Alex Grant
Alex is a Research Engineer specializing in regional-scale landslide and liquefaction hazards and risk.
Alex got his Ph.D. in 2017 from the University of Washington where he studied coseismic landslide hazard and risk in Lebanon, New Zealand, Japan, and the Pacific Northwest of N. America. Alex received his BSCE from Tufts University in 2013 and a MSE in 2014 from the University of Washington in Geotechnical Engineering. Alex joined the USGS in 2018 to research earthquake-induced ground failures, and is actively working on projects in the Pacific Northwest and California.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 15
A revised inventory of landslides triggered by the March 11, 2011 M9.1 Tohoku Earthquake A revised inventory of landslides triggered by the March 11, 2011 M9.1 Tohoku Earthquake
Revised dataset of landslides triggered by the 2011 M9.1 Tohoku earthquake. Point data are presented as a csv with new failure types, source type, and impacts to the build environment classification for mapped landslides. This dataset is an extension of the Wartman et al. (2013) landslide inventory following the Tohoku earthquake, and includes the original landslide IDs and type...
Preliminary Landslide Inventory for Landslides Triggered by Hurricane Helene (September 2024) Preliminary Landslide Inventory for Landslides Triggered by Hurricane Helene (September 2024)
We present a preliminary point inventory of landslides triggered by Hurricane Helene, which impacted southern Appalachia between September 25 and 27, 2024. This inventory is a result of a rapid response mapping effort led by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Landslide Assessments, Situational Awareness, and Event Response Research (LASER) project. LASER collaborated with state surveys and...
Landslide Headscarps in Marine Terraces along the Pacific Coast of Washington and Oregon Landslide Headscarps in Marine Terraces along the Pacific Coast of Washington and Oregon
We present a set of 617 landslide headscarps along marine terraces in Oregon and Washington State. Headscarps (as polyline features) were mapped from
Coseismic landslide runout and mobility ratio data from publicly available mapped landslide inventories Coseismic landslide runout and mobility ratio data from publicly available mapped landslide inventories
Earthquake-triggered landslides can significantly contribute to human and economic losses during and immediately following earthquakes, but data on the runout behavior of such ground failures is limited. Hazard assessment of coseismic landslide risk can vary dramatically depending on landslide mobility and runout extent, which makes modeling of such behavior imperative. Predictive and...
Cone Penetration Test data of Paleoliquefaction sites in Washington and Oregon Cone Penetration Test data of Paleoliquefaction sites in Washington and Oregon
In many parts of the United States and around the globe, the instrumental earthquake record is insufficient to characterize seismic hazard or constrain potential ground motion intensities from individual sources. This lack of data is particularly acute for the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, where paleoseismic evidence suggests a long history of large...
Bedrock stratigraphic and structural data and deep-seated landslide density for the Tyee Formation, OR, USA Bedrock stratigraphic and structural data and deep-seated landslide density for the Tyee Formation, OR, USA
Compilation of field data collected in the Oregon Coast Range Tyee Formation. Location, strike and dip, Relative composition and bed thickness of interbedded sandstone and siltstone, Schmidt Hammer stiffness, notes, and sampled landslide density are provided. Landslide density is calculated using the manually mapped landslide deposit polygons from LaHusen et al. (2020).
Filter Total Items: 26
Strong shaking from past Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes encoded in coastal landforms Strong shaking from past Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes encoded in coastal landforms
Strong earthquakes along subduction zones are often devastating events, but sparse records along some tectonic margins limit our understanding of seismic hazards. Constraining shaking intensities is critical, especially in subduction zones with infrequent but large-magnitude earthquakes like the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ), where the lack of recorded ground motions has led to...
Authors
Sean Richard LaHusen, Alex R. Grant, Jonathan P. Perkins, Devin McPhillips
Global patterns of coseismic landslide runout mobility differ from aseismic landslide trends Global patterns of coseismic landslide runout mobility differ from aseismic landslide trends
Coseismic landslides significantly contribute to human and economic losses during and immediately following earthquakes, yet very little data on the runout of such landslides exist. While well-established behavior of aseismic (e.g., hydrologically triggered) landslide runout mobility suggests strong correlation between landslide size and mobility, limited studies of coseismic landslide...
Authors
Alex R. Grant, Natalie K. Culhane
Complex landslide patterns explained by local intra-unit variability of stratigraphy and structure: Case study in the Tyee Formation, Oregon, USA Complex landslide patterns explained by local intra-unit variability of stratigraphy and structure: Case study in the Tyee Formation, Oregon, USA
Lithology and geologic structure are important controls on landslide susceptibility and are incorporated into many regional landslide hazard models. Typically, metrics for mapped geologic units are used as model input variables and a single set of values for material strength are assumed, regardless of spatial heterogeneities that may exist within a map unit. Here we describe how...
Authors
Sean Richard LaHusen, Alex R. Grant
Evidence of Seattle Fault earthquakes from patterns of deep-seated landslides Evidence of Seattle Fault earthquakes from patterns of deep-seated landslides
Earthquake‐induced landslides can record information about the seismic shaking that generated them. In this study, we present new mapping, Light Detection and Ranging‐derived roughness dating, and analysis of over 1000 deep‐seated landslides from the Puget Lowlands of Washington, U.S.A., to probe the landscape for past Seattle fault earthquake information. With this new landslide...
Authors
Erich Herzig, Alison Duvall, Adam Booth, Ian P. Stone, Erin A. Wirth, Sean Richard LaHusen, Joseph Wartman, Alex R. Grant
3-D wave propagation simulations of Mw 6.5+ earthquakes on the Tacoma Fault, Washington state, considering the effects of topography, a geotechnical gradient, and a fault damage zone 3-D wave propagation simulations of Mw 6.5+ earthquakes on the Tacoma Fault, Washington state, considering the effects of topography, a geotechnical gradient, and a fault damage zone
We simulate shaking in Tacoma, Washington, and surrounding areas from Mw 6.5 and 7.0 earthquakes on the Tacoma fault. Ground motions are directly modeled up to 2.5 Hz using kinematic, finite‐fault sources; a 3D seismic velocity model considering regional geology; and a model mesh with 30 m sampling at the ground surface. In addition, we explore how adjustments to the seismic velocity...
Authors
Ian P. Stone, Erin A. Wirth, Alex R. Grant, Arthur D. Frankel
Limits to coseismic landslides triggered by Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes Limits to coseismic landslides triggered by Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes
Landslides are a significant hazard and dominant feature throughout the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. However, the hazard and risk posed by coseismic landslides triggered by great Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquakes is highly uncertain due to a lack of local and global data. Despite a wealth of other geologic evidence for past earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, no...
Authors
Alex R. Grant, William Struble, Sean Richard LaHusen
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 15
A revised inventory of landslides triggered by the March 11, 2011 M9.1 Tohoku Earthquake A revised inventory of landslides triggered by the March 11, 2011 M9.1 Tohoku Earthquake
Revised dataset of landslides triggered by the 2011 M9.1 Tohoku earthquake. Point data are presented as a csv with new failure types, source type, and impacts to the build environment classification for mapped landslides. This dataset is an extension of the Wartman et al. (2013) landslide inventory following the Tohoku earthquake, and includes the original landslide IDs and type...
Preliminary Landslide Inventory for Landslides Triggered by Hurricane Helene (September 2024) Preliminary Landslide Inventory for Landslides Triggered by Hurricane Helene (September 2024)
We present a preliminary point inventory of landslides triggered by Hurricane Helene, which impacted southern Appalachia between September 25 and 27, 2024. This inventory is a result of a rapid response mapping effort led by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Landslide Assessments, Situational Awareness, and Event Response Research (LASER) project. LASER collaborated with state surveys and...
Landslide Headscarps in Marine Terraces along the Pacific Coast of Washington and Oregon Landslide Headscarps in Marine Terraces along the Pacific Coast of Washington and Oregon
We present a set of 617 landslide headscarps along marine terraces in Oregon and Washington State. Headscarps (as polyline features) were mapped from
Coseismic landslide runout and mobility ratio data from publicly available mapped landslide inventories Coseismic landslide runout and mobility ratio data from publicly available mapped landslide inventories
Earthquake-triggered landslides can significantly contribute to human and economic losses during and immediately following earthquakes, but data on the runout behavior of such ground failures is limited. Hazard assessment of coseismic landslide risk can vary dramatically depending on landslide mobility and runout extent, which makes modeling of such behavior imperative. Predictive and...
Cone Penetration Test data of Paleoliquefaction sites in Washington and Oregon Cone Penetration Test data of Paleoliquefaction sites in Washington and Oregon
In many parts of the United States and around the globe, the instrumental earthquake record is insufficient to characterize seismic hazard or constrain potential ground motion intensities from individual sources. This lack of data is particularly acute for the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) of the U.S. Pacific Northwest, where paleoseismic evidence suggests a long history of large...
Bedrock stratigraphic and structural data and deep-seated landslide density for the Tyee Formation, OR, USA Bedrock stratigraphic and structural data and deep-seated landslide density for the Tyee Formation, OR, USA
Compilation of field data collected in the Oregon Coast Range Tyee Formation. Location, strike and dip, Relative composition and bed thickness of interbedded sandstone and siltstone, Schmidt Hammer stiffness, notes, and sampled landslide density are provided. Landslide density is calculated using the manually mapped landslide deposit polygons from LaHusen et al. (2020).
Filter Total Items: 26
Strong shaking from past Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes encoded in coastal landforms Strong shaking from past Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes encoded in coastal landforms
Strong earthquakes along subduction zones are often devastating events, but sparse records along some tectonic margins limit our understanding of seismic hazards. Constraining shaking intensities is critical, especially in subduction zones with infrequent but large-magnitude earthquakes like the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ), where the lack of recorded ground motions has led to...
Authors
Sean Richard LaHusen, Alex R. Grant, Jonathan P. Perkins, Devin McPhillips
Global patterns of coseismic landslide runout mobility differ from aseismic landslide trends Global patterns of coseismic landslide runout mobility differ from aseismic landslide trends
Coseismic landslides significantly contribute to human and economic losses during and immediately following earthquakes, yet very little data on the runout of such landslides exist. While well-established behavior of aseismic (e.g., hydrologically triggered) landslide runout mobility suggests strong correlation between landslide size and mobility, limited studies of coseismic landslide...
Authors
Alex R. Grant, Natalie K. Culhane
Complex landslide patterns explained by local intra-unit variability of stratigraphy and structure: Case study in the Tyee Formation, Oregon, USA Complex landslide patterns explained by local intra-unit variability of stratigraphy and structure: Case study in the Tyee Formation, Oregon, USA
Lithology and geologic structure are important controls on landslide susceptibility and are incorporated into many regional landslide hazard models. Typically, metrics for mapped geologic units are used as model input variables and a single set of values for material strength are assumed, regardless of spatial heterogeneities that may exist within a map unit. Here we describe how...
Authors
Sean Richard LaHusen, Alex R. Grant
Evidence of Seattle Fault earthquakes from patterns of deep-seated landslides Evidence of Seattle Fault earthquakes from patterns of deep-seated landslides
Earthquake‐induced landslides can record information about the seismic shaking that generated them. In this study, we present new mapping, Light Detection and Ranging‐derived roughness dating, and analysis of over 1000 deep‐seated landslides from the Puget Lowlands of Washington, U.S.A., to probe the landscape for past Seattle fault earthquake information. With this new landslide...
Authors
Erich Herzig, Alison Duvall, Adam Booth, Ian P. Stone, Erin A. Wirth, Sean Richard LaHusen, Joseph Wartman, Alex R. Grant
3-D wave propagation simulations of Mw 6.5+ earthquakes on the Tacoma Fault, Washington state, considering the effects of topography, a geotechnical gradient, and a fault damage zone 3-D wave propagation simulations of Mw 6.5+ earthquakes on the Tacoma Fault, Washington state, considering the effects of topography, a geotechnical gradient, and a fault damage zone
We simulate shaking in Tacoma, Washington, and surrounding areas from Mw 6.5 and 7.0 earthquakes on the Tacoma fault. Ground motions are directly modeled up to 2.5 Hz using kinematic, finite‐fault sources; a 3D seismic velocity model considering regional geology; and a model mesh with 30 m sampling at the ground surface. In addition, we explore how adjustments to the seismic velocity...
Authors
Ian P. Stone, Erin A. Wirth, Alex R. Grant, Arthur D. Frankel
Limits to coseismic landslides triggered by Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes Limits to coseismic landslides triggered by Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquakes
Landslides are a significant hazard and dominant feature throughout the landscape of the Pacific Northwest. However, the hazard and risk posed by coseismic landslides triggered by great Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquakes is highly uncertain due to a lack of local and global data. Despite a wealth of other geologic evidence for past earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone, no...
Authors
Alex R. Grant, William Struble, Sean Richard LaHusen