Kevin Schmidt is a Research Geologist at the Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center. Kevin received a MSc and a PhD in Geological Sciences from the University of Washington. Since joining the USGS in 1989, he has devoted his career to studying geomorphology and Quaternary studies and specializes in landslide geology and geologic mapping.
Kevin researches geomorphic processes and rates ranging from slope stability and erosion in post-fire steeplands to Quaternary tectonic deformation. He uses Quaternary geologic mapping to elucidate research topics in the contexts of geologic and tectonic evolution, hydrologic routing and storage, vegetation cover and root reinforcement, and landscape recovery from disturbance.
Presently, his research focuses on interpreting the geologic history of Channel Islands National Park.
Professional Experience
1989-1991, 1997-Current, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Geological Sciences, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, 1999
M.Sc., Geological Sciences, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, 1994
B.Sc., Geology and Geophysics, Univ. of California, Berkeley, 1989
Affiliations and Memberships*
2013-present, ecorisQ- International Association for Natural Hazard Risk Management, U.S. Federal Liaison
1999-present, Geological Society of America
1991-present, American Geophysical Union
National Park Service
California Geological Survey
Science and Products
GeoMapping for Integrated Science
Gravity, aeromagnetic, magnetic potential, and physical property data of the Bartlett Springs fault zone and surrounding areas, California
Root thread strength, landslide headscarp geometry, and observed root characteristics at the monitored CB1 landslide, Oregon, USA
Field measurements of rainfall and soil moisture data used to support understanding of infiltration and runoff following the 2007 Canyon Fire, Malibu, CA, USA
Strontium isotope chronostratigraphic age of a sirenian fossil site on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California
From data to interpretable models: Machine learning for soil moisture forecasting
Comparing root cohesion estimates from three models at a shallow landslide in the Oregon Coast Range
When hazard avoidance is not an option: Lessons learned from monitoring the postdisaster Oso landslide, USA
Implementation plan for the southern Pacific Border and Sierra-Cascade Mountains provinces
Renewing the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program as the Nation’s authoritative source for modern geologic knowledge
Influence of pre-existing structure on pluton emplacement and geomorphology: The Merrimac plutons, northern Sierra Nevada, California (USA)
Ten-million years of activity within the Eastern California Shear Zone from U-Pb dating of fault-zone opal
Characterizing the catastrophic 2017 Mud Creek Landslide, California, using repeat Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry
Along the rugged coast of Big Sur, California, the Mud Creek landslide failed catastrophically on May 20, 2017 and destroyed over 400 m of scenic California State Highway 1. We collected structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry data using airborne platforms that, when combined with existing airborne lidar data, revealed that the area exhibited significant topographic change and displacement befo
Hunting for landslides from Cascadia's great earthquakes
Analysis of the age and paleomagnetic orientation of the Broadwell Mesa Basalt, Bristol Mountains, CA
Active tectonics of the northern Mojave Desert: The 2017 Desert Symposium field trip road log
Science and Products
- Science
GeoMapping for Integrated Science
This project uses geologic and geomorphic mapping in the context of societally relevant problems in the Earth’s critical zone. Leveraging interdisciplinary research ties and interagency collaborations, it utilizes remote sensing data, corroborated with field observations, to determine i) the spatial distribution of geomorphic processes and ages of Quaternary deposits in the context of active...ByEarthquake Hazards Program, Landslide Hazards Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Earthquake Science Center, Geologic Hazards Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Big Sur Landslides - Data
Gravity, aeromagnetic, magnetic potential, and physical property data of the Bartlett Springs fault zone and surrounding areas, California
This data release contains principal facts of gravity measurements collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2020-2022, a compilation of existing and new density and magnetic susceptibility data, and gridded magnetic and magnetic potential data of the Bartlett Springs Fault Zone and surrounding areas, northern California. These data support modeling of gravity and magnetic anomalies to characteRoot thread strength, landslide headscarp geometry, and observed root characteristics at the monitored CB1 landslide, Oregon, USA
This data release supports interpretations of field-observed root distributions within a shallow landslide headscarp (CB1) located below Mettman Ridge within the Oregon Coast Range, approximately 15 km northeast of Coos Bay, Oregon, USA. (Schmidt_2021_CB1_topo_far.png and Schmidt_2021_CB1_topo_close.png). Root species, diameter (greater than or equal to 1 mm), general orientation relative to the sField measurements of rainfall and soil moisture data used to support understanding of infiltration and runoff following the 2007 Canyon Fire, Malibu, CA, USA
This data release includes information used to support interpretations of relations between precipitation and soil moisture for a U.S. Geological Survey post-fire monitoring array installed near Malibu, CA following the 2007 Canyon fire. The 3 datasets are: 1) a time series of precipitation from three tipping bucket rain gages in individual files (Schmidt_2020_CANVQRG1.csv, Schmidt_2020_CANVQRG2.c - Publications
Filter Total Items: 39
Strontium isotope chronostratigraphic age of a sirenian fossil site on Santa Rosa Island, Channel Islands National Park, California
Fossils in the order Sirenia (family Dugongidae) from Santa Rosa Island, part of Channel Islands National Park in southern California, provide rare temporal and spatial links between earlier and later evolutionary forms of dugongids, and add information about their dispersal into the northeastern Pacific region. Marine sedimentary rocks containing these fossils have characteristics of both the latAuthorsJames B. Paces, Scott A. Minor, Kevin M. Schmidt, Jonathan HoffmanFrom data to interpretable models: Machine learning for soil moisture forecasting
Soil moisture is critical to agricultural business, ecosystem health, and certain hydrologically driven natural disasters. Monitoring data, though, is prone to instrumental noise, wide ranging extrema, and nonstationary response to rainfall where ground conditions change. Furthermore, existing soil moisture models generally forecast poorly for time periods greater than a few hours. To improve suchAuthorsAniruddha Basak, Kevin M. Schmidt, Ole MengshoelComparing root cohesion estimates from three models at a shallow landslide in the Oregon Coast Range
Although accurate root cohesion model estimates are essential to quantify the effect of vegetation roots on shallow slope stability, few means exist to independently validate such model outputs. One validation approach for cohesion estimates is back-calculation of apparent root cohesion at a landslide site with well-documented failure conditions. The catchment named CB1, near Coos Bay, Oregon, USAAuthorsCollin Cronkite-Ratcliff, Kevin M. Schmidt, Charlotte WirionWhen 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. GeorgeImplementation plan for the southern Pacific Border and Sierra-Cascade Mountains provinces
IntroductionThe National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP) is publishing a strategic plan titled Renewing the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program as the Nation’s Authoritative Source for Modern Geologic Knowledge (Brock and others, in press). The plan provides a vision, mission, and goals for the program during the years 2020–2030, which are:Vision.—Create an integrated, threeAuthorsVictoria E. Langenheim, Russell W. Graymer, Robert E. Powell, Kevin M. Schmidt, Donald S. SweetkindRenewing the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program as the Nation’s authoritative source for modern geologic knowledge
This document presents the renewed vision, mission, and goals for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program (NCGMP). The NCGMP, as authorized by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-285, 106 Stat. 166 and its reauthorizations), is tasked with expediting the production of a geologic database for the Nation based on modern geologic maps and their supporting dAuthorsJohn Brock, Karen Berry, James Faulds, Richard Berg, Kyle House, Michael Marketti, Darcy McPhee, Kevin M. Schmidt, James Schmitt, David R. Soller, David Spears, Ren A. Thompson, Harvey Thorleifson, Gregory J. WalshInfluence of pre-existing structure on pluton emplacement and geomorphology: The Merrimac plutons, northern Sierra Nevada, California (USA)
In much of the western Cordillera of North America, the geologic framework of crustal structure generated in the Mesozoic leaves an imprint on later plutonic emplacement, subsequent structural setting, and present landscape morphology. The Merrimac plutons in the northern Sierra Nevada (California, USA) are a good example of the influence of pre-existing structure at a larger scale. This paper updAuthorsVictoria Langenheim, Jorge A. Vazquez, Kevin M. Schmidt, Giovanni Jr. Guglielmo, Donald S. SweetkindTen-million years of activity within the Eastern California Shear Zone from U-Pb dating of fault-zone opal
Reconstructions of long-term fault activity are essential for understanding both the mechanisms controlling fault behavior and accurate earthquake hazard assessments. Increasing evidence for temporal variations in strain accumulation suggests non-uniform strain rates over a range of historic to geologic timescales. The paucity of long-term records of fault activity has limited our ability to resolAuthorsPerach Nuriel, David M. Miller, Kevin M. Schmidt, Matthew A. Coble, Kate MaherCharacterizing the catastrophic 2017 Mud Creek Landslide, California, using repeat Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry
Along the rugged coast of Big Sur, California, the Mud Creek landslide failed catastrophically on May 20, 2017 and destroyed over 400 m of scenic California State Highway 1. We collected structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry data using airborne platforms that, when combined with existing airborne lidar data, revealed that the area exhibited significant topographic change and displacement befo
AuthorsJonathan Warrick, Andrew C. Ritchie, Mark E. Reid, Kevin M. Schmidt, Joshua B. LoganHunting for landslides from Cascadia's great earthquakes
No abstract available.AuthorsJonathan P. Perkins, Joshua J. Roering, William J. Burns, William Strubel, Bryan A. Black, Kevin Schmidt, Alison Duvall, Nancy C. CalhounAnalysis of the age and paleomagnetic orientation of the Broadwell Mesa Basalt, Bristol Mountains, CA
To add to the regional paleomagnetic data documenting block rotation in eastern California, we determined the age and paleomagnetic rotation of the Broadwell Mesa basalt, a basalt in the Bristol Mountains, CA as part of an effort to constrain the timing and rotation of blocks adjacent to the fault. The east-striking sinistral Broadwell Mesa fault cuts and separates the basalt into two outcrops. AnAuthorsGeoffrey Phelps, John Hillhouse, Robert J. Fleck, David M. Miller, David C. Buesch, Andrew J. Cyr, Kevin M. SchmidtActive tectonics of the northern Mojave Desert: The 2017 Desert Symposium field trip road log
The 2017 Desert Symposium field trip will highlight recent work by the U.S. Geological Survey geologists and geophysicists, who have been mapping young sediment and geomorphology associated with active tectonic features in the least well-known part of the eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ). This area, stretching from Barstow eastward in a giant arc to end near the Granite Mountains on the southAuthorsDavid M. Miller, R.E. Reynolds, Geoffrey Phelps, Jeffrey S. Honke, Andrew J. Cyr, David C. Buesch, Kevin M. Schmidt, G. Losson - 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