Atmospheric rivers, mudslides and more: USC experts discuss
February 07, 2024
(Photo/Timo Volz on Unsplash)
Another atmospheric river—a long ribbon of concentrated moisture—is bearing down on the West Coast, raising concerns about potential landslides in regions still recovering from last year’s heavy rains.
USC experts are available to discuss the current storm’s potential impacts and the ongoing challenges facing the region in adapting to more frequent and intense extreme weather events.
“We have a long history of fires and debris flows in the Western United States, and we keep learning more about where they’re most likely to occur,” said Joshua West, a leading expert in debris flows, in a Q&A following the devastating California wildfires of 2018.
“Some of the important things include the burn intensity, how steep the slopes are and the type of soil. From looking at past fires, you can come up with predictions on where the worst mudflows might occur for a given rainfall,” said West, a professor of earth sciences and environmental studies at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Amy Rechenmacher is a professor of practice in civil and environmental engineering practice at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering who studies how tiny particles in sand and soil behave under pressure, especially during natural disasters like earthquakes and landslides.
Adam Rose is an expert energy and environmental economics, public policy and natural hazards. Rose is a research professor at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and director emeritus and senior research fellow of the USC Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Threats and Emergencies (CREATE). A 2015 study by Rose found that an extreme atmospheric river storm could cost California $200 billion in state GDP over a three-year period (in today’s dollars).
Alison Hirsch is a renowned landscape theorist, historian, and designer, with a deep understanding of the interplay between built environments and natural forces, including atmospheric rivers and flooding. Hirsch directs the Landscape Architecture + Urbanism program at the USC School of Architecture.
Santina Contreras is an expert in environmental justice and an assistant professor at USC Price whose research focuses on the intersection of environmental hazards, international development, and community development planning.
Sarah Feakins is an expert in climate science, ecosystems, and paleoclimatology with an emphasis on warm periods in the past that provide analogs for the future. Feakins is professor of earth sciences at USC Dornsife.
Lowell Stott is an expert in storm tracking, El Niño and El Niña, and how ocean temperatures influence weather and climate. Stott is professor of earth sciences at USC Dornsife.
