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#           When hazard avoidance is not an option: Lessons learned from monitoring the postdisaster Oso landslide, USA      

      June 18, 2021    

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 collapses. In an effort to ensure worker safety, multiple agencies cooperated to swiftly deploy a monitoring and alerting system consisting of sensors, automated data processing and web-based display, along with defined communication protocols and clear calls to action for emergency management and search personnel. Guided by the principle that an accelerating landslide poses a greater threat than a steadily moving or stationary mass, the system was designed to detect ground motion and vibration using complementary monitoring techniques. Near real-time information was provided by continuous GPS, seismometers/geophones, and extensometers. This information was augmented by repeat-assessment techniques such as terrestrial and aerial laser scanning and time-lapse photography. Fortunately, no major additional landsliding occurred. However, we did detect small headscarp failures as well as slow movement of the remaining landslide mass with the monitoring system. This was an exceptional response situation and the lessons learned are applicable to other landslide disaster crises. They underscore the need for cogent landslide expertise and ready-to-deploy monitoring equipment, the value of using redundant monitoring techniques with distinct goals, the benefit of clearly defined communication protocols, and the importance of continued research into forecasting landslide behavior to allow timely warning.

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April 26, 2019

####                 GeoMapping for Integrated Science              

Earthquake 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

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July 31, 2021

####                 GPS monitoring data from spider units on the post-disaster 2014 Oso landslide, Snohomish County, Washington              

Volcano Science Center

#### Mark Reid

##### Research Hydrologist

California Volcano Observatory

mreid@usgs.gov

650-439-2891

#### Jonathan Godt

##### Landslide Hazards Program Coordinator

Natural Hazards Mission Area

jgodt@usgs.gov

303-273-8626

#### Stephen L. Slaughter

##### Associate Program Coordinator

Landslide Hazards Program

sslaughter@usgs.gov

303-273-8482

#### Brian Collins

##### Supervisory Research Civil Engineer

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

bcollins@usgs.gov

650-439-2466

#### William Schulz

##### Research Geologist

Landslide Hazards Program

wschulz@usgs.gov

303-273-8404

#### Rex Baum

##### Research Geologist Emeritus

Landslide Hazards Program

baum@usgs.gov

303-273-8610

#### Jeffrey Coe

##### Research Geologist

Landslide Hazards Program

jcoe@usgs.gov

303-273-8606

#### Kevin Schmidt

##### Research Geologist

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

kschmidt@usgs.gov

650-439-2302

#### Richard M. Iverson

##### Research Hydrologist Emeritus 

Cascades Volcano Observatory

riverson@usgs.gov

360-993-8920

#### Ralph Haugerud

##### Research Geologist

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

rhaugerud@usgs.gov

206-713-7453

#### David L George, Ph.D.

##### Research Mathematician

Cascades Volcano Observatory

dgeorge@usgs.gov

360-993-8932

## Related Content

link

April 26, 2019

####                 GeoMapping for Integrated Science              

Earthquake 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

link

April 26, 2019

####   GeoMapping for Integrated Science

Learn More

July 31, 2021

####                 GPS monitoring data from spider units on the post-disaster 2014 Oso landslide, Snohomish County, Washington              

Volcano Science Center

#### Mark Reid

##### Research Hydrologist

California Volcano Observatory

mreid@usgs.gov

650-439-2891

#### Jonathan Godt

##### Landslide Hazards Program Coordinator

Natural Hazards Mission Area

jgodt@usgs.gov

303-273-8626

#### Stephen L. Slaughter

##### Associate Program Coordinator

Landslide Hazards Program

sslaughter@usgs.gov

303-273-8482

#### Brian Collins

##### Supervisory Research Civil Engineer

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

bcollins@usgs.gov

650-439-2466

#### William Schulz

##### Research Geologist

Landslide Hazards Program

wschulz@usgs.gov

303-273-8404

#### Rex Baum

##### Research Geologist Emeritus

Landslide Hazards Program

baum@usgs.gov

303-273-8610

#### Jeffrey Coe

##### Research Geologist

Landslide Hazards Program

jcoe@usgs.gov

303-273-8606

#### Kevin Schmidt

##### Research Geologist

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

kschmidt@usgs.gov

650-439-2302

#### Richard M. Iverson

##### Research Hydrologist Emeritus 

Cascades Volcano Observatory

riverson@usgs.gov

360-993-8920

#### Ralph Haugerud

##### Research Geologist

Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center

rhaugerud@usgs.gov

206-713-7453

#### David L George, Ph.D.

##### Research Mathematician

Cascades Volcano Observatory

dgeorge@usgs.gov

360-993-8932

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####               Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program          

12201 Sunrise Valley DrReston, VA20192United States

#### Geologic Hazards Science Center

1711 Illinois St.Golden, CO80401United States

303-273-8500

#### USGS Volcano Science Center

1300 SE Cardinal CourtVancouver, WA38683United States

360-993-8900

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