Al Handwerger, PhD

He/Him/His, Research Associate / NASA JPL / UCLA

Educational & Professional Experience:

Education

PhD, Geological Sciences, University of Oregon (2015)

BA, Earth Sciences, Boston University (2008)

Professional Experience

Signal Analysis Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology (2022 - present)

Assistant Researcher, Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, University of California Los Angeles (2020 - present)

Visiting Assistant Researcher, Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and Engineering, University of California Los Angeles and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2019)

NASA Postdoctoral Fellow, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2016-2019)

Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Oregon (2015)

Graduate Teaching Fellow, University of Oregon (2009–2015)

Recent Publications:

(* indicates student as lead author)

  1. Handwerger, A. L., Fielding, E. J., Sangha, S. S., and Bekaert, D. (2022), Landslide Sensitivity and Response to Precipitation Changes in Wet and Dry Climates. Geophysical Research Letters, e2022GL099499. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099499
  2. Handwerger, A. L., Huang, M.-H., Jones, S. Y., Amatya, P, Kerner, H. R., and Kirschbaum, D. B., (2022), Generating landslide density heatmaps for rapid detection using open-access satellite radar data in Google Earth Engine, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359119218_Generating_landslide_density_heatmaps_for_rapid_detection_using_open-access_satellite_radar_data_in_Google_Earth_Engine
  3. *Dille, A., Dewitte, O., Handwerger, A. L., d’Oreye, N., Derauw, D., Ganza, G. B., Mawe, G. I., Michellier. C, Moeyersons, J., Monsieurs, E., Bibentyo, T. M., Samsonov, S., Smets, B., Kervyn, M., and Kervyn, F., (Accepted), Urban growth and the dynamics of a large deep-seated landslide in the tropics, Nature Geoscience.
  4. *Urgilez Vinueza, A., Handwerger, A. L., Bakker, M., and Bogaard T., (2022), A new method to detect changes in displacement rates of slow-moving landslides using InSAR time series, Landslides. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-022-01913-8.
  5. *Li, C., Handwerger, A. L., Wang, J., Yu, W., Li, X., Finnegan, N. J., Xie, Y., Buscarnera, G., and Horton, D. E. (2022), Augmentation of WRF-Hydro to simulate overland-flow- and streamflow-generated debris flow susceptibility in burn scars. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 22, 2317–2345, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2317-2022.
  6. Handwerger, A. L., Booth, A. M., Huang, M.-H., and Fielding, E. J., (2021), Inferring the Subsurface Geometry, Stress, and Strength of Slow-moving Landslides using 3D Velocity Measurements from the NASA/JPL UAVSAR, Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, e2020JF005898, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005898.
  7. Finnegan, N. J., Perkins, J. P., Nereson, A. L., and Handwerger, A. L., (2021), Unsaturated flow processes and the onset of seasonal deformation in slow-moving landslides, Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, e2020JF005758, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JF005758.
  8. *Brencher, G. B., Handwerger, A. L., and Munroe, J. S., (2021), InSAR-based characterization of rock glacier movement in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA, The Cryosphere, 15, 4823–4844. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-4823-2021.
  9. Dille, A., Kervyn, F., Handwerger, A. L., d’Oreye, N., Derauw, D., Bibentyo, T. M., Samsonov, S., Malet, J.-P., Kervyn, M., and Dewitte, O., (2021), When image correlation is needed: unravelling the complex dynamics of a slow-moving landslide in the tropics with dense radar and optical time series, Remote Sensing of Environment, 258, 112402, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112402.
  10. Liao, T.-H., Kim, S.-B, Handwerger, A. L., Fielding, E. J., Cosh, M., and Schulz, W. H., (2021), High-Resolution Soil Moisture Maps Over Landslide Regions in Northern California Grassland Derived from SAR Backscattering Coefficients, Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, vol. 14, pp. 4547-4560, https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9387096
  11. Lacroix, P., Handwerger, A. L., and Bièvre, G., (2020), Life and death of slow-moving landslides, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1-16, https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0072-8.
  12. Bekaert, D., Handwerger, A. L., Agram, P., and Kirschbaum, D. B., (2020), InSAR-based detection method for mapping and monitoring slow-moving landslides in remote regions with steep and mountainous terrain: An application to Nepal, Remote Sensing of Environment, 249, 111983, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.111983.
  13. Handwerger, A. L., Fielding, E. J., Huang, M.-H., Bennett, G. L., Liang, C., and Schulz, W. H., (2019), Widespread initiation, reactivation, and acceleration of landslides in the northern California Coast Ranges due to extreme rainfall, Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 124(7), 1782- 1797, https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005035.
  14. Handwerger, A. L., Huang, M.-H., Fielding, E. J., Booth, A., and Bürgmann, R., (2019), A shift from drought to extreme rainfall drives a stable landslide to catastrophic failure, Scientific Reports, 9(1), 1569, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-38300-0.
  15. Hu, X., Bürgmann, R., Lu, Z., Handwerger, A. L., Wang, T., and Miao, R., (2019), Mobility, thickness, and hydraulic diffusivity of the slow-moving Monroe landslide in California revealed by L-band satellite radar interferometry, Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 124(7), 7504-7518. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JB017560.
  16. Finnegan, N. J., Broudy, K. N., Nereson, A. L., Roering, J.J., Handwerger, A. L., and Bennett, G., (2019), River Channel Width Controls Blocking by Slow-moving Landslides in California’s Franciscan Mèlange, Earth Surface Dynamics, 7, 879-894, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-879-2019.
  17. Handwerger, A. L., Rempel, A. W., and Skarbek, R. M., (2017), Submarine landslides triggered by destabilization of high-saturation hydrate anomalies, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 18, 2429- 2445, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GC006706.
  18. Handwerger, A. L., Rempel, A. W., Skarbek, R. M., Roering, J. J., and Hilley, G. E., (2016), Rate-weakening friction characterizes both slow sliding and catastrophic failure of landslides, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(37), 10281-10286, https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1607009113
  19. Bennett, G. L., Roering, J. J., Mackey, B. H., Handwerger, A. L., Schmidt, D. A., and Guillod, B. P., (2016), Historic drought puts the brakes on earthflows in Northern California, Geophysical Research Letters, 43(11), 5725-5731, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL068378.
  20. Handwerger, A. L., Roering, J. J., Schmidt, D. A., and Rempel, A. W., (2015), Kinematics of Earth- flows in the Northern California Coast Ranges using Satellite Interferometry, Geomorphology, 246, 321- 333, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.06.003.
  21. Roering, J. J., Mackey, B. H., Handwerger, A. L., Booth, A. M., Schmidt, D. A., Bennett, G. L., and Cerovski-Darriau, C., (2015), Beyond the angle of repose: A review and synthesis of landslide processes in response to rapid uplift, Eel River, Northern California, Geomorphology, 236, 109-131, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.02.013.
  22. Handwerger, A. L., Roering, J. J., and Schmidt, D. A. (2013), Controls on the seasonal deformation of slow-moving landslides, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 377, 239-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.06.047.
  23. Roering, J. J., Mackey, B. H., Marshall, J. A., Sweeney, K. E., Deligne, N. I., Booth, A. M., Handwerger, A. L., and Cerovski-Darriau, C., (2013), ’You are HERE’: Connecting the dots with airborne lidar for geomorphic fieldwork, Geomorphology, 200, 172-183, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.04.009.

Selected Awards & Honors:

NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship, 2016-2019