Richard M. Iverson
My USGS career has focused mostly on evaluating and modeling the dynamics and hazards of landslides and debris flows, with a secondary focus on the dynamics of volcanic extrusions. Part of my work involved design, development, and utilization of the USGS debris-flow flume, a unique, large-scale experimental facility at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest near Blue River, Oregon.
Career Highlights
Career Highlights
A written account of some career highlights was published in 2020 in Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists. An oral history interview recounting some of my career highlights is archived at Oregon State University.
Experiments at the Debris-Flow Flume
Experiments at the Debris-Flow Flume
This set of videos presents about 18 hours of footage documenting the 163 experiments conducted at the USGS debris-flow flume from 1992 to 2017.
Professional Experience
Senior Research Hydrologist, USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory
Adjunct Professor, University of Washington and Portland State University
Education and Certifications
Stanford University, Ph.D., 1984, Applied Earth Sciences
Stanford University, M.S., 1981, Hydrology
Stanford University, M.S., 1980, Applied Earth Sciences
Iowa State University, B.S., 1977, Geology major, Mathematics and Physics minors
Honors and Awards
Fellow, American Geophysical Union (AGU) and Geological Society of America (GSA)
E.B. Burwell Award, GSA, 1991
Kirk Bryan Award, GSA, 2001
Richard H. Jahns Distinguished Lecturer, GSA, 2005
Langbein Lecturer, AGU, 2006
U.S. Department of the Interior Distinguished Service Award, 2019
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
Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video
Noncontact measurements of spatially varied ground surface deformation during landslide motion can provide important constraints on landslide mechanics. Here, we present and test a new method for extracting measurements of rapid landslide surface displacement and velocity (accelerations of approximately 1 m/s2) using sequences of stereo images obtained from a pair of inexpensive...
Authors
Thomas D Rapstine, Francis K. Rengers, Kate E. Allstadt, Richard M. Iverson, Joel B. Smith, Maciej Obryk, M. Logan, M. J. Olsen
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
Overcoming barriers to progress in seismic monitoring and characterization of debris flows and lahars Overcoming barriers to progress in seismic monitoring and characterization of debris flows and lahars
Debris flows generate seismic signals that contain valuable information about events as they unfold. Though seismic waves have been used for along-channel debris-flow and lahar monitoring systems for decades, it has proven difficult to move beyond detection to more quantitative characterizations of flow parameters and event size. This is for two primary reasons: (1) our limited...
Authors
Kate E. Allstadt, Maxime Farin, Andrew Lockhart, Sara K. McBride, Jason W. Kean, Richard M. Iverson, Matthew Logan, Joel B. Smith, Victor C. Tsai, David L. George
Seamless numerical simulation of a hazard cascade in which a landslide triggers a dam-breach flood and consequent debris flow Seamless numerical simulation of a hazard cascade in which a landslide triggers a dam-breach flood and consequent debris flow
Numerical simulations of hazard cascades downstream from moraine-dammed lakes commonly must specify linkages between models of discrete processes such as wave overtopping, dam breaching, erosion, and downstream floods or debris flows. Such linkages can be rather arbitrary and can detract from the ability to accurately conserve mass and momentum during complex sequences of events. Here we
Authors
David L. George, Richard M. Iverson, Charles M. Cannon
Valid debris-flow models must avoid hot starts Valid debris-flow models must avoid hot starts
Debris-flow experiments and models commonly use “hot-start” initial conditions in which downslope motion begins when a large force imbalance is abruptly imposed. By contrast, initiation of natural debris flows almost invariably results from small perturbations of static force balances that apply to debris masses poised in steep channels or on steep slopes. Models that neglect these...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson, David L. George
Real-time monitoring of debris-flow velocity and mass deformation from field experiments with high sample rate lidar and video Real-time monitoring of debris-flow velocity and mass deformation from field experiments with high sample rate lidar and video
Debris flows evolve in both time and space in complex ways, commonly starting as coherent failures but then quickly developing structures such as roll waves and surges. This process is readily observed, but difficult to study or quantify because of the speed at which it occurs. Many methods for studying debris flows consist of point measurements (e.g., of flow height or basal stresses)...
Authors
Francis K. Rengers, Thomas Rapstine, Kate E. Allstadt, Michael Olsen, Michael Bunn, Richard M. Iverson, Jason W. Kean, Ben Leshchinsky, Matthew Logan, Mahyar Sharifi-Mood, Maciej Obryk, Joel B. Smith
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
Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video Reconstructing the velocity and deformation of a rapid landslide using multiview video
Noncontact measurements of spatially varied ground surface deformation during landslide motion can provide important constraints on landslide mechanics. Here, we present and test a new method for extracting measurements of rapid landslide surface displacement and velocity (accelerations of approximately 1 m/s2) using sequences of stereo images obtained from a pair of inexpensive...
Authors
Thomas D Rapstine, Francis K. Rengers, Kate E. Allstadt, Richard M. Iverson, Joel B. Smith, Maciej Obryk, M. Logan, M. J. Olsen
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
Overcoming barriers to progress in seismic monitoring and characterization of debris flows and lahars Overcoming barriers to progress in seismic monitoring and characterization of debris flows and lahars
Debris flows generate seismic signals that contain valuable information about events as they unfold. Though seismic waves have been used for along-channel debris-flow and lahar monitoring systems for decades, it has proven difficult to move beyond detection to more quantitative characterizations of flow parameters and event size. This is for two primary reasons: (1) our limited...
Authors
Kate E. Allstadt, Maxime Farin, Andrew Lockhart, Sara K. McBride, Jason W. Kean, Richard M. Iverson, Matthew Logan, Joel B. Smith, Victor C. Tsai, David L. George
Seamless numerical simulation of a hazard cascade in which a landslide triggers a dam-breach flood and consequent debris flow Seamless numerical simulation of a hazard cascade in which a landslide triggers a dam-breach flood and consequent debris flow
Numerical simulations of hazard cascades downstream from moraine-dammed lakes commonly must specify linkages between models of discrete processes such as wave overtopping, dam breaching, erosion, and downstream floods or debris flows. Such linkages can be rather arbitrary and can detract from the ability to accurately conserve mass and momentum during complex sequences of events. Here we
Authors
David L. George, Richard M. Iverson, Charles M. Cannon
Valid debris-flow models must avoid hot starts Valid debris-flow models must avoid hot starts
Debris-flow experiments and models commonly use “hot-start” initial conditions in which downslope motion begins when a large force imbalance is abruptly imposed. By contrast, initiation of natural debris flows almost invariably results from small perturbations of static force balances that apply to debris masses poised in steep channels or on steep slopes. Models that neglect these...
Authors
Richard M. Iverson, David L. George
Real-time monitoring of debris-flow velocity and mass deformation from field experiments with high sample rate lidar and video Real-time monitoring of debris-flow velocity and mass deformation from field experiments with high sample rate lidar and video
Debris flows evolve in both time and space in complex ways, commonly starting as coherent failures but then quickly developing structures such as roll waves and surges. This process is readily observed, but difficult to study or quantify because of the speed at which it occurs. Many methods for studying debris flows consist of point measurements (e.g., of flow height or basal stresses)...
Authors
Francis K. Rengers, Thomas Rapstine, Kate E. Allstadt, Michael Olsen, Michael Bunn, Richard M. Iverson, Jason W. Kean, Ben Leshchinsky, Matthew Logan, Mahyar Sharifi-Mood, Maciej Obryk, Joel B. Smith
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.