Studying landslides in order to survive them

the University of Nevada, Reno.

“We have a few types of landslides in Nevada and across the country. There are records in the geologic strata of these types of landslides happening across Nevada,” she said.

Landslides pose a legitimate risk because development is expanding to areas that can become unstable under the right conditions, she said.

“Reno sits in a valley. As the population grows, we’re building higher up on the mountain slopes,” she said. “We’ve seen debris flows recently in the Carson City area.”

The hazard map gives residents information to prepare for the most likely natural disasters nearest them and to make smart decisions about where to build, she said.

“That’s the goal of the project, to develop a tool for Nevada citizens to make educated decisions about their community. Learn about hazard risks,” she said. “A lot of people don’t realize Nevada is earthquake country.”

Micander said people accustomed to earthquakes take precautions such as securing bookcases to the walls and not placing heavy objects like picture frames or unsecured shelving over beds.

“A lot of these hazards are fairly easily mitigated,” Micander said. “I know open shelving is trendy. But I keep the doors on my closets and cabinets. Mom always put a wooden spoon through the handles to secure the kitchen cupboards.”

In addition, the digital map identifies the risks of radon, a colorless, odorless toxic gas that can seep into homes from underground bedrock and the water table. It’s one of the leading causes of lung cancer in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people test their homes for radon exposure and make repairs, if necessary, to limit future exposure.

Micander said she would like to incorporate Sturmer’s new landslide data in the hazard map. So far, he has identified about 70 sites of landslides or landslide-prone areas. He has visited about a dozen of them but plans to study more in person.

“Most of them either haven’t been studied at all or have been studied very little,” he said. “It’s been a fun hunt to look for them. It seems every time I go looking for them, I find more.”