Jonathan Godt
Jonathan is the Program Coordinator for Landslide Hazards and leads the only federal program dedicated to landslide science and risk reduction.
As the Program Coordinator for Landslide Hazards, I am the principal voice for USGS landslide science for the public, media, Congress, states, and other partners. I am responsible for the scientific direction and priorities of the program and oversee its interactions with USGS Science Centers. I began my career with the USGS as a graduate student and until 2014 was a Research Physical Scientists focusing on understanding the physical processes controlling landslide initiation. I have led several technical assistance teams responding to disasters both domestically and abroad, helping inform emergency management and other decisions. I have acted in several other leadership positions in the Natural Hazards Mission Area.
Professional Experience
2014 to present – Program Coordinator, Landslide Hazards, U.S. Geological Survey Natural Hazards Mission Area, Golden, CO.
January 2023 to January 2024 – Acting Program Coordinator, Volcano Hazards, U.S. Geological Survey Natural Hazards Mission Area, Golden, CO.
July 2022 to December 2022 – Acting Associate Director U.S. Geological Survey Natural Hazards Mission Area, Golden, CO.
February 2019 to April 2020 – Acting Senior Science Advisor for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards, U.S. Geological Survey Natural Hazards Mission Area, Golden, CO.
1998 to 2014 – Research Physical Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Golden CO.
Education and Certifications
2004 – Ph.D. Geography, University of Colorado, Boulder
1998 – M.S. Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Denver
1990 – B.A. Political Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette
Honors and Awards
2022 Department of the Interior Meritorious Service Award for outstanding contributions to the USGS in improving the Nation’s preparedness for landslide and other geologic hazards.
Science and Products
Elucidating the role of vegetation in the initiation of rainfall-induced shallow landslides: Insights from an extreme rainfall event in the Colorado Front Range
Geomorphological control on variably saturated hillslope hydrology and slope instability
The influence of vegetation cover on debris-flow density during an extreme rainfall in the northern Colorado Front Range
Simulated effect of topography and soil properties on hydrologic response and landslide potential under variable rainfall conditions in the Oregon Coast Range, USA
USGS approach to real-time estimation of earthquake-triggered ground failure - Results of 2015 workshop
New insights into debris-flow hazards from an extraordinary event in the Colorado Front Range
Application of a process-based shallow landslide hazard model over a broad area in Central Italy
Effect of antecedent-hydrological conditions on rainfall triggering of debris flows in ash-fall pyroclastic mantled slopes of Campania (southern Italy)
Controls on the breach geometry and flood hydrograph during overtopping of non-cohesive earthen dams
High-rate injection is associated with the increase in U.S. mid-continent seismicity
Landslide mobility and hazards: implications of the 2014 Oso disaster
Closing the loop of the soil water retention curve
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 79
Elucidating the role of vegetation in the initiation of rainfall-induced shallow landslides: Insights from an extreme rainfall event in the Colorado Front Range
More than 1100 debris flows were mobilized from shallow landslides during a rainstorm from 9 to 13 September 2013 in the Colorado Front Range, with the vast majority initiating on sparsely vegetated, south facing terrain. To investigate the physical processes responsible for the observed aspect control, we made measurements of soil properties on a densely forested north facing hillslope and a grasAuthorsLuke McGuire, Francis K. Rengers, Jason W. Kean, Jeffrey A. Coe, Benjamin B. Mirus, Rex L. Baum, Jonathan W. GodtGeomorphological control on variably saturated hillslope hydrology and slope instability
In steep topography, the processes governing variably saturated subsurface hydrologic response and the interparticle stresses leading to shallow landslide initiation are physically linked. However, these processes are usually analyzed separately. Here, we take a combined approach, simultaneously analyzing the influence of topography on both hillslope hydrology and the effective stress fields withiAuthorsFormetta Giuseppe, Silvia Simoni, Jonathan W. Godt, Ning Lu, Riccardo RigonThe influence of vegetation cover on debris-flow density during an extreme rainfall in the northern Colorado Front Range
We explored regional influences on debris-flow initiation throughout the Colorado Front Range (Colorado, USA) by exploiting a unique data set of more than 1100 debris flows that initiated during a 5 day rainstorm in 2013. Using geospatial data, we examined the influence of rain, hillslope angle, hillslope aspect, and vegetation density on debris-flow initiation. In particular we used a greenness iAuthorsFrancis K. Rengers, Luke McGuire, Jeffrey A. Coe, Jason W. Kean, Rex L. Baum, Dennis M. Staley, Jonathan W. GodtSimulated effect of topography and soil properties on hydrologic response and landslide potential under variable rainfall conditions in the Oregon Coast Range, USA
No abstract available.AuthorsBenjamin B. Mirus, Joel B. Smith, Jonathan W. Godt, R.L. Baum, Jeffrey A. CoeUSGS approach to real-time estimation of earthquake-triggered ground failure - Results of 2015 workshop
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazards and Landslide Hazards Programs are developing plans to add quantitative hazard assessments of earthquake-triggered landsliding and liquefaction to existing real-time earthquake products (ShakeMap, ShakeCast, PAGER) using open and readily available methodologies and products. To date, prototype global statistical models have been developed and arAuthorsKate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, David J. Wald, Michael W. Hamburger, Jonathan W. Godt, Keith L. Knudsen, Randall W. Jibson, M. Anna Jessee, Jing Zhu, Michael Hearne, Laurie G. Baise, Hakan Tanyas, Kristin D. MaranoNew insights into debris-flow hazards from an extraordinary event in the Colorado Front Range
Rainfall on 9–13 September 2013 triggered at least 1,138 debris flows in a 3430 km2 area of the Colorado Front Range. The historical record reveals that the occurrence of these flows over such a large area in the interior of North America is highly unusual. Rainfall that triggered the debris flows began after ~75 mm of antecedent rain had fallen, a relatively low amount compared to other parts ofAuthorsJeffrey A. Coe, Jason W. Kean, Jonathan W. Godt, Rex L. Baum, Eric S. Jones, David Gochis, Gregory S AndersonApplication of a process-based shallow landslide hazard model over a broad area in Central Italy
Process-based models are widely used for rainfall-induced shallow landslide forecasting. Previous studies have successfully applied the U.S. Geological Survey’s Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-Based Regional Slope-Stability (TRIGRS) model (Baum et al. 2002) to compute infiltration-driven changes in the hillslopes’ factor of safety on small scales (i.e., tens of square kilometers). Soil daAuthorsEleonora Gioia, Gabriella Speranza, Maurizio Ferretti, Jonathan W. Godt, Rex L. Baum, Fausto MarincioniEffect of antecedent-hydrological conditions on rainfall triggering of debris flows in ash-fall pyroclastic mantled slopes of Campania (southern Italy)
Mountainous areas surrounding the Campanian Plain and the Somma-Vesuvius volcano (southern Italy) are among the most risky areas of Italy due to the repeated occurrence of rainfallinduced debris flows along ash-fall pyroclastic soil-mantled slopes. In this geomorphological framework, rainfall patterns, hydrological processes taking place within multi-layered ash-fall pyroclastic deposits and soilAuthorsE. Napolitano, F Fusco, Rex L. Baum, Jonathan W. Godt, P. De VitaControls on the breach geometry and flood hydrograph during overtopping of non-cohesive earthen dams
Overtopping failure of non-cohesive earthen dams was investigated in 13 large-scale experiments with dams built of compacted, damp, fine-grained sand. Breaching was initiated by cutting a notch across the dam crest and allowing water escaping from a finite upstream reservoir to form its own channel. The channel developed a stepped profile, and upstream migration of the steps, which coalesced intoAuthorsJoseph S. Walder, Richard M. Iverson, Jonathan W. Godt, Matthew Logan, Stephen A. SolovitzHigh-rate injection is associated with the increase in U.S. mid-continent seismicity
An unprecedented increase in earthquakes in the U.S. mid-continent began in 2009. Many of these earthquakes have been documented as induced by wastewater injection. We examine the relationship between wastewater injection and U.S. mid-continent seismicity using a newly assembled injection well database for the central and eastern United States. We find that the entire increase in earthquake rate iAuthorsMatthew Weingarten, Shemin Ge, Jonathan W. Godt, Barbara A. Bekins, Justin L. RubinsteinLandslide mobility and hazards: implications of the 2014 Oso disaster
Landslides reflect landscape instability that evolves over meteorological and geological timescales, and they also pose threats to people, property, and the environment. The severity of these threats depends largely on landslide speed and travel distance, which are collectively described as landslide “mobility”. To investigate causes and effects of mobility, we focus on a disastrous landslide thatAuthorsRichard M. Iverson, David L. George, Kate E. Allstadt, Mark E. Reid, Brian D. Collins, James W. Vallance, Steve P. Schilling, Jonathan W. Godt, Charles Cannon, Christopher S. Magirl, Rex L. Baum, Jeffrey A. Coe, William Schulz, J. Brent BowerClosing the loop of the soil water retention curve
The authors, to their knowledge for the first time, produced two complete principal soil water retention curves (SWRCs) under both positive and negative matric suction regimes. An innovative testing technique combining the transient water release and imbibition method (TRIM) and constant flow method (CFM) was used to identify the principal paths of SWRC in the positive pore-water pressure regime uAuthorsNing Lu, N Alsherif, Alexandra Wayllace, Jonathan W. Godt - Science
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