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Brian Collins

Brian Collins is a supervisory 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.

Professional Experience

  • 2008-present, Research Civil Engineer, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA

  • 2006-2008, Mendenhall Post-doctoral Researcher, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA

  • 2005-2006, Engineering Research Manager, Blackhawk Geological Hazard Abatement District, San Ramon, CA

  • 2004-2005, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Berkeley, CA

  • 2000-2004, Research Assistant, University of California, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Berkeley, CA

  • 1998-2000, Staff Engineer, Golder Associates, Lakewood, CO

  • 1995-1998, Teaching Assistant, University of Colorado, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Boulder, CO

Education and Certifications

  • 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

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • 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

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a person sitting on a large boulder with other boulders around and a light snow

CSI: Rockfall Forensics

The next time you find yourself at the bottom of a cliff, make sure to look up.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program
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CSI: Rockfall Forensics

The next time you find yourself at the bottom of a cliff, make sure to look up.
Learn More
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grassy slope with landslide monitoring instrument

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
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San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT4) Site near Pacifica, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
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dry grassy slope with landslide monitoring instrument

San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
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San Francisco Bay Area – SF Peninsula (BALT3) Site near Brisbane, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
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steep dry grassy slopes in foreground with populated valley in background

San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
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San Francisco Bay Area – Marin County (BALT2) Site near San Rafael, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
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landslide monitoring equipment inside small fence on grassy slope

San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
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San Francisco Bay Area - East Bay (BALT1) Site near Castro Valley, CA

Landslides in the San Francisco Bay area (SFBA) of California impact people, infrastructure, and the environment, and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong winter storms.
Learn More
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A soil landslide scar above a neighborhood of houses.

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.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Big Sur Landslides
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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.
Learn More

San Francisco Bay Area Reconnaissance Landslide Inventory, January 2023

From late December 2022 to January 2023, a series of atmospheric river storms produced widespread landsliding in the San Francisco Bay area of California. USGS scientists performed reconnaissance field work to document the extent of landsliding in the region and compiled reports of landslides from media and California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports. This data release documents locations of road cut
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Landslide Hazards Program

Field-verified inventory of postfire hydrologic response for the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex, River, Camel, and Dolan Fires following a 26-29 January 2021 atmospheric river storm sequence

This data release is a field-verified inventory of postfire hydrologic response for the 2020 CZU (San Mateo–Santa Cruz Unit) Lightning Complex, River Fire, Camel Fire, and Dolan Fire following a 26-29 January 2021 atmospheric river storm sequence. Postfire hydrologic response types include a) no response, b) minor response, and c) major response. A “minor” response was deemed capable of impairing
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Mapped polygons of landslides triggered by the 2016-2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California

The winter rainy season of 2016-2017 brought abundant rainfall to the state of California, including the San Francisco Bay region. Thousands of shallow landslides were triggered as a result of saturated soils and intense rainfall from strong winter storms in January and February 2017. The highest concentration of landslides from these storms occurred in the eastern part of the bay region, where la
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Hydrographic and sediment field data collected in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska, in 2009

This dataset consists of hydrographic, geomorphic, and sediment field measurements obtained during the ice-free summer of 2009 in the vicinity of Wainwright, Alaska. Time-series data were collected with a bottom-mounted instrument package and consist of wave statistics, vertical water flow velocity profiles, water temperatures, conductivity, and salinity concentrations. Data collected at distinct
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Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Field, remote sensing, and modeling data used for Collins et al., Rockfall Kinematics from Massive Rock Cliffs: Outlier Boulders and Flyrock Resulting from the 2020 Whitney Portal, California Rockfalls

This data release includes information used to support the manuscript "Rockfall kinematics from massive rock cliffs: outlier boulders and flyrock from Whitney Portal, California rockfalls". The included datasets and supplement include data that was collected and processed to investigate the kinematics of boulder trajectories and impacts to both other boulders and to existing trees on the talus slo
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Field, geotechnical, and meteorological data of the 22 March 2018 narrow cold frontal rainband (NCFR) and its effects, Tuolumne River canyon, Sierra Nevada Foothills, California

This data release includes information used to support the manuscript "Linking mesoscale meteorology with extreme landscape response: effects of narrow cold frontal rainbands (NCFR)". The included datasets and supplement include information related to the 22 March 2018 NCFR and associated shallow landslides in the Toulumne Canyon triggered by this event. The three datasets and one supplemental inf
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National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Terrestrial LIDAR Data Set 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 natural hillslopes above the City of Sausalito, California. The landslide, properly identified as a debris flow, overran a road (Sausalito Boulevard) located immediately below the landslide source area, and impacted and destroyed several residential structures. One person was located in one
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Data from ring shear strength testing of glaciolacustrine silty clay from the 2014, Oso, Washington landslide

We performed ring shear strength testing of three specimens from a glaciolacustrine silty clay unit involved in a large landslide that occurred March 22, 2014 near the town of Oso, Washington. Ring shear tests utilized apparatus DPRI-5 at Kyoto University, Japan and test results are presented herein. We refer to the specimens as the clay, clayey silt, and silt. Some tests were performed under cont
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Landslides triggered by the 2016–2017 storm season, eastern San Francisco Bay region, California

DiscussionThe winter rainy season of 2016–2017 brought abundant rainfall to the State of California and to the San Francisco Bay region. In January and February of 2017, intense rainfall from strong winter storms saturated soils in the region and triggered thousands of shallow landslides. The highest concentration of these landslides was in the eastern part of the bay region, where landslides in t
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Villagers in Kerauja below a rock slide that resulted from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25, 2015 in Gorkha district, Nepal.

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Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards, Communications and Publishing
Image: Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Rock Slide in Nepal from an Earthquake in April of 2015

Villagers in Kerauja below a rock slide that resulted from a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on April 25, 2015 in Gorkha district, Nepal.

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Natural Hazards, Earthquake Hazards, Communications and Publishing
Filter Total Items: 33

Georeferencing of terrestrial radar images in geomonitoring using kernel correlation

Terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI) provides accurate observations of displacements in the line-of-sight (LOS) direction and is therefore used in various monitoring applications. However, relating these displacements directly to the 3d world is challenging due to the particular imaging process. To address this, the radar results are projected onto a 3d model of the monitored area, requiring geo
Authors
Lorenz Schmid, Tomislav Medic, Brian D. Collins, Lorenz Meier, Andreas Wieser
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Kinematic evolution of a large paraglacial landslide in the Barry Arm fjord of Alaska

Our warming climate is adversely affecting cryospheric landscapes via glacial retreat, permafrost degradation, and associated slope destabilization. In Prince William Sound, Alaska, the rapid retreat of Barry Glacier has destabilized the slopes flanking the glacier, resulting in numerous landslides. The largest of these landslides (∼500 Mm3 in volume) is more than 2 km wide and has the potential t
Authors
Lauren N. Schaefer, Jeffrey A. Coe, Katreen Wikstrom Jones, Brian D. Collins, Dennis M. Staley, Michael E. West, Ezgi Karasozen, Charles Prentice-James Miles, Gabriel J. Wolken, Ronald P. Daanan, Kelli Wadsworth Baxstrom
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program

Postfire hydrologic response along the central California (USA) coast: Insights for the emergency assessment of postfire debris-flow hazards

The steep, tectonically active terrain along the Central California (USA) coast is well known to produce deadly and destructive debris flows. However, the extent to which fire affects debris-flow susceptibility in this region is an open question. We documented the occurrence of postfire debris floods and flows following the landfall of a storm that delivered intense rainfall across multiple burn a
Authors
Matthew A. Thomas, Jason W. Kean, Scott W. McCoy, Donald N. Lindsay, Jaime Kostelnik, David B. Cavagnaro, Francis K. Rengers, Amy E. East, Jonathan Schwartz, Douglas P. Smith, Brian D. Collins
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Rockfall kinematics from massive rock cliffs: Outlier boulders and flyrock from Whitney Portal, California, rockfalls

Geologic conditions and topographic setting are among the most critical factors for assessing rockfall hazards. However, other subtle features of rockfall motion may also govern the runout of rockfall debris, particularly for those sourced from massive cliffs where debris can have substantial momentum during transport. Rocks may undergo collisions with trees and talus boulders, with the latter pot
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Skye C. Corbett, Elizabeth Jean Horton, Alan J. Gallegos
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

When hazard avoidance is not an option: Lessons learned from monitoring the postdisaster Oso landslide, USA

On 22 March 2014, a massive, catastrophic landslide occurred near Oso, Washington, USA, sweeping more than 1 km across the adjacent valley flats and killing 43 people. For the following 5 weeks, hundreds of workers engaged in an exhaustive search, rescue, and recovery effort directly in the landslide runout path. These workers could not avoid the risks posed by additional large-scale slope collaps
Authors
Mark E. Reid, Jonathan W. Godt, Richard G LaHusen, Stephen L Slaughter, Thomas C. Badger, Brian D. Collins, William Schulz, Rex L. Baum, Jeffrey A. Coe, Edwin L Harp, Kevin M. Schmidt, Richard M. Iverson, Joel B. Smith, Ralph Haugerud, David L. George
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Landslide Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Volcano Science Center

Progress and lessons learned from responses to landslide disasters

Landslides have the incredible power to transform landscapes and also, tragically, to cause disastrous societal impacts. Whereas the mechanics and effects of many landslide disasters have been analyzed in detail, the means by which landslide experts respond to these events has garnered much less attention. Herein, we evaluate nine landslide response case histories conducted by the U.S. Geological
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Mark E. Reid, Jeffrey A. Coe, Jason W. Kean, Rex L. Baum, Randall W. Jibson, Jonathan W. Godt, Stephen Slaughter, Greg M. Stock
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

Remote thermal detection of exfoliation sheet deformation

A growing body of research indicates that rock slope failures, particularly from exfoliating cliffs, are promoted by rock deformations induced by daily temperature cycles. Although previous research has described how these deformations occur, full three-dimensional monitoring of both the deformations and the associated temperature changes has not yet been performed. Here we use integrated terrestr
Authors
Antoine Guerin, Michel Jaboyedoff, Brian D. Collins, Greg M. Stock, Marc-Henri Derron, Antonio Abellan, Battista Matasci
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

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 squall lines are more likely to trigger localized geomo
Authors
Brian D. Collins, N. S. Oakley, Jonathan P. Perkins, Amy E. East, Skye C. Corbett, Benjamin J. Hatchett
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National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

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 assumption that the intact boulders should provide reaso
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Federica Sandrone, Laurent Gastaldo, Greg M. Stock, Michel Jaboyedoff
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

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 their overall strength supports the spectacular cli
Authors
Brian D. Collins, Federica Sandrone, Laurent Gastaldo, Greg M. Stock, Michel Jaboyedoff
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

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 detect even very small rockfalls, but typically these
Authors
Antoine Guerin, Greg M. Stock, Mariah J. Radue, Michel Jaboyedoff, Brian D. Collins, Battista Matasci, Nikita Avdievitch, Marc-Henri Derron
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Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

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 for antecedent soil moisture and rainfall) first ne
Authors
Matthew A. Thomas, Brian D. Collins, Benjamin B. Mirus
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center
Ten years after the Oso landslide

Ten years after the Oso landslide

Ten years ago this week, on a clear and sunny Saturday morning in western Washington State, the hillside above the community of Steelhead Haven gave...

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Why Do Giant Rocks Suddenly Fall From Cliffs?

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...

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Science and Products

*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government