Brian Collins
Brian Collins is a research civil engineer with the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science center. Brian works primarily with the Landslide Hazards Program addressing a wide range of landslide issues including storm-induced shallow landslides and debris flows, deep-seated landslide mobility, and rockfall initiation.
Biography
Professional Experience:
- 2008-present, Research Civil Engineer, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California
- 2006-2008, Mendenhall Post-doctoral Researcher, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California
- 2005-2006, Engineering Research Manager, Blackhawk Geological Hazard Abatement District, San Ramon, California
- 2004-2005, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Berkeley, California
- 2000-2004, Research Assistant, University of California, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Berkeley, California
- 1998-2000, Staff Engineer, Golder Associates, Lakewood, Colorado
- 1995-1998, Teaching Assistant, University of Colorado, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Boulder, Colorado
Education:
- University of California, Berkeley, Ph.D., 2004, Geotechnical Engineering
- University of Colorado, Boulder, M.S., 1997, Geotechnical Engineering
- Purdue University, B.S.C.E., 1995, Civil Engineering
Non-USGS Partners:
- National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, California
- National Weather Service, Monterey, California, Weather Forecast Office
- University of Lausanne, Risk Analysis Group, Lausanne, Switzerland
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Laboratory of Experimental Rock Mechanics, Lausanne, Switzerland
Science and Products
San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA
San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA
San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA
San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA
Rainfall and Landslides in Northern California
A summary of recent and past landslides and debris flows caused by rainfall in northern California, and links to current shallow landslide monitoring.
Linking mesoscale meteorology with extreme landscape response: Effects of narrow cold frontal rainbands (NCFR)
Landscapes evolve in response to prolonged and/or intense precipitation resulting from atmospheric processes at various spatial and temporal scales. Whereas synoptic (large‐scale) features (e.g., atmospheric rivers and hurricanes) govern regional‐scale hydrologic hazards such as widespread flooding, mesoscale features such as thunderstorms or...
Collins, Brian D.; Oakley, N. S.; Perkins, Jonathan P; East, Amy E.; Corbett, Skye C.; Hatchett, Benjamin J. A new data set of granitic rock strength values from Yosemite Valley, California: Applications to rock fall assessment
To explore connections between rock strength and rock falls, we undertook a comprehensive rock mechanics testing program for six granitic rock types in Yosemite Valley (California, USA) where rock falls are a common geomorphic and sometimes hazardous process. We collected samples from boulders located at the base of cliffs, with the inherent...
Collins, Brian D.; Sandrone, Federica; Gastaldo, Laurent; Stock, Greg M.; Jaboyedoff, Michel
Rock strength properties of granitic rocks in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California
Yosemite National Park, located in the central part of California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, is a glacially carved landscape filled with iconic rock formations such as Cathedral Peak, El Capitan, and Half Dome. Igneous rocks, consisting primarily of variations of granite, granodiorite, and tonalite, make up the majority of the bedrock geology and...
Collins, Brian D.; Sandrone, Federica; Gastaldo, Laurent; Stock, Greg M.; Jaboyedoff, Michel Quantifying 40 years of rockfall activity in Yosemite Valley with historical Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning
Rockfalls and rockslides are often dominant geomorphic processes in steep bedrock landscapes, but documenting their occurrence can be challenging, requiring frequent monitoring and well resolved spatial data. Repeat application of remote sensing methods such as Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry can...
Guerin, Antoine; Stock, Greg M.; Radue, Mariah J.; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Collins, Brian D.; Matasci, Battista; Avdievitch, Nikita; Derron, Marc-Henri Assessing the feasibility of satellite-based thresholds for hydrologically driven landsliding
Elevated soil moisture and heavy precipitation contribute to landslides worldwide. These environmental variables are now being resolved with satellites at spatiotemporal scales that could offer new perspectives on the development of landslide warning systems. However, the application of these data to hydro-meteorological thresholds (which account...
Thomas, Matthew A.; Collins, Brian D.; Mirus, Benjamin B. Detection of rock bridges by infrared thermal imaging and modeling
Characterization of rock discontinuities and rock bridges is required to define stability conditions of fractured rock masses in both natural and engineered environments. Although remote sensing methods for mapping discontinuities have improved in recent years, remote detection of intact rock bridges on cliff faces remains challenging, with their...
Guerin, Antoine; Jaboyefoff, Michel; Collins, Brian D.; Derron, Marc-Henri; Stock, Greg M.; Matasci, Battista; Boesiger, Martin; Lefeuvre, Caroline; Podladchikov, Yury Y. Enhanced landslide mobility by basal liquefaction: the 2014 SR530 (Oso), Washington landslide
Landslide mobility can vastly amplify the consequences of slope failure. As a compelling example, the March 22, 2014 landslide near Oso, Washington (USA) was particularly devastating, traveling across a 1-km+ wide river valley, killing 43 people, destroying dozens of homes, and temporarily closing a well-traveled highway. To resolve causes for...
Collins, Brian D.; Reid, Mark E.
Terrestrial lidar data of the February 14, 2019 Sausalito Boulevard Landslide, Sausalito, California
On February 14, 2019, just before 2:56 am local time (Pacific Standard Time), a landslide initiated from the hillslopes above the Hurricane Gulch section of the City of Sausalito, Marin County, California. The landslide, specifically classified as a debris flow, overran a road (Sausalito Boulevard) immediately below the landslide source area and...
Collins, Brian D.; Corbett, Skye C. A regime shift in sediment export from a coastal watershed during a record wet winter, California: Implications for landscape response to hydroclimatic extremes
Small, steep watersheds are prolific sediment sources from which sediment flux is highly sensitive to climatic changes. Storm intensity and frequency are widely expected to increase during the 21st century, and so assessing the response of small, steep watersheds to extreme rainfall is essential to understanding landscape response to climate...
East, Amy E.; Stevens, Andrew W.; Ritchie, Andrew C.; Barnard, Patrick L.; Campbell‐Swarzenski, Pamela L.; Collins, Brian D.; Conaway, Christopher H. Identifying physics‐based thresholds for rainfall‐induced landsliding
Most regional landslide warning systems utilize empirically derived rainfall thresholds that are difficult to improve without recalibration to additional landslide events. To address this limitation, we explored the use of synthetic rainfall to generate thousands of possible storm patterns and coupled them with a physics‐based hydrology and slope...
Thomas, Matthew A.; Mirus, Benjamin B.; Collins, Brian D. Thermally induced fracture of macroscale surficial granite sheets
Geologically diverse landforms around the world show indications of energetic macroscale fracture. These fractures are sometimes displayed dramatically as so-called “A-tents”, whereby relatively thin rock sheets push upwards and fracture, forming tent-like voids beneath the ruptured sheets. The origin and formation of such features has been a...
Collins, Brian D.; Stock, Greg M.; Eppes, Martha C. Rapid 3-D analysis of rockfalls
Recent fatal and damaging rockfalls in Yosemite National Park indicate the need for rapid response data collection methods to inform public safety and assist with management response. Here we show the use of multiple-platform remote sensing methods to rapidly capture pertinent data needed to inform management and the public following a several...
Stock, Greg M.; Guerin, A.; Avdievitch, Nikita N.; Collins, Brian D.; Jaboyedoff, Michel
Why Do Giant Rocks Suddenly Fall From Cliffs?
"In Yosemite Valley, rockfalls can happen every four to five days, where boulders that can be larger than your average car or apartment building thunder down steep mountainsides." - Seeker