On February 14, 2019, just before 2:56 am local time (Pacific Standard Time), a landslide initiated from the natural hillslopes above the City of Sausalito, California. The landslide, properly identified as a debris flow, overran a road (Sausalito Boulevard) located immediately below the landslide source area, and impacted and destroyed several residential structures. One person was located in one of the residences and survived the disaster after being transported in their home down the slope. The U.S. Geological Survey responded to this event within hours of the landslide and provided situational awareness of possible secondary landslide hazards associated with the event. The USGS also rapidly mobilized its topographic surveying capabilities (specifically, GPS and terrestrial lidar devices) and collected a three-dimensional point cloud model of the landslide source area and surrounding terrain to capture the as-failed condition of the slope for potential future studies. This data collected during this response is presented in this data release.

This data release provides datasets supporting research on landslides triggered by a series of storms in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, that occurred between December 25, 2022, through January 19, 2023. During this period, eight atmospheric river storms delivered intense and prolonged rainfall across the region, leading to significant hydrological responses and widespread landsliding. Statewide, over 700 landslides were initially reported, with the total count likely exceeding 10,000. This release includes detailed observations from three landslide-prone monitoring sites in urbanized areas of the San Francisco Bay Area, capturing high-resolution time series data on rainfall, soil moisture, and subsurface pore water pressure. These datasets can be used for analyzing the subsurface hydrologic conditions preceding and during landslide events, thereby providing insight into storm-induced landslide triggers and informing future landslide prediction models. The data also support ongoing efforts to improve early warning systems for rainfall-induced landslides in California and other vulnerable regions. The data package includes the following files: 1. CSV Files: Time-series data capturing rain, soil moisture and piezometer measurements for each monitoring site. These files track key variables such as soil volumetric water content and pore water pressure, essential for understanding the hydrologic triggers of landslides. 2. PDF: Geotechnical Properties of Sites: This document presents detailed results from soil classification and hydromechanical testing conducted at each site. The data provide the physical properties of the soil, such as its composition and behavior under stress, which influence landslide susceptibility. 3. PDF: Site Images and Cross-Sections: This file contains a photograph and cross-sectional diagram of each site, offering visual context and structural details for the monitoring locations. These diagrams help illustrate the subsurface geological characteristics relevant to landslide risks. 4. PDF: Location Maps: This document includes a map showing the precise geographic location of each monitoring site within the San Francisco Bay Area, providing context for the collected data regarding regional landslide hazards. 5. CSV Files: Landslide location data for landslides mapped to have occurred during the December 25, 2022, to January 19, 2023, storm sequence near the BALT1 (East Bay), BALT2 (Marin County), and BALT3 (San Francisco Peninsula) monitoring sites. Each dataset includes a unique landslide identifier and the corresponding easting and northing referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) (EPSG:26910) and projected to Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 10 North coordinates. These locations represent general landslide locations and should not be misconstrued as the precise headscarp location.

This inventory was originally created by Harp and others (1984) describing the landslides triggered by a sequence of earthquakes, with the largest being the M 6.5 Mammoth Lakes, California earthquake that occurred on 25 May 1980 at 19:44:50 UTC. Care should be taken when comparing with other inventories because different authors use different mapping techniques. This inventory includes landslides triggered by a sequence of earthquakes rather than a single mainshock. Please check the author methods summary and the original data source for more information on these details and to confirm the viability of this inventory for your specific use. With the exception of the data from USGS sources, the inventory data and associated metadata were not acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and thus have not been reviewed for accuracy and completeness by the USGS. They are presented as part of this data series for convenience of the user only, as part of an effort to make published ground-failure inventories more accessible from a single aggregated site. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.

This inventory was originally created by Harp and others (1984) describing the landslides triggered by a sequence of earthquakes, with the largest being the M 6.5 Mammoth Lakes, California earthquake that occurred on 25 May 1980 at 19:44:50 UTC. Care should be taken when comparing with other inventories because different authors use different mapping techniques. This inventory includes landslides triggered by a sequence of earthquakes rather than a single mainshock. Please check the author methods summary and the original data source for more information on these details and to confirm the viability of this inventory for your specific use. With the exception of the data from USGS sources, the inventory data and associated metadata were not acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and thus have not been reviewed for accuracy and completeness by the USGS. They are presented as part of this data series for convenience of the user only, as part of an effort to make published ground-failure inventories more accessible from a single aggregated site. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.

This dataset consists of point cloud data collected in 2016 and 2017 of the lower and upper Scenic Drive landslide locations in La Honda, California. Point cloud data were collected in 2016 to establish baseline for movement detection of past landslides. Point cloud data were collected in 2017 adjacent and upslope of 2016 data to document a newly formed landslide. The data were collected with a Riegl VZ400 Terrestrial Laser Scanner and georeferenced using a Leica Viva GS15 survey grade GPS. The data are delivered as georeferenced (NAD83 UTM zone 10N ellipsoid) classified point clouds, 5 cm resolution digital elevation models, and a text file of surveyed GPS control points. The included files are: LH2017_Jan.laz LH2016_Jan.laz LH2017_5cm_DEM_be_tin.tif LH2017_5cm_DEM_bebldg_tin.tif LH2017_5cm_DEM_be_idp.tif LH2016_5cm_DEM_be_tin.tif LH2016_5cm_DEM_bebldg_tin.tif LH2016_5cm_DEM_be_idp.tif LH_GPS_control_points_NAD83_UTM_z10N_ell.txt

This dataset consists of point cloud data collected in 2016 and 2017 of the lower and upper Scenic Drive landslide locations in La Honda, California. Point cloud data were collected in 2016 to establish baseline for movement detection of past landslides. Point cloud data were collected in 2017 adjacent and upslope of 2016 data to document a newly formed landslide. The data were collected with a Riegl VZ400 Terrestrial Laser Scanner and georeferenced using a Leica Viva GS15 survey grade GPS. The data are delivered as georeferenced (NAD83 UTM zone 10N ellipsoid) classified point clouds, 5 cm resolution digital elevation models, and a text file of surveyed GPS control points. The included files are: LH2017_Jan.laz LH2016_Jan.laz LH2017_5cm_DEM_be_tin.tif LH2017_5cm_DEM_bebldg_tin.tif LH2017_5cm_DEM_be_idp.tif LH2016_5cm_DEM_be_tin.tif LH2016_5cm_DEM_bebldg_tin.tif LH2016_5cm_DEM_be_idp.tif LH_GPS_control_points_NAD83_UTM_z10N_ell.txt

An atmospheric river storm on January 9, 2023, produced widespread landsliding in the Santa Ynez Mountains in Santa Barbara County and Ventura County, California (USA). Landslides occurred in the footprint of the 2008 Tea Fire, 2009 Jesusita Fire, 2017 Thomas Fire, and 2019 Cave Fire, as well as in areas that had not burned in more than 15 years. Most of these landslides were shallow (less than 3-meter deep) debris slides, which mobilized into debris flows and entered drainage networks. This U.S. Geological Survey data release contains (1) an inventory of landslides that were identified with aerial photographs, (2) a tabulation of landslide source area characteristics that were measured in the field, (3) local rain gage records that span October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023, (4) laboratory-based measurements of local soil characteristics, and (5) field-based measurements of local vegetation characteristics. The “ProcessSteps.txt” file outlines how the data were collected. The “README.txt” file describes the fields for all of the datasets. Fields with a value of “-9999” indicate that the data are not available or do not exist.

Landslide scarp features have been mapped offshore of Southern California. Polygons were mapped from visual interpretation of high-resolution multibeam echosounder data (MBES) and single-beam echosounder data.