Modeling and Analysis of the 1949 Narrows Landslide, Tacoma, Washington

Research Article| September 01, 1994 Modeling and Analysis of the 1949 Narrows Landslide, Tacoma, Washington ALAN F. CHLEBORAD ALAN F. CHLEBORAD U. S. Geological Survey, MS 966, Box 25046, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (1994) xxxi (3): 305–327. https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.xxxi.3.305 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation ALAN F. CHLEBORAD; Modeling and Analysis of the 1949 Narrows Landslide, Tacoma, Washington. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 1994;; xxxi (3): 305–327. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gseegeosci.xxxi.3.305 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEnvironmental & Engineering Geoscience Search Advanced Search Abstract A large landslide failed catastrophically along steep, 90-m (300-ft) high bluffs overlooking the waters of Puget Sound at Tacoma, Washington, in April of 1949, three days after the region was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The area of failure was investigated to estimate the static and seismic stability of the pre-earthquake slope and to identify factors that contributed to the failure. Results of static analyses suggest that the slope was marginally stable and that high ground-water conditions would have significantly reduced slope stability. The Newmark analysis of dynamic (seismic) slope stability was used to calculate predicted inertial displacements for the landslide for a range of possible material property and ground-water conditions. Comparison of predicted displacements with a reported displacement suggests that the ground motion could have initiated the large-scale failure. Results of the study provide a basis for discussion and comparison of similar bluffs in the Puget Sound region that may be susceptible to catastrophic, earthquake-induced slope failure. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.