Previously Funded Projects
QRC members lead and participate in a wide range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary research projects from the study of past earth climates and glaciations to shifts in the geographic distributions and evolution of vegetation and faunal communities, to the evolution and dispersals of the genus Homo and the increasing scales of human modification of earth environments through the Holocene. QRC provides a venue for meeting and collaborating with scholars across Quaternary disciplines. We are also fortunate to be able to provide seed funding and small grants for member research projects. We are especially happy to support grad student and junior scholar research activities, much of which leads to larger, external funding from agencies like the National Science Foundation.
-
Establish Monitoring of the Undi Road and Reade Hill Terrace Landslides near Forks, Washington
Abstract: The Undi Rd and Reade Hill terrace landslides, southeast of Forks, WA, are spectacular examples of active landslides typical of alpine glacial valleys on the west side of the Olympic Peninsula. The Undi Rd landslide sits within the much larger Reade Hill terrace landslide and is growing and moving relatively rapidly. Each year, scarplet heights and the aperture of tension cracks nearly doubles. And yet, little is known about either of these slides even though they have caused repeated road repair and the construction of an emergency bypass road, to maintain access for residents, recreation, fisheries, and some popular trailheads in the Olympic National Park. Our proposal is to begin a monitoring program by installing approximately 24 monitoring points around the perimeter and in the body of the landslides. We will obtain high-precision GPS coordinates and fully document the locations of each monitoring point.Our goal is to use the funding provided by the QRC as a starter for obtaining funding for long-term monitoring, investigations, and analyses of these landslides. We will obtain repeat GPS measurements on a quarterly basis for the first year, thereafter twice a year if supported by our data. We plan to conduct factor of safety modelling, detailed mapping, compare yearly structure from motion imagery, and develop a history of past landslide movements. In addition, we plan to describe the impacts of landslide sediment delivery to the Bogachiel River, an important river for fishing, sustenance, and recreation. We are collaborating with several stakeholders including property owners, the Quileute Tribe, Clallam and Jefferson Counties, and other non-profit groups.
Several graduate students will be involved in data collection, analyses, and reporting. We will present our results to scientific and lay audiences via conferences and community meetings. We hope that the data and the results of our studies warrant at least one peer-reviewed publication.
Report: pending
-
A Field Lab for Applied Research and Monitoring: The Undi Road Landslide near Forks, Washington
Abstract: The active Undi Road landslide near Forks Washington threatens fish and the aquatic ecosystem in the Bogachiel River, forest lands, access to recreation in the Olympic National Forest and Park, and the safety of residents in the area. The Undi Road landslide is a large, deep-seated, earth-slump landslide complex that mobilizes the southern edge of the 125-m-high Reade Hill alpine glacial terrace. The landslide has been moving for decades, but in 2010, motion of a portion of the slide accelerated, requiring the construction of an emergency by-pass route for Undi Road (Jefferson County, 2017). This most active part of the Undi Road slide is growing relatively rapidly, expanding from approximately 1 acre in 2013 to 14 acres in 2020. This landslide, while impressive, is not unusual in western Washington, where Quaternary sedimentary deposits host many of the region’s largest and most damaging landslides. Suburban and rural development along with climate-change-driven changes in the hydrologic system will likely lead to more frequent interaction between human infrastructure and these types of slope failures and motivates our research and educational goals.We plan to establish the Undi Road landslide as a case-study site for field education and training in applied geology and geomorphology. The broad research goals for this work focus on advancing understanding of landslide processes in Quaternary deposits and the related impacts on watersheds and infrastructure. The broad educational goals include establishment of this site as a focal location for individual student research projects that advance the research goals, community resilience, and practical training. The seed funding provided by the QRC allows us to document baseline geologic conditions, further develop stakeholder partnerships, and establish proof of concept for the educational outcomes.
Our project is divided into 5 overlapping phases:
- Document and evaluate geologic conditions,
- Establish benchmarks and monitor landslide motion,
- Conduct change-detection analyses with digital elevation models using structure from motion and drone-obtained data,
- Engage with stakeholders and present findings, and
- Establish long-term monitoring and external funding.
Our schedule includes field work starting in summer 2021 and ends with presentations and proposal writing later in 2022. Field work begins in earnest in the summer of 2021 with four graduate students establishing baseline conditions and installing benchmarks. Phase 3 is planned for winter when the vegetation cover is less dense. Then in the spring and summer of 2022, Phases 4 and 5 will be the primary focus.
Report: pending