William Schulz
I have worked as a research geologist in the Landslide Hazards Program of the U.S. Geological Survey since 2002.
Prior to that, I worked in the private sector in California and Wisconsin, mostly investigating landslides and seismogenic ground displacement. My research primarily focuses on understanding conditions that result in the diverse characteristics of landslide motion, although I am also very interested in understanding controls of the onset of landslide movement and reactivation. My work includes characterizing and monitoring landslides in the field, laboratory testing, mathematical modeling, and assessing landslide hazards.
Education and Certifications
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, B.S., 1994, Geology
Purdue University, M.S., 1996, Engineering Geology
Kyoto University, Ph.D., 2020, Engineering Geology
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 20
Data from in-situ displacement monitoring, Slumgullion landslide, Hinsdale County, Colorado
We monitored displacement of the Slumgullion landslide located in Hinsdale County, Colorado. We measured displacement at the ground surface between 12 August 2011 and 10 October 2018, and in the subsurface between 4 September 2016 and 7 December 2016. Both types of data were acquired at irregular time intervals. Displacement at the ground surface was measured at locations within the upper, middle,
Results from frequency-ratio analyses of soil classification and land use related to landslide locations in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria
To better understand factors potentially contributing to the occurrence of rainfall-induced landslides in Puerto Rico, we evaluated the locations of landslides there following Hurricane Maria (Hughes et al., 2019) and potential contributing factors. This data release provides results of evaluations of landslide locations compared to soil classification and land cover, which involved frequency-rati
Map data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in four study areas of Puerto Rico
In September 2017, Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout mountainous regions of Puerto Rico. Nearly all landslides mobilized as debris flows (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019), but herein, we simply use the term "landslides" when describing all types of slope failures that occurred during Hurricane Maria. To examine the extent and physical characteristics of landslides in severely i
Map of slope-failure locations in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria
In Puerto Rico, tens of thousands of landslides, slumps, debris flows, rock falls, and other slope failures were triggered by Hurricane Maria, which made landfall on 20 September 2017. "Landslide" is used here and below to represent all types of slope failures. This dataset is a point shapefile of landslide headscarps identified across Puerto Rico using georeferenced aerial and satellite imagery r
Promoting Change in Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Nest Site Selection to Minimize Construction Related Disturbance
These data describe the status of eggs in nests which had a foster egg added to them as part of an effort to relocate a common tern colony on Poplar Island. One data file (McGowanEtAl2018_FosterNestData_Data.csv) contains the data regarding the observations, while one definitions file (McGowanEtAl2018_FosterNestData_Definitions.csv) details the data.
Data from ring shear strength testing of glaciolacustrine silty clay from the 2014, Oso, Washington landslide
We performed ring shear strength testing of three specimens from a glaciolacustrine silty clay unit involved in a large landslide that occurred March 22, 2014 near the town of Oso, Washington. Ring shear tests utilized apparatus DPRI-5 at Kyoto University, Japan and test results are presented herein. We refer to the specimens as the clay, clayey silt, and silt. Some tests were performed under cont
Data from in-situ landslide monitoring, Trinity County, California
We performed hourly monitoring of conditions at the Two Towers landslide located in northern California near the town of Zenia. Monitored conditions included rainfall, groundwater head, horizontal total stress, horizontal effective stress, vertical soil deformation, and subsurface displacement. Data were acquired November 11, 2014-July 22, 2017, except for times during which power failure occurred
Data related to a ground-based InSAR survey of the Slumgullion landslide, Hinsdale County, Colorado, 26 June 2010-1 July 2010
We performed a ground-based, interferometric, synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) survey of the Slumgullion landslide located in Hinsdale County, Colorado. The survey was performed 26 June 2010-1 July 2010 and utilized the IBIS-L InSAR system developed by IDS Corporation. Radar measurements were supplemented by hourly in-situ displacement, pore-water pressure, and rainfall measurements. In-situ displ
Filter Total Items: 18
Clayey landslide initiation and acceleration strongly modulated by soil swelling
Largely unknown mechanisms restrain motion of clay-rich, slow-moving landslides that are widespread worldwide and rarely accelerate catastrophically. We studied a clayey, slow-moving landslide typical of thousands in northern California, USA, to decipher hydrologic-mechanical interactions that modulate landslide dynamics. Similar to some other studies, observed pore-water pressures correlated poor
Authors
William Schulz, Joel B. Smith, Gonghui Wang, Yao Jiang, Joshua J. Roering
Landslide kinematics and their potential controls from hourly to decadal timescales: Insights from integrating ground-based InSAR measurements with structural maps and long-term monitoring data
Knowledge of kinematics is rudimentary for understanding landslide controls and is increasingly valuable with greater spatiotemporal coverage. However, characterizing landslide-wide kinematics is rare, especially at broadly ranging timescales. We used highly detailed kinematic data obtained using photogrammetry and field mapping during the 1980s and 1990s and our 4.3-day ground-based InSAR survey
Authors
William Schulz, Jeffrey A. Coe, P.P Ricci, Gregory M. Smoczyk, Brett L Shurtleff, J Panosky
Three-dimensional surface deformation derived from airborne interferometric UAVSAR: Application to the Slumgullion Landslide
In order to provide surface geodetic measurements with “landslide-wide” spatial coverage, we develop and validate a method for the characterization of 3-D surface deformation using the unique capabilities of the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) airborne repeat-pass radar interferometry system. We apply our method at the well-studied Slumgullion Landslide, which is 3.9 k
Authors
Brent G. Delbridge, Roland Burgmann, Eric Fielding, Scott Hensley, William Schulz
Landslide mobility and hazards: implications of the 2014 Oso disaster
Landslides reflect landscape instability that evolves over meteorological and geological timescales, and they also pose threats to people, property, and the environment. The severity of these threats depends largely on landslide speed and travel distance, which are collectively described as landslide “mobility”. To investigate causes and effects of mobility, we focus on a disastrous landslide that
Authors
Richard M. Iverson, David L. George, Kate E. Allstadt, Mark E. Reid, Brian D. Collins, James W. Vallance, Steve P. Schilling, Jonathan W. Godt, Charles Cannon, Christopher S. Magirl, Rex L. Baum, Jeffrey A. Coe, William Schulz, J. Brent Bower
Plenary: Progress in Regional Landslide Hazard Assessment—Examples from the USA
Landslide hazard assessment at local and regional scales contributes to mitigation of landslides in developing and densely populated areas by providing information for (1) land development and redevelopment plans and regulations, (2) emergency preparedness plans, and (3) economic analysis to (a) set priorities for engineered mitigation projects and (b) define areas of similar levels of hazard for
Authors
Rex L. Baum, William Schulz, Dianne L. Brien, William J. Burns, Mark E. Reid, Jonathan W. Godt
Aquifer characteristics near cuestas and their relation to rock tensile strength
Along the northeast coast of North America, extensional tectonic processes have generated lithologic and topographic features that are common to several rift basins. A cap of igneous rock overlies sedimentary rock to form a cuesta with both rock types exposed along a steep ridge flank. Field studies investigating the near‐surface hydrogeologic properties of the caprocks at several of these sites h
Authors
Roger H. Morin, William Schulz
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 20
Data from in-situ displacement monitoring, Slumgullion landslide, Hinsdale County, Colorado
We monitored displacement of the Slumgullion landslide located in Hinsdale County, Colorado. We measured displacement at the ground surface between 12 August 2011 and 10 October 2018, and in the subsurface between 4 September 2016 and 7 December 2016. Both types of data were acquired at irregular time intervals. Displacement at the ground surface was measured at locations within the upper, middle,Results from frequency-ratio analyses of soil classification and land use related to landslide locations in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria
To better understand factors potentially contributing to the occurrence of rainfall-induced landslides in Puerto Rico, we evaluated the locations of landslides there following Hurricane Maria (Hughes et al., 2019) and potential contributing factors. This data release provides results of evaluations of landslide locations compared to soil classification and land cover, which involved frequency-ratiMap data from landslides triggered by Hurricane Maria in four study areas of Puerto Rico
In September 2017, Hurricane Maria caused widespread landsliding throughout mountainous regions of Puerto Rico. Nearly all landslides mobilized as debris flows (Bessette-Kirton et al., 2019), but herein, we simply use the term "landslides" when describing all types of slope failures that occurred during Hurricane Maria. To examine the extent and physical characteristics of landslides in severely iMap of slope-failure locations in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria
In Puerto Rico, tens of thousands of landslides, slumps, debris flows, rock falls, and other slope failures were triggered by Hurricane Maria, which made landfall on 20 September 2017. "Landslide" is used here and below to represent all types of slope failures. This dataset is a point shapefile of landslide headscarps identified across Puerto Rico using georeferenced aerial and satellite imagery rPromoting Change in Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Nest Site Selection to Minimize Construction Related Disturbance
These data describe the status of eggs in nests which had a foster egg added to them as part of an effort to relocate a common tern colony on Poplar Island. One data file (McGowanEtAl2018_FosterNestData_Data.csv) contains the data regarding the observations, while one definitions file (McGowanEtAl2018_FosterNestData_Definitions.csv) details the data.Data from ring shear strength testing of glaciolacustrine silty clay from the 2014, Oso, Washington landslide
We performed ring shear strength testing of three specimens from a glaciolacustrine silty clay unit involved in a large landslide that occurred March 22, 2014 near the town of Oso, Washington. Ring shear tests utilized apparatus DPRI-5 at Kyoto University, Japan and test results are presented herein. We refer to the specimens as the clay, clayey silt, and silt. Some tests were performed under contData from in-situ landslide monitoring, Trinity County, California
We performed hourly monitoring of conditions at the Two Towers landslide located in northern California near the town of Zenia. Monitored conditions included rainfall, groundwater head, horizontal total stress, horizontal effective stress, vertical soil deformation, and subsurface displacement. Data were acquired November 11, 2014-July 22, 2017, except for times during which power failure occurredData related to a ground-based InSAR survey of the Slumgullion landslide, Hinsdale County, Colorado, 26 June 2010-1 July 2010
We performed a ground-based, interferometric, synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) survey of the Slumgullion landslide located in Hinsdale County, Colorado. The survey was performed 26 June 2010-1 July 2010 and utilized the IBIS-L InSAR system developed by IDS Corporation. Radar measurements were supplemented by hourly in-situ displacement, pore-water pressure, and rainfall measurements. In-situ displ - Publications
Filter Total Items: 18
Clayey landslide initiation and acceleration strongly modulated by soil swelling
Largely unknown mechanisms restrain motion of clay-rich, slow-moving landslides that are widespread worldwide and rarely accelerate catastrophically. We studied a clayey, slow-moving landslide typical of thousands in northern California, USA, to decipher hydrologic-mechanical interactions that modulate landslide dynamics. Similar to some other studies, observed pore-water pressures correlated poorAuthorsWilliam Schulz, Joel B. Smith, Gonghui Wang, Yao Jiang, Joshua J. RoeringLandslide kinematics and their potential controls from hourly to decadal timescales: Insights from integrating ground-based InSAR measurements with structural maps and long-term monitoring data
Knowledge of kinematics is rudimentary for understanding landslide controls and is increasingly valuable with greater spatiotemporal coverage. However, characterizing landslide-wide kinematics is rare, especially at broadly ranging timescales. We used highly detailed kinematic data obtained using photogrammetry and field mapping during the 1980s and 1990s and our 4.3-day ground-based InSAR surveyAuthorsWilliam Schulz, Jeffrey A. Coe, P.P Ricci, Gregory M. Smoczyk, Brett L Shurtleff, J PanoskyThree-dimensional surface deformation derived from airborne interferometric UAVSAR: Application to the Slumgullion Landslide
In order to provide surface geodetic measurements with “landslide-wide” spatial coverage, we develop and validate a method for the characterization of 3-D surface deformation using the unique capabilities of the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) airborne repeat-pass radar interferometry system. We apply our method at the well-studied Slumgullion Landslide, which is 3.9 kAuthorsBrent G. Delbridge, Roland Burgmann, Eric Fielding, Scott Hensley, William SchulzLandslide mobility and hazards: implications of the 2014 Oso disaster
Landslides reflect landscape instability that evolves over meteorological and geological timescales, and they also pose threats to people, property, and the environment. The severity of these threats depends largely on landslide speed and travel distance, which are collectively described as landslide “mobility”. To investigate causes and effects of mobility, we focus on a disastrous landslide thatAuthorsRichard M. Iverson, David L. George, Kate E. Allstadt, Mark E. Reid, Brian D. Collins, James W. Vallance, Steve P. Schilling, Jonathan W. Godt, Charles Cannon, Christopher S. Magirl, Rex L. Baum, Jeffrey A. Coe, William Schulz, J. Brent BowerPlenary: Progress in Regional Landslide Hazard Assessment—Examples from the USA
Landslide hazard assessment at local and regional scales contributes to mitigation of landslides in developing and densely populated areas by providing information for (1) land development and redevelopment plans and regulations, (2) emergency preparedness plans, and (3) economic analysis to (a) set priorities for engineered mitigation projects and (b) define areas of similar levels of hazard forAuthorsRex L. Baum, William Schulz, Dianne L. Brien, William J. Burns, Mark E. Reid, Jonathan W. GodtAquifer characteristics near cuestas and their relation to rock tensile strength
Along the northeast coast of North America, extensional tectonic processes have generated lithologic and topographic features that are common to several rift basins. A cap of igneous rock overlies sedimentary rock to form a cuesta with both rock types exposed along a steep ridge flank. Field studies investigating the near‐surface hydrogeologic properties of the caprocks at several of these sites hAuthorsRoger H. Morin, William Schulz