Jeffrey Coe
Biography
I began my career at the USGS in 1988 and joined the Landslide Hazards group in 1996. Early in my career, I was fortunate to work on an assortment of geologic problems (paleoseismology, structural geology, debris-flow hazards) related to the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in Nevada. I’ve been able to utilize this broad base of experience in the Landslide Hazards group, where I’ve worked on a wide variety of landslide types and topics in the US and abroad. I’m currently the chief of the Landslide Magnitude and Mobility research project based in Golden, CO. My broad research focus is on understanding landslide processes and quantifying landslide hazards. I’m currently interested in gaining a better understanding of the impact that climate change will have on landslide hazards.
Education:
Kent State University, B.S., 1984, Geology
Colorado School of Mines, M.S., 1995, Geology
Science and Products
Runoff-generated debris flows: observations and modeling of surge initiation, magnitude, and frequency
Runoff during intense rainstorms plays a major role in generating debris flows in many alpine areas and burned steeplands. Yet compared to debris flow initiation from shallow landslides, the mechanics by which runoff generates a debris flow are less understood. To better understand debris flow initiation by surface water runoff, we monitored flow...
Kean, Jason W.; McCoy, Scott W.; Tucker, Gregory E.; Staley, Dennis M.; Coe, Jeffrey A. Multi-temporal maps of the Montaguto earth flow in southern Italy from 1954 to 2010
Historical movement of the Montaguto earth flow in southern Italy has periodically destroyed residences and farmland, and damaged the Italian National Road SS90 and the Benevento-Foggia National Railway. This paper provides maps from an investigation into the evolution of the Montaguto earth flow from 1954 to 2010. We used aerial photos,...
Guerriero, Luigi; Revellino, Paola; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Focareta, Mariano; Grelle, Gerardo; Albanese, Vincenzo; Corazza, Angelo; Guadagno, Francesco M. Comparison of soil thickness in a zero-order basin in the Oregon Coast Range using a soil probe and electrical resistivity tomography
Accurate estimation of the soil thickness distribution in steepland drainage basins is essential for understanding ecosystem and subsurface response to infiltration. One important aspect of this characterization is assessing the heavy and antecedent rainfall conditions that lead to shallow landsliding. In this paper, we investigate the direct...
Morse, Michael S.; Lu, Ning; Godt, Jonathan W.; Revil, André; Coe, Jeffrey A. Assessment of shallow landslide potential using 1-D and 3-D slope stability analysis
Eberhardt, Erik; Froese, Corey; Turner, Keith; Leroueil, S.; Baum, Rex L.; Godt, Jonathan W.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Reid, Mark E. Review of approaches for assessing the impact of climate change on landslide hazards
Eberhardt, Erik; Froese, Corey; Turner, Keith; Leroueil, S.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Godt, J.W. Sediment entrainment by debris flows: In situ measurements from the headwaters of a steep catchment
Debris flows can dramatically increase their volume, and hence their destructive potential, by entraining sediment. Yet quantitative constraints on rates and mechanics of sediment entrainment by debris flows are limited. Using an in situ sensor network in the headwaters of a natural catchment we measured flow and bed properties during six erosive...
McCoy, S.W.; Kean, Jason W.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Tucker, G.E.; Staley, Dennis M.; Wasklewicz, T.A. Erratum: regional moisture balance control of landslide motion: implications for landslide forecasting in a changing climate
Coe, Jeffrey A. Regional moisture balance control of landslide motion: implications for landslide forecasting in a changing climate
I correlated 12 years of annual movement of 18 points on a large, continuously moving, deep-seated landslide with a regional moisture balance index (moisture balance drought index, MBDI). I used MBDI values calculated from a combination of historical precipitation and air temperature data from A.D. 1895 to 2010, and downscaled climate projections...
Coe, Jeffrey A. Assessment of topographic and drainage network controls on debris-flow travel distance along the west coast of the United States
To better understand controls on debris-flow entrainment and travel distance, we examined topographic and drainage network characteristics of initiation locations in two separate debris-flow prone areas located 700 km apart along the west coast of the U.S. One area was located in northern California, the other in southern Oregon. In both areas,...
Coe, Jeffrey A.; Reid, Mark E.; Brien, Dainne L.; Michael, John A. Observations of debris flows at Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA: Part 2, changes in surface morphometry from terrestrial laser scanning in the summer of 2009
High resolution topographic data that quantify changes in channel form caused by sequential debris flows in natural channels are rare at the reach scale. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) techniques are utilized to capture morphological changes brought about by a high-frequency of debris-flow events at Chalk Cliffs, Colorado. The purpose of this...
Staley, Dennis M.; Wasklewicz, Thad A.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Kean, Jason W.; McCoy, Scott W.; Tucker, Greg E. Observations of debris flows at Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA: Part 1, in-situ measurements of flow dynamics, tracer particle movement and video imagery from the summer of 2009
Debris flows initiated by surface-water runoff during short duration, moderate- to high-intensity rainfall are common in steep, rocky, and sparsely vegetated terrain. Yet large uncertainties remain about the potential for a flow to grow through entrainment of loose debris, which make formulation of accurate mechanical models of debris-flow routing...
McCoy, Scott W.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Kean, Jason W.; Tucker, Greg E.; Staley, Dennis M.; Wasklewicz, Thad A.
Map of debris flows caused by rainfall during 1996 in parts of the Reedsport and Deer Head Point quadrangles, Douglas County, southern Coast Range, Oregon
This 1:12,000-scale map shows an inventory of debris flows caused by rainfall during 1996 in a 94.4 km2 area in the southern Coast Range of Oregon. This map and associated digital data are part of a larger U.S. Geological Survey study of debris flows in the southern Coast Range. Available evidence indicates that the flows were triggered by a rain...
Coe, Jeffrey A.; Michael, John A.; Burgos, Marianela Mercado