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Western Washington University

1989

Landslide initiation

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The Mechanisms Of Landslide Initiation And Flood Generation In The Boulder Creek Basin, Whatcom County, Washington, Monica E. Gowan Jan 1989

The Mechanisms Of Landslide Initiation And Flood Generation In The Boulder Creek Basin, Whatcom County, Washington, Monica E. Gowan

WWU Graduate School Collection

Over the past fifty years, the frequency of landsliding and flooding in the Boulder Creek basin, Whatcom County, Washington, has increased. This trend is examined through analysis of the landslides and their mechanisms of initiation, the conditions for generation of runoff during eight debris-laden floods, and long-term precipitation and land-use patterns. Thirteen active landslides are identified along the main channel of Boulder Creek, located within the shear zone of a late Eocene high-angle fault. Landslides are classified as debris slides and slump-earthflows. Average landslide volume is 8,700 cubic meters. The largest slide observed is 36,700 cubic meters. Slope angles range …