Kelli Baxstrom
Kelli joined the Landslide Hazards Program as a Geologist in January, 2020. She uses remote sensing and installs monitoring equipment to support hazards research for landslides.
Kelli supports a wide variety of research related to understanding and quantifying landslide hazards, including field mapping, installation of hydrologic monitoring stations, and remote mapping of landslide events.
Before Kelli came to the USGS, she worked for the National Park Service.
Professional Experience
2020-Present Geologist, USGS Geologic Hazards Science Center, Golden, CO
2019 - Interpretive Ranger, Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
Education and Certifications
Ohio University, MS, 2019, Geological Sciences
The College of Wooster, BA, 2016, Geology
The College of Wooster, BA, 2016, Religious Studies
Science and Products
Puerto Rico Landslide Monitoring Network
The USGS and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez installed instruments to monitor hillslope hydrological conditions in fifteen municipalities in mountainous regions across Puerto Rico.
Results from dynamic cone penetration testing of soils on the Utuado Batholith, upland and dissected terrains, Puerto Rico – March 2022
A Smart Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) system allows for the partially automated collection of cone penetrometer data (CPT) to determine mechanical properties of soil along a vertical profile. A smart DCP system was used to collect soil penetration-with-depth values at 16 sites along three transects on the Utuado Batholith, a late Cretaceous age granodiorite pluton located on the northern portion
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in select areas of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria brought intense rainfall and caused widespread landsliding throughout Puerto Rico during September 2017. Previous detailed landslide inventories following the hurricane include Bessette-Kirton et al. (2017, 2019). Here we continue that work with an in-depth look at two areas in San Lorenzo, which is a municipality in the east-central part of the main island. To study a characterist
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in two study areas in the Las Marías Municipality, Puerto Rico
In late September 2017, intense precipitation associated with Hurricane Maria caused extensive landsliding across Puerto Rico. Much of the Las Marías municipality in central-western Puerto Rico was severely impacted by landslides. Landslide density in this region was mapped as greater than 25 landslides/km² (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019). In order to better understand the controlling variables of
Modified basal contact of the Tertiary Lares Limestone in the vicinity of Utuado, Puerto Rico, USA, derived from USGS Open-File Report 98-038
This dataset comprises a vector shapefile of the Puerto Rico geologic map from Bawiec et al. (1999), clipped to study areas in the Lares, Utuado, and Naranjito municipalities, with a modified basal contact of the Tertiary Lares Limestone (Tla) re-mapped using a lidar-derived digital elevation model (DEM) (USGS, 2018). The limestone unit of interest forms a prominent break in slope with the underly
Earthquake triggered ground failure associated with the M7.1 2018 southcentral Alaska Earthquake (ver. 2.0, December 2023)
The November 30, 2018, magnitude (Mw) 7.1 Anchorage, Alaska earthquake triggered substantial ground failure throughout Anchorage and surrounding areas (Grant et al., 2020; Jibson et al., 2020). The earthquake was an intraslab event with a focal depth of about 47 km and an epicenter about 16 km north of the city of Anchorage. Peak ground accelerations reached ∼30% g. Despite the relatively low seve
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in the greater karst region of northwest Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout Puerto Rico in September 2017. While the majority of landslide inventories following the hurricane focused on mountainous regions underlain by igneous and volcaniclastic bedrock (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2017, 2019), here we fill an important knowledge gap and document the occurrence of landslides along the greater karst region on the northwe
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in four study areas in the Utuado Municipality, Puerto Rico
In late September 2017, intense precipitation associated with Hurricane Maria caused extensive landsliding across Puerto Rico. Much of the Utuado municipality in central Puerto Rico was severely impacted by landslides. Landslide density in this region was mapped as greater than 25 landslides/km2 (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019). In order to better understand the controlling variables of landslide oc
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in a section of Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout Puerto Rico during September 2017. Previous detailed landslide inventories following the hurricane include Bessette-Kirton et al. (2017, 2019). Here we continue that work with an in-depth look at a portion of northwest Naranjito, which is a municipality in the northeastern part of the main island. To study a characteristic sample of landslid
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in three study areas in the Lares Municipality, Puerto Rico
In late September 2017, intense precipitation associated with Hurricane Maria caused extensive landsliding across Puerto Rico. Much of the Lares municipality in central-western Puerto Rico was severely impacted by landslides. Landslide density in this region was mapped as greater than 25 landslides/km2 (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019). In order to better understand the controlling variables of lands
Earthquake-triggered ground-failure inventory associated with the M7.1 2018 Southcentral Alaska earthquake
The 30 November 2018, magnitude (Mw) 7.1 earthquake in Southcentral Alaska triggered substantial landslides, liquefaction, and ground cracking throughout the region, resulting in widespread geotechnical damage to buildings and infrastructure. Despite a challenging reconnaissance and remote-sensing environment, we constructed a detailed digital inventory of ground failure associated with the event
Authors
Sabrina N. Martinez, Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Sonia Ellison, Lauren N. Schaefer, Kelli Wadsworth Baxstrom
Kinematic 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 t
Authors
Lauren 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 Baxstrom
Geologic controls of slow-moving landslides near the U.S. West Coast
Slow-moving landslides, often with nearly imperceptible creeping motion, are an important landscape shaper and a dangerous natural hazard across the globe, yet their spatial distribution and geologic controls are still poorly known owing to a paucity of detailed, large-area observations. Here, we use interferometry of L-band satellite radar images to reveal 617 spatially large (4 × 104–13 × 106 m2
Authors
Yuankun Xu, William Schulz, Zhong Lu, Jinwook Kim, Kelli Wadsworth Baxstrom
Science and Products
Puerto Rico Landslide Monitoring Network
The USGS and the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez installed instruments to monitor hillslope hydrological conditions in fifteen municipalities in mountainous regions across Puerto Rico.
Results from dynamic cone penetration testing of soils on the Utuado Batholith, upland and dissected terrains, Puerto Rico – March 2022
A Smart Dynamic Cone Penetrometer (DCP) system allows for the partially automated collection of cone penetrometer data (CPT) to determine mechanical properties of soil along a vertical profile. A smart DCP system was used to collect soil penetration-with-depth values at 16 sites along three transects on the Utuado Batholith, a late Cretaceous age granodiorite pluton located on the northern portion
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in select areas of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria brought intense rainfall and caused widespread landsliding throughout Puerto Rico during September 2017. Previous detailed landslide inventories following the hurricane include Bessette-Kirton et al. (2017, 2019). Here we continue that work with an in-depth look at two areas in San Lorenzo, which is a municipality in the east-central part of the main island. To study a characterist
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in two study areas in the Las Marías Municipality, Puerto Rico
In late September 2017, intense precipitation associated with Hurricane Maria caused extensive landsliding across Puerto Rico. Much of the Las Marías municipality in central-western Puerto Rico was severely impacted by landslides. Landslide density in this region was mapped as greater than 25 landslides/km² (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019). In order to better understand the controlling variables of
Modified basal contact of the Tertiary Lares Limestone in the vicinity of Utuado, Puerto Rico, USA, derived from USGS Open-File Report 98-038
This dataset comprises a vector shapefile of the Puerto Rico geologic map from Bawiec et al. (1999), clipped to study areas in the Lares, Utuado, and Naranjito municipalities, with a modified basal contact of the Tertiary Lares Limestone (Tla) re-mapped using a lidar-derived digital elevation model (DEM) (USGS, 2018). The limestone unit of interest forms a prominent break in slope with the underly
Earthquake triggered ground failure associated with the M7.1 2018 southcentral Alaska Earthquake (ver. 2.0, December 2023)
The November 30, 2018, magnitude (Mw) 7.1 Anchorage, Alaska earthquake triggered substantial ground failure throughout Anchorage and surrounding areas (Grant et al., 2020; Jibson et al., 2020). The earthquake was an intraslab event with a focal depth of about 47 km and an epicenter about 16 km north of the city of Anchorage. Peak ground accelerations reached ∼30% g. Despite the relatively low seve
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in the greater karst region of northwest Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout Puerto Rico in September 2017. While the majority of landslide inventories following the hurricane focused on mountainous regions underlain by igneous and volcaniclastic bedrock (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2017, 2019), here we fill an important knowledge gap and document the occurrence of landslides along the greater karst region on the northwe
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in four study areas in the Utuado Municipality, Puerto Rico
In late September 2017, intense precipitation associated with Hurricane Maria caused extensive landsliding across Puerto Rico. Much of the Utuado municipality in central Puerto Rico was severely impacted by landslides. Landslide density in this region was mapped as greater than 25 landslides/km2 (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019). In order to better understand the controlling variables of landslide oc
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in a section of Naranjito, Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout Puerto Rico during September 2017. Previous detailed landslide inventories following the hurricane include Bessette-Kirton et al. (2017, 2019). Here we continue that work with an in-depth look at a portion of northwest Naranjito, which is a municipality in the northeastern part of the main island. To study a characteristic sample of landslid
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in three study areas in the Lares Municipality, Puerto Rico
In late September 2017, intense precipitation associated with Hurricane Maria caused extensive landsliding across Puerto Rico. Much of the Lares municipality in central-western Puerto Rico was severely impacted by landslides. Landslide density in this region was mapped as greater than 25 landslides/km2 (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019). In order to better understand the controlling variables of lands
Earthquake-triggered ground-failure inventory associated with the M7.1 2018 Southcentral Alaska earthquake
The 30 November 2018, magnitude (Mw) 7.1 earthquake in Southcentral Alaska triggered substantial landslides, liquefaction, and ground cracking throughout the region, resulting in widespread geotechnical damage to buildings and infrastructure. Despite a challenging reconnaissance and remote-sensing environment, we constructed a detailed digital inventory of ground failure associated with the event
Authors
Sabrina N. Martinez, Kate E. Allstadt, Eric M. Thompson, Sonia Ellison, Lauren N. Schaefer, Kelli Wadsworth Baxstrom
Kinematic 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 t
Authors
Lauren 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 Baxstrom
Geologic controls of slow-moving landslides near the U.S. West Coast
Slow-moving landslides, often with nearly imperceptible creeping motion, are an important landscape shaper and a dangerous natural hazard across the globe, yet their spatial distribution and geologic controls are still poorly known owing to a paucity of detailed, large-area observations. Here, we use interferometry of L-band satellite radar images to reveal 617 spatially large (4 × 104–13 × 106 m2
Authors
Yuankun Xu, William Schulz, Zhong Lu, Jinwook Kim, Kelli Wadsworth Baxstrom