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Erin K Jensen

Erin Jensen is a research civil engineer in the Landslide Hazards Program.

Erin uses multidisciplinary techniques, including numerical modeling, remote sensing, and passive seismic methods to assess landslide hazards. Her current research interests include using numerical rock mechanics modeling to inform landslide susceptibility and characterizing rock slope instabilities using passive seismic techniques.

Professional Experience

  • 2025-present: Research Civil Engineer, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, CO

  • 2023-2025: Mendenhall Postdoctoral Fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, CO

  • 2017–2019: Physical Scientist, U. S. Geological Survey, Golden, CO

  • 2016–2017: Pathways Intern, U. S. Geological Survey, Golden, CO

Education and Certifications

  • 2023: PhD, Geological Engineering, University of Utah

  • 2017: MS, Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines

  • 2014: BS, Civil Engineering, Columbia University

  • 2012: BA, Physics, Hamilton College

Honors and Awards

  • U. S. Geological Survey Mendenhall Research Fellowship, 2023

  • University Teaching Fellowship, University of Utah, 2021

  • Geological Society of America Graduate Student Research Grant, 2020

  • Geological Society of America Awards for Geochronology Student Research Grant, 2020

  • Itasca Educational Partnership Scholarship, 2019

  • Global Change and Sustainability Center First Year Fellowship, University of Utah, 2019

  • Lemke Scholar, Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists, 2019

Science and Products

No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 14

Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery

In the USA, climate change is expected to have an adverse impact on slope stability in Alaska. However, to date, there has been limited work done in Alaska to assess if changes in slope stability are occurring. To address this issue, we used 30-m Landsat imagery acquired from 1984 to 2016 to establish an inventory of 24 rock avalanches in a 5000-km2 area of Glacier Bay National Park and...
Authors
Jeffrey A. Coe, Erin Bessette-Kirton, M. Geertsema
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery

In the USA, climate change is expected to have an adverse impact on slope stability in Alaska. However, to date, there has been limited work done in Alaska to assess if changes in slope stability are occurring. To address this issue, we used 30-m Landsat imagery acquired from 1984 to 2016 to establish an inventory of 24 rock avalanches in a 5000-km2 area of Glacier Bay National Park and...
Authors
Jeffrey A. Coe, Erin Bessette-Kirton, Marten Geertsema
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Jensen, E. K. & Moore, J. R. (2023). Coevolution of rock slope instability damage and resonance frequencies from distinct-element modeling. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 128, e2023JF007305. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JF007305
Dzubay, A., Moore, J. R., Finnegan, R., Jensen, E. K., Geimer, P. R., & Koper, K. D. Rotational Components of Normal Modes Measured at a Natural Sandstone Tower (Kane Springs Canyon, Utah, USA). The Seismic Record, 2(4), 260-268. https://doi.org/10.1785/0320220035
Bessette-Kirton, E. K., Moore, J. R., Geimer, P. R., Finnegan, R., Häusler, M., & Dzubay, A. (2022). Structural characterization of a toppling rock slab from array-based ambient vibration measurements and numerical modal analysis. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 127(8), e2022JF006679. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006679
Finnegan, R., Moore, J. R., Geimer, P. R., Bessette-Kirton, E. K., & Dzubay, A. (2022). Ground Motion Amplification at Natural Rock Arches in the Colorado Plateau. The Seismic Record, 2(3), 156–166. https://doi.org/10.1785/0320220017
Finnegan, R., Moore, J. R., Geimer, P. R., Dzubay, A., Bessette-Kirton, E. K., Bodtker, J. & Vollinger, K. (2022). Ambient Vibration Modal Analysis of Natural Rock Towers and Fins. Seismological Research Letters 93(3), 1777–1786, https://doi.org/10.1785/0220210325

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

Science and Products

No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 14

Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery

In the USA, climate change is expected to have an adverse impact on slope stability in Alaska. However, to date, there has been limited work done in Alaska to assess if changes in slope stability are occurring. To address this issue, we used 30-m Landsat imagery acquired from 1984 to 2016 to establish an inventory of 24 rock avalanches in a 5000-km2 area of Glacier Bay National Park and...
Authors
Jeffrey A. Coe, Erin Bessette-Kirton, M. Geertsema
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery Increasing rock-avalanche size and mobility in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska detected from 1984 to 2016 Landsat imagery

In the USA, climate change is expected to have an adverse impact on slope stability in Alaska. However, to date, there has been limited work done in Alaska to assess if changes in slope stability are occurring. To address this issue, we used 30-m Landsat imagery acquired from 1984 to 2016 to establish an inventory of 24 rock avalanches in a 5000-km2 area of Glacier Bay National Park and...
Authors
Jeffrey A. Coe, Erin Bessette-Kirton, Marten Geertsema
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Landslide Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Jensen, E. K. & Moore, J. R. (2023). Coevolution of rock slope instability damage and resonance frequencies from distinct-element modeling. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 128, e2023JF007305. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JF007305
Dzubay, A., Moore, J. R., Finnegan, R., Jensen, E. K., Geimer, P. R., & Koper, K. D. Rotational Components of Normal Modes Measured at a Natural Sandstone Tower (Kane Springs Canyon, Utah, USA). The Seismic Record, 2(4), 260-268. https://doi.org/10.1785/0320220035
Bessette-Kirton, E. K., Moore, J. R., Geimer, P. R., Finnegan, R., Häusler, M., & Dzubay, A. (2022). Structural characterization of a toppling rock slab from array-based ambient vibration measurements and numerical modal analysis. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 127(8), e2022JF006679. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006679
Finnegan, R., Moore, J. R., Geimer, P. R., Bessette-Kirton, E. K., & Dzubay, A. (2022). Ground Motion Amplification at Natural Rock Arches in the Colorado Plateau. The Seismic Record, 2(3), 156–166. https://doi.org/10.1785/0320220017
Finnegan, R., Moore, J. R., Geimer, P. R., Dzubay, A., Bessette-Kirton, E. K., Bodtker, J. & Vollinger, K. (2022). Ambient Vibration Modal Analysis of Natural Rock Towers and Fins. Seismological Research Letters 93(3), 1777–1786, https://doi.org/10.1785/0220210325

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

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