Time-lapse photography of an active coastal-bluff landslide, Mukilteo, Washington, August 2015 - May 2016
Dates
Publication Date
2020-07-20
Start Date
2015-08-19
End Date
2016-05-25
Citation
Smith, J.B., Delius, I., Mirus, B.B, Baum, R.L., 2020, Time-lapse photography of an active coastal-bluff landslide, Mukilteo, Washington, August 2015 - May 2016: U.S Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P99QOYL2.
Summary
A time-lapse camera was used to document periodic reactivation of a complex landslide on a steep coastal bluff in Mukilteo, Washington. This landslide is one of four monitoring sites initiated by the U.S Geological Survey to investigate hill-slope hydrology and landslide hazards affecting the railway corridor along the eastern shore of Puget Sound between the cities of Seattle and Everett (Mirus et al., 2016; Smith et al. 2017). The camera was installed in the crown of the landslide above the main scarp facing roughly North, with a field of view that includes the head of the landslide body and a minor scarp below. The attached file ‘CameraLocation.PNG’ provides an overview figure of the landslide and the camera’s location relative [...]
Summary
A time-lapse camera was used to document periodic reactivation of a complex landslide on a steep coastal bluff in Mukilteo, Washington. This landslide is one of four monitoring sites initiated by the U.S Geological Survey to investigate hill-slope hydrology and landslide hazards affecting the railway corridor along the eastern shore of Puget Sound between the cities of Seattle and Everett (Mirus et al., 2016; Smith et al. 2017). The camera was installed in the crown of the landslide above the main scarp facing roughly North, with a field of view that includes the head of the landslide body and a minor scarp below. The attached file ‘CameraLocation.PNG’ provides an overview figure of the landslide and the camera’s location relative to the different monitoring stations. It recorded imagery from August 19th, 2015 through May 25th, 2016. The time-lapse photos were taken three times daily (at 9 am, 12 pm, and 4 pm, PST) and stored onsite on a memory card; corresponding intervals between the photographs were 3 hours, 4 hours, and 17 hours (overnight). The time-lapse photos were compiled into a video and five periods of distinct ground movement were identified. Apparent slow and consistent slope-surface movements are recorded during these periods, but subsequent site visits suggest that these slow displacements indirectly triggered topples and debris-avalanche movements both up slope and down slope of the camera’s field of view. The approximate sizes of topples and debris avalanches were on the order of 105 –107 cubic centimeters. The video captures slope movements during the time periods of December 8–9, 2015; January 21–30, 2016; and March 9–14, 2016. In addition, the video shows two seemingly “instantaneous” events during the nights of March 23 and March 26. Each of these periods of slope movement also correspond to observed rainfall events and associated subsurface hydrologic responses documented elsewhere (Mirus et al. 2017; Smith et al. 2017).
The time-lapse video can be found in the attached .mp4 file "mukilteo_timelapse_video.mp4"
The individual time-lapse photos can be downloaded from the attached zip file "mukilteo_timelapse_photos.zip." More detailed information about the camera and settings used can be found in the metadata file.
The following citations relate to reports that provide background information and are intended to accompany this data release.
Mirus, B. B., Smith, J. B., Stark, B., Lewis, Y., Michel, A., & Baum, R. L. (2016). Assessing landslide potential on coastal bluffs near Mukilteo, Washington—Geologic site characterization for hydrologic monitoring. (U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Rep., 2016-1082, 28). Reston, VA: U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161082
Smith, J. B., Baum, R. L., Mirus, B. B., Michel, A., & Stark, B. (2017). Results of hydrologic monitoring on landslide-prone coastal bluffs near Mukilteo, Washington (U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Rep., 2017–1095, 47 p.). Reston, VA: U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171095
Mirus, B. B., Smith, J. B., & Baum, R. L. (2017). Hydrologic impacts of landslide disturbances: implications for remobilization and hazard persistence. Water Resources Research, 53. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR020842
Click on title to download individual files attached to this item.
Time-lapse photography of an active coastal-bluff landslide, Mukilteo, Washington, August 2015 - May 2016.xml Original FGDC Metadata
View
13.51 KB
application/fgdc+xml
Mukilteo_timelapse_photos.zip
593.3 MB
application/zip
mukilteo-timelapse.mp4
148.37 MB
video/mp4
camera_location.PNG “A: Cross-sectional view of instrument cluster elevations at the Landslide Scar”
335.35 KB
image/png
Related External Resources
Type: Publication that references this resource
Mirus, B.B., Smith, J.B., Stark, Benjamin, Lewis, York, Michel, Abigail, and Baum, R.L., 2016, Assessing landslide potential on coastal bluffs near Mukilteo, Washington—Geologic site characterization for hydrologic monitoring: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1082, 28 p.
A: Cross-sectional view of instrument cluster elevations at the Landslide Scar (LS) monitoring sites. B: Plan view of the LS monitoring sites and camera location relative to sites
The purpose of this dataset is to present the time-lapse images collected at an active coastal-bluff landslide in Mukilteo, Washington from August 2015-May 2016.
Preview Image
A: Cross-sectional view of instrument cluster elevations at the Landslide Scar (LS) monitoring sites. B: Plan view of the LS monitoring sites and camera location relative to sites