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This data release contains two debris-flow inventories summarizing observations from burned and unburned areas in the western Cascade Range of Oregon (OR). The burned inventory focuses on debris flows that occurred during the first two years after the 2020 Archie Creek, Holiday Farm, Beachie Creek/Lionshead, and Riverside fires (OR_field_observations.csv). The unburned inventory (1995-2022) focuses on debris flows in the same areas (excluding the Riverside Fire). The inventories are derived from field observations (OR_field_observations.csv) and aerial imagery (OR_imagery_observations.csv). They include mapped debris-flow initiation locations, descriptions of the inferred initiation process, other notable site characteristics, and rainfall data. Locations of debris flows observed after wildfires are also linked to USGS postfire debris-flow hazard assessments (USGS, 2022; Staley and others, 2017; Thomas and others 2023). Rainfall characteristics for each debris flow in the inventory are derived from the closest rainfall gage to an observed debris flow (gage_locations.csv). Peak rainfall rates during the known time window of debris-flow initiation are reported for durations of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 12 hours, 24 hours, 36 hours, and 48 hours. More detailed explanations of the headers for each of these csv files can be found within the README_csvname.txt file. References: Landslide Hazards Program. (n.d.). Emergency assessment of post-fire debris-flow hazards. U.S. Geological Survey. https://landslides.usgs.gov/hazards/postfire_debrisflow Staley, D. M., Negri, J. A., Kean, J. W., Laber, J. L., Tillery, A. C., and Youberg, A. M., 2017, Prediction of spatially explicit rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for post-fire debris-flow generation in the western United States. Geomorphology, 278, 149–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.10.019 Thomas, M. A., Kean, J. W., McCoy, S. W., Lindsay, D. N., Kostelnik, J., Cavagnaro, D. B., Rengers, F. K., East, A. E., Schwartz, J. Y., Smith, D. P., and Collins, B. D., 2023, Postfire hydrologic response along the Central California (USA) coast: insights for the emergency assessment of postfire debris-flow hazards. Landslides, 20, 2421-2436. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-023-02106-7more » « less
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Abstract Bedrock landsliding, including the formation of landslide dams, is a predominant geomorphic process in steep landscapes. Clarifying the importance of hydrologic and seismic mechanisms for triggering deep‐seated landslides remains an ongoing effort, and formulation of geomorphic metrics that predict dam preservation is crucial for quantifying secondary landslide hazards. Here, we identify >200 landslide‐dammed lakes in western Oregon and utilize dendrochronology and enhanced14C dating (“wiggle matching”) of “ghost forests” to establish slope failure timing at 20 sites. Our dated landslide dataset reveals bedrock landsliding has been common since the last Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake in January 1700 AD. Our study does not reveal landslides that date to 1700 AD. Rather, we observe temporal clustering ofat leastfour landslides in the winter of 1889/1890 AD, coincident with a series of atmospheric rivers that generated one of the largest regionally recorded floods. We use topographic and field analyses to assess the relation between dam preservation and topographic characteristics of the impounded valleys. In contrast to previous studies, we do not observe systematic scaling between dam size and upstream drainage area, though dam stability indices for our sites correspond with “stable” dams elsewhere. Notably, we observe that dams are preferentially preserved at drainage areas of ∼1.5 to 13 km2and valley widths of ∼25 to 80 m, which may reflect the reduced downstream influence of debris flows and the accumulation of mature conifer trees upstream from landslide‐dammed lake outlets. We suggest that wood accumulation upstream of landslide dams tempers large stream discharges, thus inhibiting dam incision.more » « less
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