Richard M. Iverson (Former Employee)
Science and Products
My research career, including information about the debris flow experimental flume facility, is docuymented in this memoir.
Landslide disparities, flume discoveries, and Oso despair Landslide disparities, flume discoveries, and Oso despair
Landslide dynamics is the branch of science that seeks to understand the motion of landslides by applying Newton's laws. This memoir focusses on a 40‐year effort to understand motion of highly mobile—and highly lethal—landslides such as debris avalanches and debris flows. A major component of this work entailed development and operation of the U.S. Geological Survey debris flow flume, a...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson
Filter Total Items: 120
Flow of variably fluidized granular masses across three-dimensional terrain I. Coulomb mixture theory Flow of variably fluidized granular masses across three-dimensional terrain I. Coulomb mixture theory
Rock avalanches, debris flows, and related phenomena consist of grain-fluid mixtures that move across three-dimensional terrain. In all these phenomena the same basic forces, govern motion, but differing mixture compositions, initial conditions, and boundary conditions yield varied dynamics and deposits. To predict motion of diverse grain-fluid masses from initiation to deposition, we...
Authors
R.M. Iverson, R.P. Denlinger
New views of granular mass flows New views of granular mass flows
Concentrated grain-fluid mixtures in rock avalanches, debris flows, and pyroclastic flows do not behave as simple materials with fixed rheologies. Instead, rheology evolves as mixture agitation, grain concentration, and fluid-pressure change during flow initiation, transit, and deposition. Throughout a flow, however, normal forces on planes parallel to the free upper surface...
Authors
R.M. Iverson, J.W. Vallance
Two-phase debris-flow across 3-D terrain: model predictions and experimental tests Two-phase debris-flow across 3-D terrain: model predictions and experimental tests
No abstract available.
Authors
R.M. Iverson, R.P. Denlinger, R.G. LaHusen, M. Logan
Landslide triggering by rain infiltration Landslide triggering by rain infiltration
Landsliding in response to rainfall involves physical processes that operate on disparate timescales. Relationships between these timescales guide development of a mathematical model that uses reduced forms of Richards equation to evaluate effects of rainfall infiltration on landslide occurrence, timing, depth, and acceleration in diverse situations. The longest pertinent timescale is A...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson
Acute sensitivity of landslide rates to initial soil porosity Acute sensitivity of landslide rates to initial soil porosity
Some landslides move imperceptibly downslope, whereas others accelerate catastrophically. Experimental landslides triggered by rising pore water pressure moved at sharply contrasting rates due to small differences in initial porosity. Wet sandy soil with porosity of about 0.5 contracted during slope failure, partially liquefied, and accelerated within 1 second to speeds over I meter per...
Authors
R.M. Iverson, M.E. Reid, N.R. Iverson, R.G. LaHusen, M. Logan, J.E. Mann, D.L. Brien
Experimental testing of flexible barriers for containment of debris flows Experimental testing of flexible barriers for containment of debris flows
In June 1996, six experiments conducted at the U.S. Geological Survey Debris Flow Flume demonstrated that flexible, vertical barriers constructed of wire rope netting can stop small debris flows. All experimental debris flows consisted of water-saturated gravelly sand with less than two percent finer sediment by weight. All debris flows had volumes of about 10 cubic meters, masses of...
Authors
Jay S. DeNatale, Richard M. Iverson, Jon J. Major, Richard G. LaHusen, Gregg L. Fliegel, John D. Duffy
Debris-flow deposition: Effects of pore-fluid pressure and friction concentrated at flow margins Debris-flow deposition: Effects of pore-fluid pressure and friction concentrated at flow margins
Measurements of pore-fluid pressure and total bed-normal stress at the base of several ∼10 m3 experimental debris flows provide new insight into the process of debris-flow deposition. Pore-fluid pressures nearly sufficient to cause liquefaction were developed and maintained during flow mobilization and acceleration, persisted in debris-flow interiors during flow deceleration and...
Authors
J. J. Major, R.M. Iverson
Objective delineation of lahar-inundation hazard zones Objective delineation of lahar-inundation hazard zones
A new method of delineating lahar hazard zones in valleys that head on volcano flanks provides a rapid, objective, reproducible alternative to traditional methods. The rationale for the method derives from scaling analyses of generic lahar paths and statistical analyses of 27 lahar paths documented at nine volcanoes. Together these analyses yield semiempirical equations that predict...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson, Steven P. Schilling
Experimental analysis of debris-flow deposition--process and effects of pore-fluid pressure Experimental analysis of debris-flow deposition--process and effects of pore-fluid pressure
No abstract available.
Authors
Jon J. Major, Richard M. Iverson
Response of flexible wire rope barriers to debris-flow loading Response of flexible wire rope barriers to debris-flow loading
No abstract available.
Authors
Jay S. DeNatale, Gregg L. Fiegel, Richard M. Iverson, Jon J. Major, Richard G. Lahusen, John D. Duffy, Gregory D. Fisher
Discussion and closure: Slope instability from ground-water seepage Discussion and closure: Slope instability from ground-water seepage
No abstract available.
Authors
Richard M. Iverson, Muniram Budhu, Roger Gobin
The physics of debris flows The physics of debris flows
Recent advances in theory and experimentation motivate a thorough reassessment of the physics of debris flows. Analyses of flows of dry, granular solids and solid-fluid mixtures provide a foundation for a comprehensive debris flow theory, and experiments provide data that reveal the strengths and limitations of theoretical models. Both debris flow materials and dry granular materials can...
Authors
R.M. Iverson
Non-USGS Publications**
Iverson, R.M., 1980, Processes of accelerated pluvial erosion on desert hillslopes modified by vehicular traffic: Earth Surface Processes, v. 5, no. 4, p. 369‑388.
Iverson, R.M., Hinckley, B.S., Webb, R.H., and Hallet, B., 1981, Physical effects of vehicular disturbances on arid landscapes: Science, v. 212, no. 4497, p. 915‑917.
Hinckley, B.S., Iverson, R.M., and Hallet, B., 1983, Accelerated water erosion in ORV‑use areas: Environmental Effects of Off-road Vehicles: Impacts and Management in Arid Regions, R.H. Webb and H.G. Wilshire, eds., Springer‑Verlag, New York, p. 81‑94.
Elvidge, C.D., and Iverson, R.M., 1983, Regeneration of desert pavement and desert varnish: Environmental Effects of Off-road Vehicles: Impacts and Management in Arid regions, R.H. Webb and H.G. Wilshire, eds., Springer‑Verlag, New York, p. 225‑241.
Iverson, R.M., 1983, Discussion of "A model for creeping flow in landslides" by W.Z. Savage and A.F. Chleborad: Bulletin of the Association of Engineering Geologists, v. 20, no. 4, p. 455‑459.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
My research career, including information about the debris flow experimental flume facility, is docuymented in this memoir.
Landslide disparities, flume discoveries, and Oso despair Landslide disparities, flume discoveries, and Oso despair
Landslide dynamics is the branch of science that seeks to understand the motion of landslides by applying Newton's laws. This memoir focusses on a 40‐year effort to understand motion of highly mobile—and highly lethal—landslides such as debris avalanches and debris flows. A major component of this work entailed development and operation of the U.S. Geological Survey debris flow flume, a...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson
Filter Total Items: 120
Flow of variably fluidized granular masses across three-dimensional terrain I. Coulomb mixture theory Flow of variably fluidized granular masses across three-dimensional terrain I. Coulomb mixture theory
Rock avalanches, debris flows, and related phenomena consist of grain-fluid mixtures that move across three-dimensional terrain. In all these phenomena the same basic forces, govern motion, but differing mixture compositions, initial conditions, and boundary conditions yield varied dynamics and deposits. To predict motion of diverse grain-fluid masses from initiation to deposition, we...
Authors
R.M. Iverson, R.P. Denlinger
New views of granular mass flows New views of granular mass flows
Concentrated grain-fluid mixtures in rock avalanches, debris flows, and pyroclastic flows do not behave as simple materials with fixed rheologies. Instead, rheology evolves as mixture agitation, grain concentration, and fluid-pressure change during flow initiation, transit, and deposition. Throughout a flow, however, normal forces on planes parallel to the free upper surface...
Authors
R.M. Iverson, J.W. Vallance
Two-phase debris-flow across 3-D terrain: model predictions and experimental tests Two-phase debris-flow across 3-D terrain: model predictions and experimental tests
No abstract available.
Authors
R.M. Iverson, R.P. Denlinger, R.G. LaHusen, M. Logan
Landslide triggering by rain infiltration Landslide triggering by rain infiltration
Landsliding in response to rainfall involves physical processes that operate on disparate timescales. Relationships between these timescales guide development of a mathematical model that uses reduced forms of Richards equation to evaluate effects of rainfall infiltration on landslide occurrence, timing, depth, and acceleration in diverse situations. The longest pertinent timescale is A...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson
Acute sensitivity of landslide rates to initial soil porosity Acute sensitivity of landslide rates to initial soil porosity
Some landslides move imperceptibly downslope, whereas others accelerate catastrophically. Experimental landslides triggered by rising pore water pressure moved at sharply contrasting rates due to small differences in initial porosity. Wet sandy soil with porosity of about 0.5 contracted during slope failure, partially liquefied, and accelerated within 1 second to speeds over I meter per...
Authors
R.M. Iverson, M.E. Reid, N.R. Iverson, R.G. LaHusen, M. Logan, J.E. Mann, D.L. Brien
Experimental testing of flexible barriers for containment of debris flows Experimental testing of flexible barriers for containment of debris flows
In June 1996, six experiments conducted at the U.S. Geological Survey Debris Flow Flume demonstrated that flexible, vertical barriers constructed of wire rope netting can stop small debris flows. All experimental debris flows consisted of water-saturated gravelly sand with less than two percent finer sediment by weight. All debris flows had volumes of about 10 cubic meters, masses of...
Authors
Jay S. DeNatale, Richard M. Iverson, Jon J. Major, Richard G. LaHusen, Gregg L. Fliegel, John D. Duffy
Debris-flow deposition: Effects of pore-fluid pressure and friction concentrated at flow margins Debris-flow deposition: Effects of pore-fluid pressure and friction concentrated at flow margins
Measurements of pore-fluid pressure and total bed-normal stress at the base of several ∼10 m3 experimental debris flows provide new insight into the process of debris-flow deposition. Pore-fluid pressures nearly sufficient to cause liquefaction were developed and maintained during flow mobilization and acceleration, persisted in debris-flow interiors during flow deceleration and...
Authors
J. J. Major, R.M. Iverson
Objective delineation of lahar-inundation hazard zones Objective delineation of lahar-inundation hazard zones
A new method of delineating lahar hazard zones in valleys that head on volcano flanks provides a rapid, objective, reproducible alternative to traditional methods. The rationale for the method derives from scaling analyses of generic lahar paths and statistical analyses of 27 lahar paths documented at nine volcanoes. Together these analyses yield semiempirical equations that predict...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson, Steven P. Schilling
Experimental analysis of debris-flow deposition--process and effects of pore-fluid pressure Experimental analysis of debris-flow deposition--process and effects of pore-fluid pressure
No abstract available.
Authors
Jon J. Major, Richard M. Iverson
Response of flexible wire rope barriers to debris-flow loading Response of flexible wire rope barriers to debris-flow loading
No abstract available.
Authors
Jay S. DeNatale, Gregg L. Fiegel, Richard M. Iverson, Jon J. Major, Richard G. Lahusen, John D. Duffy, Gregory D. Fisher
Discussion and closure: Slope instability from ground-water seepage Discussion and closure: Slope instability from ground-water seepage
No abstract available.
Authors
Richard M. Iverson, Muniram Budhu, Roger Gobin
The physics of debris flows The physics of debris flows
Recent advances in theory and experimentation motivate a thorough reassessment of the physics of debris flows. Analyses of flows of dry, granular solids and solid-fluid mixtures provide a foundation for a comprehensive debris flow theory, and experiments provide data that reveal the strengths and limitations of theoretical models. Both debris flow materials and dry granular materials can...
Authors
R.M. Iverson
Non-USGS Publications**
Iverson, R.M., 1980, Processes of accelerated pluvial erosion on desert hillslopes modified by vehicular traffic: Earth Surface Processes, v. 5, no. 4, p. 369‑388.
Iverson, R.M., Hinckley, B.S., Webb, R.H., and Hallet, B., 1981, Physical effects of vehicular disturbances on arid landscapes: Science, v. 212, no. 4497, p. 915‑917.
Hinckley, B.S., Iverson, R.M., and Hallet, B., 1983, Accelerated water erosion in ORV‑use areas: Environmental Effects of Off-road Vehicles: Impacts and Management in Arid Regions, R.H. Webb and H.G. Wilshire, eds., Springer‑Verlag, New York, p. 81‑94.
Elvidge, C.D., and Iverson, R.M., 1983, Regeneration of desert pavement and desert varnish: Environmental Effects of Off-road Vehicles: Impacts and Management in Arid regions, R.H. Webb and H.G. Wilshire, eds., Springer‑Verlag, New York, p. 225‑241.
Iverson, R.M., 1983, Discussion of "A model for creeping flow in landslides" by W.Z. Savage and A.F. Chleborad: Bulletin of the Association of Engineering Geologists, v. 20, no. 4, p. 455‑459.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.