An article on the Nature.com website reports that USGS researches have linked motion in the Slumgullion landslide of California with changes in air pressure known as “air tides”.
The Department of Planning and Development says that Seattle has about 30 landslides each year and that the landslide season there begins on November 1. This article explores the landslide problem in the city and gives mitigation advice.
The USGS has part of their website devoted to information about landslides. There are links to research, advisories, monitoring, events, state and local information, education, and more.
This video shows the results from landslides triggered in the Philippines by Typhoon Parma. Dave Petley has photos and commentary at his “On The Slide” blog.
This CNN video reports on recent landslides and flooding in the Philippines. Some of the flooding was triggered when water was released from dams that were about to be overtopped.
Dave Petley reports on landslides in Indonesia that were triggered by the recent earthquake.
“It is interesting to note that in all three of the large earthquakes upon which I have worked (1999 Taiwan, 2005 Pakistan, 2008 China), the media has tended to initially focus their coverage upon urban areas, whilst the real story has actually been in the rural hinterland.”
San Diego homeowners sued city government because they claimed a water leak from city lines caused the slide. A story on the 10News.com website explains why the judge ruled in favor of the city.
A new edition of “Survey Notes” has been released by the Utah Geological Survey. The focus of this issue is “Geologic Hazards”. Articles feature geologic hazards mapping, landslide inventory mapping, rock falls and lots more.
The Bellingham Herald has an interesting article about the Racehorse Creek Landslide that occurred in January, 2009. With a volume of about 500,000 cubic meters, it is a very large landslide.
An article at NewWest.net developed by University of Montana Journalism students includes a video about landslide hazards in Montana. Embedded within the article is a video in which geologists and an engineer discuss landslide hazards in Montana and other states.
The South African International Year of Planet Earth Website has an informative .pdf document that explains the geologic hazards in that country. Earthquakes, sinkholes, unstable soils, coastal erosion, landslides, floods and tsunamis are covered in the report. A quote that I found surprising….
“The rates of seismic activity in South Africa’s gold mining districts are higher than elsewhere in the world (even than California and Japan, which are renowned for earthquakes). A typical deep-level mine records about 1 000 seismic events each day.”
A free .pdf publication, Rock-Fall Hazards in Utah, is a four-page brochure that explains what causes rock falls, how to recognize the hazard and mitigation. It includes numerous photos and a list of some of the more significant rock falls that have occurred since 1999.
Photos and descriptions of a few landslides that occurred in northern Utah during early 2009 can be seen on the Utah Geological Survey’s website. I learned about this page at their blog.
I just learned “Survey Notes” is an interesting non-technical magazine published by the Utah Geological Survey. Check it out. The current issue contains articles on…
* What is the Biggest Natural Arch in the World?
* Ancient Landslides of the Beaver Dam Mountains
* Virtual Geologic Map Overlays
* Energy News
* Geosights: Wall Arch, a Fallen Giant
* Survey News
* Teacher’s Corner
* New Publications
An article on the Irish Examiner website explains why landslides have been labeled “Ireland’s Greatest Natural Hazard” and why so many landslides have occurred within the past few years.
The World Bank published a report in 2005 titled: “Natural Disaster Hotspots: A Global Risk Analysis,” that presents a global view of disaster risks associated with some major natural hazards such as drought, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides. The report indicates that 3.4 billion people, more than half the world’s population, live in areas where at least one hazard could significantly impact them. Quoted from a Columbia University press release of 03/05.
Dave Petley has a short essay titled “Some reflections on the Typhoon Morakot Landslide Disaster in Taiwan”. It explains why Taiwan has so many landslides and focuses on the recent landslides of Typhoon Morakot.
Dave’s Landslide Blog has a summary of landslides that occurred last week. A rockfall in New Zealand, landslides in China, the Philippines, India and Taiwan, plus a lahar in the Philippines.
Dave Petley points to an earthquake in New Zealand that triggered a large number of landslides. A map of earthquake intensity and landslide incidence shows a strong correlation.
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Hobart King
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