Robert J. Watters

Phone: (775) 784-6069
Fax: (775) 784-1833

E-mail: wattersmines.unr.edu

Areas of Interest:
Geologic Hazards, Volcano and Slope Instability, Rock Fall

Education:
PhD University of London ( Imperial College ), England .
BS University of Strathclyde, Scotland .

Current Research:

Landslide research includes a) slope instability of natural and excavated slopes, b) effects of weathering and alteration on rock mass strength, and c) volcano edifice and sector collapse.

On-going research involves landslide potential in volcanic environments, the stability of open pit mine slopes, rock fall from natural and man-made excavations, and stability of mountain, coastal, and submarine slopes. Volcano stability research is performed in the Cascade Range Volcanoes (Washington and Oregon ), the Mexican Volcanic Belt, and volcanoes in South America . The field and laboratory results are combined with numerical modeling and limit equilibrium analyses to assess stability, hazard, and risk. Pit mine slope research surprisingly has similarities to the volcano work as hydrothermal alteration affects on pit design are investigated. Rock fall simulation entails collection of rock fall data from highway cuts and mountain slopes and compared with computer generated data. Mountain, coastal and submarine slope stability involves assessing the effects of sea level changes and seismic loading.

Present graduate students and research topics:

• Rei Arai; hydrothermal alteration and slope instability.
• Jim Nichols; stability of nursery rock walls.
• Kurt Katzenstein; application of Insar to bedrock subsidence associated with mine-dewatering.
• Stephanie Watts; recognition and analysis of seismically induced lateral spreads.
• Sean Warren; future volcano edifice collapse as a result of active hydrothermal alteration.

Recent publications relevant to slope stability research:

• Watters, R .J, Watts, C.F, and Underwood, S A (2007) Stability input factors, calculations, and triggers for recent rock falls at Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, California. AEG Special Publication 23, pp. 1302-1308.
• Bowman, S. D. and Watters, R. J. (2007) A new highly portable Point Load Test device for extreme field areas. Environmental and Engineering Geoscience, Vol X111, No. 1, pp. 69 – 73.
• Neuffer, D, Schultz, R, A, and Watters, R.J. (2006) Mechanisms of slope failure on Pyramid Mountain, a subglacial volcano in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 43, pp. 147 – 155.
• Schiffman, P, Watters, R. J, Thompson, N, and Walton, W.W. (2006) Hyaloclastites and the slope stability of Hawaiian volcanoes: Insights from the Hawaiian Scientific Project’s 3-km drill hole, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 151, pp. 217 - 228.
• Conchas-Dimas, A, Cerca M Rodriguez, and Watters, R.J (2005) Geomorphological evidence of the influence of pre-volcanic basement structure and deformation of volcanic edifices at the Cofre de Perote – Pico de Orizaba chain and implications for avalanche generation. Geomorphology, 72, pp 19 – 39.
• Badger,T, and Watters, R.J. (2004). Gigantic seismogenic landslides of Summer Lake basin, south-central Oregon . GSA Bulletin, May/June v. 116, no. 5/6.
• Zimbelman DR, Watters RJ, Firth IR, Breit GN, Carrasco-Nunez G, 2004, Stratovolcano stability assessment methods and results from Citlaltepetl, Mexico. Bulletin of Volcanology, vol. 66, pp. 66-79
• Zimbelman DR, Watters RJ, Bowman S, Firth I, 2003. Quantifying hazard and risk assessment at active volcanoes. EOS, vol. 84, no. 23, 213-224.
• Watters, R.J. Katzenstein,K.W, and Thelen,W.A. (2003). Calibration and accuracy of rock fall simulation programs. 54th. Highway Geology Symposium, Vermont Agency of Transportation, pp. 196-207.
• Conchas-Dimas,A, and Watters, R.J. (2003). Preliminary evaluation of volcanic flank stability using finite element difference modeling: Citlaltepetl Volcano, Mexico . 12th. Panamerican Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering. MIT, Culligan, Einstein, and Whittle (eds), Verglag Gluckauf ( Germany ), pp. 2483-2488.