Geohazards Group
The Geohazards Group's mission is to document and monitor geologic hazards associated with earth processes, such as earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, and volcanic activity, as well as geologic hazards associated with earth materials, such as soils, rock, rivers, and landforms.
We share our observations and research with civil authorities and land management agencies to inform their decision-making. Our collective goal is a stronger, more resilient Arizona.
Research Areas
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Postfire debris flow deposit in an aspen grove following the 2022 Pipeline Fire near Flagstaff, Arizona. AZGS research scientist for scale.
The UA Postfire Science Program, established in 2016, is a collaboration between the UA Geoscience Department (Luke McGuire) and AZGS (Ann Youberg and Becky Beers). The goal of the program is to work collaboratively with local, state, and federal agencies to better understand the drivers of postfire hazards in the Southwestern US and postfire recovery timelines, and to develop new tools, models, and methods to predict postfire hazards and to mitigate hazards before a fire starts. Our work helps emergency managers and communities prepare for increased postfire hazard risks during monsoon storms, supports land-use decisions, and improves resilience in fire-affected landscapes. You can read more about our groups' work from the list of publications here.
Funding sources include the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Arizona Division of Military and Emergency Affairs (DEMA), the US Forest Service (USFS), the US Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF), among others. Project goals include collecting data from new fires to improve rainfall intensity-duration thresholds used to predict debris-flow initiation, develop new debris-flow process models, evaluate postfire flow mitigation strategies, improve hillslope erosion models, and assess postfire hazards prior to a fire to identify and implement mitigation measures to reduce risks.
We study landslides to understand their causes, distribution, and potential hazards across the state. We combine field mapping, aerial imagery, and geotechnical analysis to identify areas at risk, including the effects of geology, slope, and rainfall. This work informs hazard assessments, land-use planning, and mitigation strategies to reduce risks to communities and infrastructure.
Earth fissures and subsidence threatens people and livestock, damages homes, roads, dams, and canals, and reduces property values
We investigate ground fissures to document their locations, formation processes, and potential hazards. Our research focuses on understanding how tectonic activity, groundwater withdrawal, and soil or rock conditions contribute to fissure development. This information helps guide land-use planning, infrastructure design, and public safety measures in areas prone to ground cracking.
Surficial geologic deposits in the Tin Mountain NW quadrangle east of Kingman. Big Sandy Wash flows from right to left in the photo, adjacent to low Holocene wash terraces, with late Pleistocene wash deposits in the foreground. This view is toward the west, looking up a tributary wash with a wide Holocene extent defined by the dense growth of creosote bushes. Snow-capped Hualapai Mountains in the distance.
Chad Kwiatkowski
Members of the Geohazards group participate in the AZGS geologic mapping program. We focus on mapping Quaternary geology, which includes identifying fault and landslide activity and mapping landforms shaped by river, wash, and alluvial fan floods, mountain-front debris flows, and eolian (wind-blown) deposition.
We study earthquake hazards across Arizona by mapping faults, analyzing seismic activity, and assessing areas at risk for ground shaking. We provide data, reports, and hazard maps that help communities, engineers, and planners make safer decisions about building and land use. Our work supports preparedness efforts and helps reduce the potential impacts of future earthquakes in the state.