Cart
The headscarp of the West Salt Creek landslide. Photo Credit: David C. Noe for the CGS

Hazards

Colorado has diverse geologic structures, rocks, soil types, topography, and climatic conditions that combine to create a range of dynamic natural processes. Where people choose to build communities and live determines whether these ongoing processes become threats in the form of geologic hazards including avalanches, floods, landslides, debris flows, earthquakes, and swelling soils. Over the years these hazards have cost citizens across the state billions of dollars in damages.

The CGS conducts scientific studies of the state’s geologic hazards, monitoring areas susceptible to geologic hazards and disasters and producing maps and guides as to where hazards may be encountered and how people might reduce their personal exposure. Importantly, the CGS studies both the natural occurrence of these hazards as well as how human activity sometimes unknowingly trigger them. The award-winning CGS publication “Collapsible Soils in Colorado” is an important resource that helps the public understand and mitigate a common geologic hazard that is often exacerbated by human activities. As directed by state statute, our staff of geo-engineering experts review geologic reports for certain new development in unincorporated areas of the state, as well as all new school or critical facilities construction, to determine whether they are at risk from geologic hazards. We also provide post-disaster and emergency-response assessments to affected areas and communities, helping to identify areas at risk of further damage.

Geologic Hazards

ON-001 Colorado Earthquake and Fault Map

Earthquakes

Learn More
Historic coal mine subsidence incident in Boulder County, Colorado, March 2003. Photo credit: T.C. Wait for the CGS.

Ground Subsidence

Learn More

Swelling Soils

Learn More
Abandoned mine structures in the Pike-San Isabel National Forest, Colorado. Photo credit: Colorado Geological Survey

Abandoned Mine Lands

Learn More
West Salt Creek rock avalanche viewed from the air, May 2014. Photo credit: Jon White for the CGS.

Landslides

Learn More
Constellation Drive landslide, Colorado Springs, Colorado, August 2015. Photo credit: T.C.Wait for the CGS

Land Use Review

Learn More

Related RockTalk postings ::

Case Study: Rockfall – St. Francis of Assisi, Castle Rock

The CGS studied the site of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Castle Rock extensively after a block detached from…

CGS seismometer array

The CGS recently installed the first of five new seismic recording stations that will collect information on seismic events around…

HAZ-2021-01 Post-wildfire Hazards

Noting that we were getting hundreds of search hits on a previous version of an info-brochure that we originally published…

Mine Subsidence Hazards in Colorado

This video, produced by the CGS in 2011, examines the significant geo-hazards related to the long history of underground coal…

Trenching the Cheraw Fault in Southeastern Colorado

One of the missions of the CGS is to better understand the various geological risks that face the residents of…

What to do before, during, and after an earthquake

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently, and without warning. While Colorado is not as seismically active as some places, it does have…

Top-Ten paper at GSA

On May 25, 2014 the longest landslide in Colorado’s historical record occurred in west-central Colorado, six miles (10 km) southeast of the small…

Case Study: Avalanche – Silver Plume

By Jill Carlson On March 23, 2003, a large avalanche occurred about one mile west of the Town of Silver…