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
Filter Total Items: 67
Linking mesoscale meteorology with extreme landscape response: Effects of narrow cold frontal rainbands (NCFR) 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...
Authors
Brian Collins, N. Oakley, Jonathan Perkins, Amy East, Skye Corbett, Benjamin Hatchett
A new data set of granitic rock strength values from Yosemite Valley, California: Applications to rock fall assessment 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...
Authors
Brian Collins, Federica Sandrone, Laurent Gastaldo, Greg Stock, Michel Jaboyedoff
Rock strength properties of granitic rocks in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California 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...
Authors
Brian Collins, Federica Sandrone, Laurent Gastaldo, Greg Stock, Michel Jaboyedoff
Quantifying 40 years of rockfall activity in Yosemite Valley with historical Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning 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...
Authors
Antoine Guerin, Greg Stock, Mariah Radue, Michel Jaboyedoff, Brian Collins, Battista Matasci, Nikita Avdievitch, Marc-Henri Derron
Assessing the feasibility of satellite-based thresholds for hydrologically driven landsliding 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...
Authors
Matthew Thomas, Brian Collins, Benjamin Mirus
Detection of rock bridges by infrared thermal imaging and modeling 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 existence typically confirmed only after...
Authors
Antoine Guerin, Michel Jaboyefoff, Brian Collins, Marc-Henri Derron, Greg Stock, Battista Matasci, Martin Boesiger, Caroline Lefeuvre, Yury Podladchikov
Enhanced landslide mobility by basal liquefaction: the 2014 SR530 (Oso), Washington landslide 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 the landslide’s behavior and mobility, we...
Authors
Brian Collins, Mark Reid
Relaxation response of critically stressed macroscale surficial rock sheets Relaxation response of critically stressed macroscale surficial rock sheets
Rock environments both underground and on Earth’s surface show indications of energetic macroscale fracture. In tunnels and excavations, these manifest as rockbursts—energetic explosions of rock that can damage engineering projects, and may pose ongoing financial and safety risk as rock stresses adjust during post-failure relaxation. In natural settings at the surface, evidence for...
Authors
Brian Collins, Greg Stock, Martha-Cary Eppes
Terrestrial lidar data of the February 14, 2019 Sausalito Boulevard Landslide, Sausalito, California 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 impacted a residential structure that...
Authors
Brian Collins, Skye Corbett
A regime shift in sediment export from a coastal watershed during a record wet winter, California: Implications for landscape response to hydroclimatic extremes 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 change. During record winter rainfall in 2016...
Authors
Amy East, Andrew Stevens, Andrew Ritchie, Patrick L. Barnard, Pamela L. Campbell‐Swarzenski, Brian Collins, Christopher H. Conaway
Identifying physics‐based thresholds for rainfall‐induced landsliding 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 stability model for various antecedent...
Authors
Matthew Thomas, Benjamin Mirus, Brian Collins
Thermally induced fracture of macroscale surficial granite sheets 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 topic of considerable interest and analysis...
Authors
Brian Collins, Greg Stock, Martha C. Eppes
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 67
Linking mesoscale meteorology with extreme landscape response: Effects of narrow cold frontal rainbands (NCFR) 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...
Authors
Brian Collins, N. Oakley, Jonathan Perkins, Amy East, Skye Corbett, Benjamin Hatchett
A new data set of granitic rock strength values from Yosemite Valley, California: Applications to rock fall assessment 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...
Authors
Brian Collins, Federica Sandrone, Laurent Gastaldo, Greg Stock, Michel Jaboyedoff
Rock strength properties of granitic rocks in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California 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...
Authors
Brian Collins, Federica Sandrone, Laurent Gastaldo, Greg Stock, Michel Jaboyedoff
Quantifying 40 years of rockfall activity in Yosemite Valley with historical Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning 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...
Authors
Antoine Guerin, Greg Stock, Mariah Radue, Michel Jaboyedoff, Brian Collins, Battista Matasci, Nikita Avdievitch, Marc-Henri Derron
Assessing the feasibility of satellite-based thresholds for hydrologically driven landsliding 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...
Authors
Matthew Thomas, Brian Collins, Benjamin Mirus
Detection of rock bridges by infrared thermal imaging and modeling 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 existence typically confirmed only after...
Authors
Antoine Guerin, Michel Jaboyefoff, Brian Collins, Marc-Henri Derron, Greg Stock, Battista Matasci, Martin Boesiger, Caroline Lefeuvre, Yury Podladchikov
Enhanced landslide mobility by basal liquefaction: the 2014 SR530 (Oso), Washington landslide 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 the landslide’s behavior and mobility, we...
Authors
Brian Collins, Mark Reid
Relaxation response of critically stressed macroscale surficial rock sheets Relaxation response of critically stressed macroscale surficial rock sheets
Rock environments both underground and on Earth’s surface show indications of energetic macroscale fracture. In tunnels and excavations, these manifest as rockbursts—energetic explosions of rock that can damage engineering projects, and may pose ongoing financial and safety risk as rock stresses adjust during post-failure relaxation. In natural settings at the surface, evidence for...
Authors
Brian Collins, Greg Stock, Martha-Cary Eppes
Terrestrial lidar data of the February 14, 2019 Sausalito Boulevard Landslide, Sausalito, California 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 impacted a residential structure that...
Authors
Brian Collins, Skye Corbett
A regime shift in sediment export from a coastal watershed during a record wet winter, California: Implications for landscape response to hydroclimatic extremes 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 change. During record winter rainfall in 2016...
Authors
Amy East, Andrew Stevens, Andrew Ritchie, Patrick L. Barnard, Pamela L. Campbell‐Swarzenski, Brian Collins, Christopher H. Conaway
Identifying physics‐based thresholds for rainfall‐induced landsliding 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 stability model for various antecedent...
Authors
Matthew Thomas, Benjamin Mirus, Brian Collins
Thermally induced fracture of macroscale surficial granite sheets 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 topic of considerable interest and analysis...
Authors
Brian Collins, Greg Stock, Martha C. Eppes
*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