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oa A Survey of Large-Scale Landslide Deposits in Nevada, USA
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 5th EAGE Workshop on assessment of landslide hazards and impact on communities, Sep 2025, Volume 2025, p.1 - 5
Abstract
Tectonically and volcanically active areas commonly contain geologic conditions conducive to formation of large landslides. Areas that have been tectonically active over geologic time also may have landslide deposits preserved in the rock record. Though perhaps not as well studied as modern landslides and landslide hazards, it is important to evaluate and understand these older landslides to better understand both landslides and the geologic processes that lead to landslide occurrence.
Nevada, USA has been tectonically active for much of the past 350 Myr, including periods of contraction, extension, oblique deformation. Over 700 large-scale (with deposits covering >1 km2) landslide deposits have been identified across the state. These have a wide variety of sizes and failure styles linked in part to tectonic or volcanic environment. In this presentation, we will discuss the styles of large-scale landslides in Nevada, with four examples, three from the southern part of the state and one from the northwest. It is important to study and understand these ancient landslides as they provide a window into the role large-scale landslides play in landscape evolution and provide a range of possibilities for the ways slopes can fail.
