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
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.
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
Discussion of “Case study: Oso, Washington, landslide of March 22, 2014-Material properties and failure mechanism” by Timothy D. Stark, Ahmed K. Baghdady, Oldrich Hungr, and Jordan Aaron
Discussion of “Shallow water hydro-sediment-morphodynamic equations for fluvial processes” by Zhixian Cao, Chunchen Xia, Gareth Pender, and Qingquan Liu
Discussion of “Oso, Washington, landslide of March 22, 2014: Dynamic analysis” by Jordan Aaron, Oldrich Hungr, Timothy D. Stark, and Ahmed K. Baghdady
New methodology for computing tsunami generation by subaerial landslides: Application to the 2015 Tyndall Glacier landslide, Alaska
Discussion of “The relation between dilatancy, effective stress and dispersive pressure in granular avalanches” by P. Bartelt and O. Buser (DOI: 10.1007/s11440-016-0463-7)
Comment on “The reduction of friction in long-runout landslides as an emergent phenomenon” by Brandon C. Johnson et al.
Modelling landslide liquefaction, mobility bifurcation and the dynamics of the 2014 Oso disaster
Debris flow runup on vertical barriers and adverse slopes
Clawpack: Building an open source ecosystem for solving hyperbolic PDEs
Lahars and their deposits
Scaling and design of landslide and debris-flow experiments
Controls on the breach geometry and flood hydrograph during overtopping of non-cohesive earthen dams
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
- Data
- Publications
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 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 unique, laAuthorsRichard M. IversonFilter Total Items: 118Discussion of “Case study: Oso, Washington, landslide of March 22, 2014-Material properties and failure mechanism” by Timothy D. Stark, Ahmed K. Baghdady, Oldrich Hungr, and Jordan Aaron
The original paper discusses factors that may have contributed to the occurrence and long runout of a disastrous landslide near the community of Oso, Washington, on March 22, 2014. The paper reinforces a prior finding that the long runout likely resulted from liquefaction of wet colluvium that was rapidly loaded by landslide debris impinging from upslope (Iverson et al. 2015). However, the originaAuthorsRichard M. IversonDiscussion of “Shallow water hydro-sediment-morphodynamic equations for fluvial processes” by Zhixian Cao, Chunchen Xia, Gareth Pender, and Qingquan Liu
The original paper concerns the formulation and use of depth-integrated equations of motion to model the dynamics of shallow flows that entrain or deposit bed material. A recurring theme of the original paper is the authors’ criticism of related theoretical results published by Iverson and Ouyang (2015). This discussion explains why that criticism is misguided.AuthorsRichard M. IversonDiscussion of “Oso, Washington, landslide of March 22, 2014: Dynamic analysis” by Jordan Aaron, Oldrich Hungr, Timothy D. Stark, and Ahmed K. Baghdady
The original paper under discussion states that it “explains the spectacular mobility of the 2014 Oso landslide.” It addresses this objective by using two versions of the DAN model to compute the distribution of deposits produced by the landslide. The main purpose of this discussion is to demonstrate that the authors’ model is incapable of explaining the Oso landslide’s mobility—even though the moAuthorsRichard M. IversonNew methodology for computing tsunami generation by subaerial landslides: Application to the 2015 Tyndall Glacier landslide, Alaska
Landslide-generated tsunamis pose significant hazards and involve complex, multiphase physics that are challenging to model. We present a new methodology in which our depth-averaged two-phase model D-Claw is used to seamlessly simulate all stages of landslide dynamics as well as tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation. Because the model describes the evolution of solid and fluid volume fraAuthorsDavid L. George, Richard M. Iverson, Charles M. CannonDiscussion of “The relation between dilatancy, effective stress and dispersive pressure in granular avalanches” by P. Bartelt and O. Buser (DOI: 10.1007/s11440-016-0463-7)
A paper recently published by Bartelt and Buser (hereafter identified as “the authors”) aims to clarify relationships between granular dilatancy and dispersive pressure and to question the effective stress principle and its application to shallow granular avalanches (Bartelt and Buser in Act Geotech 11:549–557, 2). The paper also criticizes our own recent work, which utilizes the concepts of evolvAuthorsRichard M. Iverson, David L. GeorgeComment on “The reduction of friction in long-runout landslides as an emergent phenomenon” by Brandon C. Johnson et al.
Results from a highly idealized, 2-D computational model indicate that dynamic normal-stress rarefactions might cause friction reduction in long-runout landslides, but the physical relevance of the idealized dynamics has not been confirmed by experimental tests. More importantly, the model results provide no evidence that refutes alternative hypotheses about friction reduction mechanisms. One alteAuthorsRichard M. IversonModelling landslide liquefaction, mobility bifurcation and the dynamics of the 2014 Oso disaster
Some landslides move slowly or intermittently downslope, but others liquefy during the early stages of motion, leading to runaway acceleration and high-speed runout across low-relief terrain. Mechanisms responsible for this disparate behaviour are represented in a two-phase, depth-integrated, landslide dynamics model that melds principles from soil mechanics, granular mechanics and fluid mechanicsAuthorsRichard M. Iverson, David L. GeorgeDebris flow runup on vertical barriers and adverse slopes
Runup of debris flows against obstacles in their paths is a complex process that involves profound flow deceleration and redirection. We investigate the dynamics and predictability of runup by comparing results from large-scale laboratory experiments, four simple analytical models, and a depth-integrated numerical model (D-Claw). The experiments and numerical simulations reveal the important influAuthorsRichard M. Iverson, David L. George, Matthew LoganClawpack: Building an open source ecosystem for solving hyperbolic PDEs
Clawpack is a software package designed to solve nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations using high-resolution finite volume methods based on Riemann solvers and limiters. The package includes a number of variants aimed at different applications and user communities. Clawpack has been actively developed as an open source project for over 20 years. The latest major release, Clawpack 5,AuthorsRichard M. Iverson, K.T. Mandli, Aron J. Ahmadia, M.J. Berger, Donna Calhoun, David L. George, Y. Hadjimichael, David I. Ketcheson, Grady L. Lemoine, Randall J. LeVequeLahars and their deposits
Lahars occur during volcanic eruptions--or, less predictably, through other processes on steep volcanic terrain--when large masses of water mixed with sediment sweep down and off volcano slopes and commonly incorporate additional sediment and water. Because lahars are water-saturated, both liquid and solid interactions influence their behavior and distinguish them from other related phenomena comAuthorsJames W. Vallance, Richard M. IversonScaling and design of landslide and debris-flow experiments
Scaling plays a crucial role in designing experiments aimed at understanding the behavior of landslides, debris flows, and other geomorphic phenomena involving grain-fluid mixtures. Scaling can be addressed by using dimensional analysis or – more rigorously – by normalizing differential equations that describe the evolving dynamics of the system. Both of these approaches show that, relative to fulAuthorsRichard M. IversonControls 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. SolovitzNon-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.
- Multimedia