Jon Major
My research focuses on hydrological hazards associated with volcanic eruptions and landscape responses to large inputs of sediment, including from dam removals. Projects focus on: (1) identifying hydrogeomorphic processes altered by volcanic disturbance; (2) evaluating hydrogeomorphic consequences; and (3) quantifying characteristic hydrogeomorphic response times and durations.
Professional Experience
Scientist-in-Charge, USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, 2021–present
Research hydrologist, USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, 1997–2021
Hydrologist, USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, 1993–1997
Geologist, USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, 1984–1993
Hydrologic field assistant, technician, USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, 1982–1984
Other professional service:
Panel member, GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology (QG&G) Division, 2002-2004
Secretary, GSA QG&G Division, 2006-2012
Member, International Organizing Committee, International Debris Flow Hazards Mitigation Conferences (DFHM), 2008-2015
Chair, DFHM IOC, 2008-2012Chair, DFHM IOC, 2008-2012
Co-chair of local planning committee for IAVCEI 2017 Scientific Assembly, Portland,
Education and Certifications
University of Dayton, B.S., 1980, Geology
The Pennsylvania State University, M.S., 1984, Geology
University of Washington, Ph.D., 1996, Geology
Affiliations and Memberships*
Geological Society of America
American Geophysical Union
International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of Earth's Interior (IAVCEI)
American Avalanche Association (Member affiliate)
Editor:
Associate editor, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 2000-2011
Associate editor, Journal of Geophysical Research–Earth Surface, 2010-2014
Review editor, Frontiers in Volcanology, 2014 - Present
Co-editor, Geological Society of America Special Paper 375, Natural Hazards in El Salvador
Co-editor, Debris Flow Hazards Mitigation--Mechanics, Prediction, and Assessment: Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Debris Flow Hazards Mitigation (Millpress)
Chief guest editor, Andean Geology issue focused on the eruption of Chaitén Volcano (2013, v. 40(2))
Honors and Awards
Fellow, Geological Society of America (GSA)
E.B. Burwell Award, GSA, 1991
University of Dayton Alumni Special Achievement Award, 1999
Kirk Bryan Award, GSA, 2008
DOI Superior Service Award, 2018
Science and Products
My research publications can be parsed among various disciplinary studies. A full listing can be found on my Google Scholar profile (search for this via your web browser) and under the publications tab listing below. Publication topics include:
- Landslides, debris flows, and slurry rheology
- Volcanic eruptions and volcaniclastic processes (lahars, pyroclastic flows)
- Hydrogeomorphic responses to eruptions
- Geomorphic and ecologic responses to dam removals
- Photogrammetric analyses of eruptive processes
After the disaster: The hydrogeomorphic, ecological, and biological responses to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
Experimental and field observations of breach dynamics accompanying erosion of Marmot Cofferdam, Sandy River, Oregon
Digital Data for Volcano Hazards of the Mount Hood Region, Oregon
Extrusion rate of the Mount St. Helens lava dome estimated from terrestrial imagery, November 2004-December 2005
Remote camera observations of lava dome growth at Mount St. Helens, Washington, October 2004 to February 2006
Initial fluvial response to the removal of Oregon's Marmot Dam
Joint NOAA/NWS/USGS prototype debris flow warning system for recently burned areas in Southern California
The dams come down: Unchaining U.S. Rivers
Debris flow hazards mitigation--Mechanics, prediction, and assessment
Peak flow responses to landscape disturbances caused by the cataclysmic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
Dynamics of seismogenic volcanic extrusion at Mount St Helens in 2004-05
Debris flows at Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA
Science and Products
- Science
- Data
- Publications
My research publications can be parsed among various disciplinary studies. A full listing can be found on my Google Scholar profile (search for this via your web browser) and under the publications tab listing below. Publication topics include:
- Landslides, debris flows, and slurry rheology
- Volcanic eruptions and volcaniclastic processes (lahars, pyroclastic flows)
- Hydrogeomorphic responses to eruptions
- Geomorphic and ecologic responses to dam removals
- Photogrammetric analyses of eruptive processes
Filter Total Items: 99After the disaster: The hydrogeomorphic, ecological, and biological responses to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens caused instantaneous landscape disturbance on a grand scale. On 18 May 1980, an ensemble of volcanic processes, including a debris avalanche, a directed pyroclastic density current, voluminous lahars, and widespread tephra fall, abruptly altered landscape hydrology and geomorphology, and created distinctive disturbance zones having varying impacts on regionalAuthorsJon J. Major, Charlie Crisafulli, John BishopExperimental and field observations of breach dynamics accompanying erosion of Marmot Cofferdam, Sandy River, Oregon
A key issue faced in dam removal is the rate and timing of remobilization and discharge of stored reservoir sediments following the removal. Different removal strategies can result in different trajectories of upstream sediment transport and knickpoint migration. We examine this issue of for the Marmot Dam removal in Sandy River, Oregon, USA using both physical experiments and field studies accompAuthorsG. E. Grant, Jeffrey D. G. Marr, C. Hill, S. Johnson, K. Campbell, O. Mohseni, J.R. Wallick, S.L. Lewis, E. A. O'connor, Jon J. MajorDigital Data for Volcano Hazards of the Mount Hood Region, Oregon
Snow-clad Mount Hood dominates the Cascade skyline from the Portland metropolitan area to the wheat fields of Wasco and Sherman Counties. The mountain contributes valuable water, scenic, and recreational resources that help sustain the agricultural and tourist segments of the economies of surrounding cities and counties. Mount Hood is also one of the major volcanoes of the Cascade Range, having erAuthorsS. P. Schilling, S. Doelger, W. E. Scott, T. C. Pierson, J. E. Costa, C. A. Gardner, J. W. Vallance, Jon J. MajorExtrusion rate of the Mount St. Helens lava dome estimated from terrestrial imagery, November 2004-December 2005
Oblique, terrestrial imagery from a single, fixed-position camera was used to estimate linear extrusion rates during sustained exogenous growth of the Mount St. Helens lava dome from November 2004 through December 2005. During that 14-month period, extrusion rates declined logarithmically from about 8-10 m/d to about 2 m/d. The overall ebbing of effusive output was punctuated, however, by epAuthorsJon J. Major, Cole G. Kingsbury, Michael P. Poland, Richard G. LaHusenRemote camera observations of lava dome growth at Mount St. Helens, Washington, October 2004 to February 2006
Images from a Web-based camera (Webcam) located 8 km north of Mount St. Helens and a network of remote, telemetered digital cameras were used to observe eruptive activity at the volcano between October 2004 and February 2006. The cameras offered the advantages of low cost, low power, flexibility in deployment, and high spatial and temporal resolution. Images obtained from the cameras provided iAuthorsMichael P. Poland, Daniel Dzurisin, Richard G. LaHusen, Jon J. Major, Dennis Lapcewich, Elliot T. Endo, Daniel J. Gooding, Steve P. Schilling, Christine G. JandaInitial fluvial response to the removal of Oregon's Marmot Dam
A temporary, 14‐meter‐high earthen cofferdam standing in place of Marmot Dam was breached on 19 October 2007, allowing the 80‐ kilometer‐long Sandy River to flow freely from Mount Hood, Oreg., to the Columbia River for the first time in nearly 100 years. Marmot Dam is one of the largest dams in the western United States (in terms of height and volume of stored sediment) to have been removed in theAuthorsJon J. Major, Kurt R. Spicer, Abagail Rhode, J. E. O'Connor, Heather M. Bragg, Dwight Q. Tanner, Chauncey W. Anderson, J. Rose Wallick, Gordon E. GrantJoint NOAA/NWS/USGS prototype debris flow warning system for recently burned areas in Southern California
Debris flows, also known as mudslides, are composed gravity-driven mixtures of sediment and water that travel through steep channels, over open hillslopes, and the like. Addressing this issue, US Geological Survey (USGS) and NOAA have established a debris-flow warning system that has the ability to monitor and forecast precipitation and issue timely weather hazard warning. In 2005, this joint NOAAAuthorsP. Restrepo, D.P. Jorgensen, S.H. Cannon, J. Costa, J. Laber, Jon J. Major, B. Martner, J. Purpura, K. WernerThe dams come down: Unchaining U.S. Rivers
No abstract available.AuthorsJ. O'Connor, Jon J. Major, G. GrantDebris flow hazards mitigation--Mechanics, prediction, and assessment
These proceedings contain papers presented at the Fourth International Conference on Debris-Flow Hazards Mitigation: Mechanics, Prediction, and Assessment held in Chengdu, China, September 10-13, 2007. The papers cover a wide range of topics on debris-flow science and engineering, including the factors triggering debris flows, geomorphic effects, mechanics of debris flows (e.g., rheology, fluvPeak flow responses to landscape disturbances caused by the cataclysmic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington
Years of discharge measurements that precede and follow the cataclysmic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington, provide an exceptional opportunity to examine the responses of peak flows to abrupt, widespread, devastating landscape disturbance. Multiple basins surrounding Mount St. Helens (300–1300 km2 drainage areas) were variously disturbed by: (1) a debris avalanche that buried 60 km2 ofAuthorsJon J. Major, Linda E. MarkDynamics of seismogenic volcanic extrusion at Mount St Helens in 2004-05
The 2004-05 eruption of Mount St Helens exhibited sustained, near-equilibrium behaviour characterized by relatively steady extrusion of a solid dacite plug and nearly periodic shallow earthquakes. Here we present a diverse data set to support our hypothesis that these earthquakes resulted from stick-slip motion along the margins of the plug as it was forced incrementally upwards by ascending, soliAuthorsR. M. Iverson, D. Dzurisin, C. A. Gardner, T.M. Gerlach, R.G. LaHusen, M. Lisowski, J. J. Major, S. D. Malone, J.A. Messerich, S.C. Moran, J.S. Pallister, A.I. Qamar, S. P. Schilling, J. W. VallanceDebris flows at Mount St. Helens, Washington, USA
No abstract available.AuthorsJon J. Major, Thomas C. Pierson, Kevin M. Scott - News
*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