Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.
Jeffrey Coe
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 and Certifications
Kent State University, B.S., 1984, Geology
Colorado School of Mines, M.S., 1995, Geology
Science and Products
Barry Arm, Alaska Landslide and Tsunami Monitoring
Potential Landslide Paths and Implications for Tsunami Hazards in Glacier Bay, Alaska – An Initial Investigation
Mountain Permafrost, Climate Change, and Rock Avalanches in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
Millicoma Meander, Elliott State Forest, Oregon
Reconstruction of an Avalanche: The West Salt Creek Rock Avalanche
UAV imagery and digital elevation data for the debris slide in Chaos Canyon, 28 June 2022, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
Field observations of landslides and related materials following Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico
Digital compilation of historical ice terminus positions of tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Inventory map of submarine and subaerial-to-submarine landslide features in Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Slow-moving landslides and subsiding fan deltas mapped from Sentinel-1 InSAR in the Glacier Bay region, Alaska and British Columbia, 2018-2020
Interferometric synthetic aperture radar data from 2021 for landslides at Barry Arm Fjord, Alaska
Simulated inundation extent and depth in Harriman Fjord and Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound, Alaska, resulting from the hypothetical rapid motion of landslides into Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Debris-flow and Flood Video Files, Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA, 2019
Distribution of large boulders on the deposit of the West Salt Creek rock avalanche, western Colorado
Simulated inundation extent and depth at Whittier, Alaska resulting from the hypothetical rapid motion of landslides into Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Debris-flow and Flood Video Files, Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA, 2015
Select model results from simulations of hypothetical rapid failures of landslides into Barry Arm, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Multi-temporal maps of the Montaguto earth flow in southern Italy from 1954 to 2010
Map showing recent (1997-98 El Nino) and historical landslides, Crow Creek and vicinity, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California
Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.
Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.
Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.
Scientist Jonathan Godt samples a landslide headscarp in Alameda County, CA.
Scientist Jonathan Godt samples a landslide headscarp in Alameda County, CA.
Scientists Jonathan Godt and Rex Baum examine a fresh debris-flow deposit near Buena Vista, CO.
Scientists Jonathan Godt and Rex Baum examine a fresh debris-flow deposit near Buena Vista, CO.
A debris flow exceeding a meter in depth rushes towards the monitoring station used to measure basal force and other flow properties.
Captured by automated monitoring camera.
A debris flow exceeding a meter in depth rushes towards the monitoring station used to measure basal force and other flow properties.
Captured by automated monitoring camera.
The 2022 Chaos Canyon landslide in Colorado: Insights revealed by seismic analysis, field investigations, and remote sensing
Fractures, scarps, faults, and landslides mapped using LiDAR, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Kinematic evolution of a large paraglacial landslide in the Barry Arm fjord of Alaska
Bedrock erosion by debris flows at Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA: Implications for bedrock channel evolution
Distribution of large boulders on the deposit of the West Salt Creek rock avalanche, western Colorado
Revising supraglacial rock avalanche magnitudes and frequencies in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
Measuring and attributing sedimentary and geomorphic responses to modern climate change: Challenges and opportunities
Spaceborne InSAR mapping of landslides and subsidence in rapidly deglaciating terrain, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and vicinity, Alaska and British Columbia
Submarine landslide susceptibility mapping in recently deglaciated terrain, Glacier Bay, Alaska
Glacier and permafrost hazards
Preliminary assessment of the wave generating potential from landslides at Barry Arm, Prince William Sound, Alaska
When hazard avoidance is not an option: Lessons learned from monitoring the postdisaster Oso landslide, USA
Science and Products
- Science
Barry Arm, Alaska Landslide and Tsunami Monitoring
A large steep slope in the Barry Arm fjord 30 miles (50 kilometers) northeast of Whittier, Alaska has the potential to fall into the water and generate a tsunami that could have devastating local effects on those who live, work, and recreate in and around Whittier and in northern Prince William Sound.Potential Landslide Paths and Implications for Tsunami Hazards in Glacier Bay, Alaska – An Initial Investigation
Glacier Bay and its inlets are a popular destination for cruise ships and passenger boats; about 540,000 people visited Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GBNPP) in 2017. A typical tour of the Bay traverses the entire length up to the glacier calving viewpoints in the Johns Hopkins and Tarr Inlets. A 2018 article “Landslides and Giant Waves” by the National Park Service (NPS) states, “The...Mountain Permafrost, Climate Change, and Rock Avalanches in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
Release Date: JUNE 18, 2018 We usually hear about landslides and avalanches that are caused by large amounts of rainfall, the shaking from earthquakes, or a volcanic eruption, but we may be hearing more about avalanches caused by the (seemingly innocuous) melting of ice in the coming years.Millicoma Meander, Elliott State Forest, Oregon
The USGS and its cooperators have installed instruments in a steep, recently clear-cut basin in the Elliott State Forest.Reconstruction of an Avalanche: The West Salt Creek Rock Avalanche
Release Date: MAY 25, 2016 The West Salt Creek Rock Avalanche, Colorado, May 25, 2014 - Data
Filter Total Items: 30
UAV imagery and digital elevation data for the debris slide in Chaos Canyon, 28 June 2022, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
This dataset contains a point cloud (HalletPeak_PointCloud.las), digital elevation model (HalletPeak_DEM.tif), and orthoimagery (HalletPeak_Ortho.tif) of a debris slide originating on the southeast flank of Hallett Peak and sliding into Upper Chaos Canyon in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. The slide occurred on 28 June 2022, and imagery was obtained on 15 July 2022. These products werField observations of landslides and related materials following Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico
During September 2017, Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout mountainous regions of Puerto Rico, with more than 71,000 landslides being subsequently identified from aerial imagery (Hughes et al., 2019). Most landslides apparently mobilized as debris flows and occurred within soil (unconsolidated material overlying saprolite and bedrock) and saprolite overlying less-weathered rocDigital compilation of historical ice terminus positions of tidewater glaciers in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
In coastal subarctic environments such as the fjords of Southeast Alaska, tidewater glaciers can control local hydrology, climatic patterns, ecology, and geologic hazards like landslides and consequent tsunami waves. Documenting and studying glacial retreat in fjords can help scientists understand the dynamic systems that are intrinsically tied to glacial ice processes and forecast changes in thesInventory map of submarine and subaerial-to-submarine landslide features in Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Documenting and assessing submarine or subaerial-to-submarine landslides is critical for understanding the history of slope failures and related tsunami impacts in rapidly deglaciating fjord environments. The discovery of the ~500-million-cubic-meter slow-moving subaerial Barry Arm Landslide in northwest Prince William Sound, Alaska (Dai and others, 2020) highlights the need to better understand lSlow-moving landslides and subsiding fan deltas mapped from Sentinel-1 InSAR in the Glacier Bay region, Alaska and British Columbia, 2018-2020
This data release contains four GIS shapefiles, one Google Earth kmz file, and five metadata files that summarize results from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) analyses in the Glacier Bay region of Alaska and British Columbia. The principal shapefile (Moving_Ground) and the kmz file (GBRegionMovingGround) contain polygons delineating slow-moving (0.5-6 cm/year in the radar line-of-Interferometric synthetic aperture radar data from 2021 for landslides at Barry Arm Fjord, Alaska
Subaerial landslides at the head of the Barry Arm fjord remain a tsunami threat for the Prince William Sound region in southern Alaska. Tasked RADARSAT-2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from two ultrafine beam modes (2 m), U19 and U15, were used to measure landslide movement of slopes near the toe of the Barry Glacier between 21 May 2021 and 5 November 2021. Data were acquired every 24 days, wSimulated inundation extent and depth in Harriman Fjord and Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound, Alaska, resulting from the hypothetical rapid motion of landslides into Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Summary This data release contains postprocessed model output from a simulation of hypothetical rapid motion of landslides, subsequent wave generation, and wave propagation. A simulated displacement wave was generated by rapid motion of unstable material into Barry Arm fjord. We consider the wave propagation in Harriman Fjord and Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound (area of interest and placeDebris-flow and Flood Video Files, Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA, 2019
Chalk Cliffs, located 8 miles southwest of Buena Vista, Colorado, is a natural laboratory for research on runoff-initiated debris flows (Coe et al., 2010). In 2019, there were two monitoring stations operating at Chalk Cliffs. The Upper Station drains an area of 0.06 km2 and was used to monitor flow properties and triggering conditions in the headwaters of the study area. It was equipped with twoDistribution of large boulders on the deposit of the West Salt Creek rock avalanche, western Colorado
On May 25th, 2014, a 54.5 Mm3 rock avalanche occurred in the West Salt Creek valley in western Colorado following heavy rainfall on top of snow (Coe and others, 2016a). The data in this project includes boulder density in 20-m x 20-m grid cells for the entire West Salt Creek rock avalanche deposit. The grid cells cover 2,154,800 m2, which accounts for nearly the entire surface of the deposit. We eSimulated inundation extent and depth at Whittier, Alaska resulting from the hypothetical rapid motion of landslides into Barry Arm Fjord, Prince William Sound, Alaska
This data release contains postprocessed model output from simulations of hypothetical rapid motion of landslides, subsequent wave generation, and wave propagation. A modeled tsunami wave was generated by rapid motion of unstable material into Barry Arm Fjord. This wave propagated through Prince William Sound and then into Passage Canal east of Whittier. Here we consider only the largest wave-geneDebris-flow and Flood Video Files, Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA, 2015
Chalk Cliffs, located 8 miles southwest of Buena Vista, Colorado, is one of the most active debris-flow areas in the state (U.S. Geological Survey). Three stations were set up at Chalk Cliffs which are located sequentially along a channel draining the 0.3 km2 study area. These stations are equipped with rain gauges, laser distance meters, and data loggers to record rainfall and stage data (Kean, eSelect model results from simulations of hypothetical rapid failures of landslides into Barry Arm, Prince William Sound, Alaska
This data release contains model output from simulations presented in the associated Open-File Report (Barnhart and others, 2021). In this report, we present model results from four simulations (scenarios C-290, NC-290, C-689, NC-689, Table 1) of hypothetical rapid movement of landslides into adjacent fjord water at Barry Arm, Alaska using the D-Claw model (George and Iverson, 2014; Iverson and Ge - Maps
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, topographic maps, LiDAR data, satellite images, and field obMap showing recent (1997-98 El Nino) and historical landslides, Crow Creek and vicinity, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California
This report documents the spatial distribution of 3,800 landslides caused by 1997-98 El Ni?o winter rainfall in the vicinity of Crow Creek in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California. The report also documents 558 historical (pre-1997-98) landslides. Landslides were mapped from 1:12,000-scale aerial photographs and classified as either debris flows or slides. Slides include rotational and tra - Multimedia
Rock-Fall Estimating
Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.
Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.
Rock-Fall EstimatingGeologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.
Geologist Ed Harp estimates rock-fall susceptibility in American Fork Canyon, UT.
Landslide SamplingScientist Jonathan Godt samples a landslide headscarp in Alameda County, CA.
Scientist Jonathan Godt samples a landslide headscarp in Alameda County, CA.
Debris Flow ResearchScientists Jonathan Godt and Rex Baum examine a fresh debris-flow deposit near Buena Vista, CO.
Scientists Jonathan Godt and Rex Baum examine a fresh debris-flow deposit near Buena Vista, CO.
Debris Flow in ActionA debris flow exceeding a meter in depth rushes towards the monitoring station used to measure basal force and other flow properties.
Captured by automated monitoring camera.
A debris flow exceeding a meter in depth rushes towards the monitoring station used to measure basal force and other flow properties.
Captured by automated monitoring camera.
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 74
The 2022 Chaos Canyon landslide in Colorado: Insights revealed by seismic analysis, field investigations, and remote sensing
An unusual, high-alpine, rapid debris slide originating in ice-rich debris occurred on June 28, 2022, at 16:33:16 MDT at the head of Chaos Canyon, a formerly glacier-covered valley in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA. In this study, we integrate eyewitness videos and seismic records of the event with meteorological data, field observations, pre- and post-event satellite imagery, and uncrewedAuthorsKate E. Allstadt, Jeffrey A. Coe, Elaine Collins, Francis K. Rengers, Anne Mangeney, Scott M. Esser, Jana Pursley, William L. Yeck, John Bellini, Lance R. BradyFractures, scarps, faults, and landslides mapped using LiDAR, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
This map of fractures, scarps, faults, and landslides was completed to identify areas in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve that may present a landslide-generated tsunami hazard. To address the potential of landslide and tsunami hazards in the park, the National Park Service (NPS) and the US Geological Survey (USGS) partnered to conduct a multi-year hazard assessment of Glacier Bay National PaAuthorsChad Hults, Jeffrey A. Coe, Nikita N. AvdievitchKinematic 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 tAuthorsLauren 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 BaxstromBedrock erosion by debris flows at Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA: Implications for bedrock channel evolution
Debris flow erosion into bedrock helps to set the pace of mountain denudation, but there are few empirical observations of this process. We studied the effects of debris flows on bedrock erosion using Structure-From-Motion photogrammetry and multiple real-time monitoring measurements. We found that the distribution of bedrock erosion across the channel cross-section could be generalized as an expoAuthorsFrancis K. Rengers, Jason W. Kean, Jeffrey A. Coe, Megan Hanson, Joel SmithDistribution of large boulders on the deposit of the West Salt Creek rock avalanche, western Colorado
On May 25, 2014, a 54.5-million cubic meter rock avalanche in the West Salt Creek valley, Mesa County, Colorado, traveled 4.6 kilometers, leaving a deposit that covers about 2.2 square kilometers. To check the particle-size distribution of the deposit for information about the high mobility of the avalanche, we estimated boulder distribution density for the entire deposit by counting 1-meter (m) oAuthorsAdrian C. Lewis, Rex L. Baum, Jeffrey A. CoeRevising supraglacial rock avalanche magnitudes and frequencies in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
The frequency of large supraglacial landslides (rock avalanches) occurring in glacial environments is thought to be increasing due to feedbacks with climate warming and permafrost degradation. However, it is difficult to (i) test this; (ii) establish cause–effect relationships; and (iii) determine associated lag-times, due to both temporal and spatial biases in detection rates. Here we applied theAuthorsWilliam Smith, Stuart A. Dunning, Neil Ross, Jon Telling, Erin K. Bessette-Kirton, Dan H. Shugar, Jeffrey A. Coe, M. GeertsemaMeasuring and attributing sedimentary and geomorphic responses to modern climate change: Challenges and opportunities
Today, climate change is affecting virtually all terrestrial and nearshore settings. This commentary discusses the challenges of measuring climate-driven physical landscape responses to modern global warming: short and incomplete data records, land use and seismicity masking climatic effects, biases in data availability and resolution, and signal attenuation in sedimentary systems. We identify oppAuthorsAmy E. East, Jonathan Warrick, Dongfeng Li, Joel B. Sankey, Margaret H. Redsteer, Ann E. Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Coe, Patrick L. BarnardSpaceborne InSAR mapping of landslides and subsidence in rapidly deglaciating terrain, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and vicinity, Alaska and British Columbia
The Glacier Bay area in southeastern Alaska and British Columbia, encompassing Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, has experienced rapid glacier retreat since the end of the Little Ice Age in the mid-1800s. The impact that rapid deglaciation has had on the slope stability of valley walls and on the sedimentation of fans and deltas adjacent to fjords and inlets is an ongoing research topic. UsiAuthorsJinwook Kim, Jeffrey A. Coe, Zhong Lu, Nikita N. Avdievitch, Chad HultsSubmarine landslide susceptibility mapping in recently deglaciated terrain, Glacier Bay, Alaska
Submarine mass wasting events have damaged underwater structures and propagated waves that have inundated towns and affected human populations in nearby coastal areas. Susceptibility to submarine landslides can be pronounced in degrading cryospheric environments, where existing glaciers can provide high volumes of sediment, while cycles of glaciation and ice-loss can damage and destabilize slopes.AuthorsNikita N. Avdievitch, Jeffrey A. CoeGlacier and permafrost hazards
No abstract available.AuthorsG.J. Wolken, A.K. Liljedahl, M. Brubaker, Jeffrey A. Coe, G. Fiske, H.H. Christiansen, M. Jacquemart, B.M. Jones, A. Kaab, F. Løvholt, S. Natali, A.C.A. Rudy, D. StreletskiyPreliminary assessment of the wave generating potential from landslides at Barry Arm, Prince William Sound, Alaska
We simulated the concurrent rapid motion of landslides on an unstable slope at Barry Arm, Alaska. Movement of landslides into the adjacent fjord displaced fjord water and generated a tsunami, which propagated out of Barry Arm. Rather than assuming an initial sea surface height, velocity, and location for the tsunami, we generated the tsunami directly using a model capable of simulating the dynamicAuthorsKatherine R. Barnhart, Ryan P. Jones, David L. George, Jeffrey A. Coe, Dennis M. StaleyWhen 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 collapsAuthorsMark 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 - Web Tools
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