Geologic mapping and El Niño:
Landslide and debris-flow susceptibility maps

Geologists witness the long-term record of many storms when they study deposits at the surface of the Earth; as a result they are especially well-suited to examine the history of El Niño events and make predictions for consequences of future El Niño events. Excessive rainfall and snowfall can trigger floods and mass-sliding of earth, rock, and mud. Geologists can predict about how much rain or snowmelt are needed before destructive floods and landslides occur, so they can make maps that depict locations and the likelihood of various hazardous conditions that might result from El Niño storms.

Why geologic mapping is needed for El Niño response

El Niño plans and preparations by geologic mappers

• Southern California
• San Francisco Bay area

  Information about El Niño response

  Maps of debris-flows, slides, earth-flows, and rainfall thresholds

• Mojave Desert

What is El Niño?

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
NASA's El Niño page
Desert Research Institute
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA

Basic information
Advisory information
Impacts of El Niño
Forecasts

For further information, contact David Miller

http://geology.wr.usgs.gov/wgmt/elnino/, 1 May 2001