres from August to October 2009, including steep terrain in the Angeles National Forest. The USGS installed this monitoring station approximately 1 month after the fire was contained to collect information about rainfall and postfire soil properties.

The Upper monitoring station at Chalk Cliffs, CO.

View of the west channel and Upper monitoring station (Station 1), Chalk Cliffs, CO.

Photograph of the active (upslope from the highway that crosses the landslide deposit) and inactive (downslope from the highway) parts of the Slumgullion landslide in Hinsdale County, Colorado.

Photograph of the Donghekou Landslide, triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan, China Earthquake. This landslide had 3 sources areas: the mountain slope at the top right of the photograph a second area primarily resulting in a rockslide that occurred to the left of the scientists, and one to the right, across the river (not shown in picture).

Photograph of the Donghekou Landslide, triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan, China Earthquake. This landslide had 3 sources areas: the mountain slope at the top right of the photograph a second area primarily resulting in a rockslide that occurred to the left of the scientists, and one to the right, across the river (not shown in picture).

This event occurred on October 4, 2007 in La Jolla, California. A landslide, perhaps first indicated in July by cracks appearing in pavement and homes along Soledad Mountain Road, struck suddenly when a massive slab of hillside broke loose, sending tons of dirt cascading toward streets below.

This landslide occurred at La Conchita, California in 2005. Ten people were killed.

On January 10, 2005, a landslide struck the community of La Conchita in Ventura County, California, destroying or seriously damaging 36 houses and killing 10 people. For a USGS rerpot on this event, please see USGS Open-file report, "Landslide Hazards at La Conchita, California."

Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.

Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.

Cable Canyon was burned during the Grand Prix-Old Fire of 2003 and experienced debris flows and floods in response to the December 25, 2003 rainstorm. Two people lost their lives at this site.

View of the Rio Grande River at the entrance to Boquillas Canyon.

Scientist Jonathan Godt samples a landslide headscarp in Alameda County, CA.