PORT TOWNSEND — Landslide hazards abound in Washington state, says geologist Tom Badger.
He will talk about the hazards at 4 p.m. Saturday at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave.
While the presentation sponsored by the Jefferson Land Trust’s Geology Group is free and open to the public, donations of $5 will be appreciated to defray expenses.
Landslides impact shorelines and rivers, forests, infrastructure, homes and livelihoods. On rare occasions, they result in loss of life.
From tens to hundreds of millions of public dollars are spent annually in Washington state to mitigate these hazards. Some best-known hazard areas for frequent and/or large-volume landslides are associated with glacial deposits of the Puget Lowland, marine sedimentary rocks of the Olympic Peninsula and Willapa Hills and basalt-sedimentary interbed sequences of the Yakima Fold Belt.
Badger holds a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Western Washington University and a master’s degree in geological engineering from the University of Nevada-Reno.
He worked for the state Department of Transportation for 32 years, serving as chief engineering geologist for five years, before retiring in 2016.
In this role, Badger was responsible for managing design, construction and maintenance pertaining to soil and rock engineering, blasting and rockfall/landslide hazards.
He has published and lectured widely on these topics and presently consults on slope hazards and risk management.
For more information about the Geology Group and this upcoming presentation, visit www.quimper geology.org.
