The Oso Landslide in Snohomish County, Washington, is among the most significant geologic disasters in recent U. S. history. The landslide occurred on a valley slope with documented history of intermittent landslide movement dating back to the 1940s; the most recent slope movement in 2006 blocked the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River and caused shallow flood damage to some of the nearby homes. The Oso Landslide is one of many landslides that have occurred on valley slopes above the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River.

The 22 March 2014 Oso Landslide generated vibrations at 10:37 A.M. local time that were recorded on nearby seismograph stations; it became a rapidly moving, unchannelized debris flow that spread out as it travelled about 1 km across the valley, damming the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, destroying and carrying away about 50 homes, and burying about 1.5 km of State Highway 530. In early May 2014, the recovery efforts were suspended after 41 confirmed deaths but with 2 persons still missing. Developing and advancing strategies for adapting to weather-triggered earth surface processes requires an understanding of what lead to the collapse of the slope for enhanced public safety and so that communities and infrastructure systems can be designed for greater resiliency. The National Science Foundation-supported Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association (www.geerassociation.org) by 31 March 2014 assembled a team of seven professionals to investigate the landslide; authorization to access the landslide area was granted to the GEER team in early May 2014. The primary focus of the GEER team is to document short-lived geotechnical features and make the findings publically available through the GEER website. The team's report will describe plausible precipitation, geologic, groundwater, and geotechnical models, impacts to infrastructure, and hazard-communication aspects of the disastrous landslide event.

Jeffrey R. Keaton specializes in quantifying hazardous natural processes for siting and design of all types of facilities in all geologic environments. He has degrees in Geological Engineering, Engineering (Geotechnical), and Geology. He is registered in several states as an Engineer and as a Geologist; he is a Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineering of the Academy of Geo-Professionals and hold the Evision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) credential from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure.

Keaton has been employed by consulting firms for over 40 years, and in AMEC's Los Angeles office of since July 2005 where he is a Principal Engineering Geologist.

He has remained active in professional societies throughout his career, serving as chair of two committees and a section at Transportation Research Board, chair of the Engineering Geology Division of GSA, president of AEG, and chair of the Technical Coordination Council of ASCE's Geo-Institute. Currently, he is a member of the ASCE Committee on Sustainability, chair of IAEG Commission No 1, Engineering Geological Characterisation and Visualisation, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc.

Contact Information:
Jeffrey R. Keaton, PhD, PE, PG, D.GE, F.ASCE, F.GSA, Principal Engineering Geologist, Geotechnical Practice Leader
AMEC, 5628 East Slauson Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90040
Phone: (323) 889-5316; Cell: (323) 215-8454, Email: Jeff.Keaton@amec.com, Website: www.amec.com