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Landslides Current Events


Swiss Alps Landslide
May 21, 2012 | CNN.com

Video of a massive slope failure in the Swiss Alps.

Landslide Dam Failure
May 9, 2012 | Circle of Blue

This video shows a flash flood produced when a landslide dam blocking a tributary of the Seti River in Nepal was breached.

More information on the flood in an article on the Chicago Tribune website.

Landslide Problems: Oregon Highway 20
May 7, 2012 | BendBulletin.com

Numerous landslides have plagued a project to straighten a section of Oregon’s Highway 20 through a part of the Coast Range that receives over 100 inches of rain per year. Landslide damage will force the state to demolish four new bridges.

Landslide Derails Train
April 30, 2012 | The Press Association @ Google

A train in England was struck by a landslide. Although it derailed it remained upright and only minor injuries resulted.

Landslide or Washout?
April 30, 2012 | Yakima Herald

Mud, rocks and trees flowed over State Route 410 west of Yakima, Washington. The Department of Transportation first called the event a landslide but decided later that it was a washout. See photo.

Landslide Danger: Relocating 100,000 People?
April 18, 2012 | Post-Gazette.com

Landslide hazards may cause the Chinese government to relocate 100,000 people near the Three Gorges Dam. Landslides on the banks of the reservoir have increased dramatically since it was filled to its operating capacity in 2010.

Utah Route 14 Landslide Repair Progress
April 10, 2012 | The Spectrum

Engineers initially thought that a landslide blocking state Route 14 in Utah would require a few weeks to repair. Now they realize that repairs will take several months. (Be sure to look at the large gallery of photos.)

Building Around a Landslide
March 21, 2012 | KIMATV.com

Over two years ago a large landslide covered a quarter mile of Washington State Route 410. Now the state plans to end the detours and build a new section of Route 410 around the landslide debris.

San Pedro Landslide Solutions
March 19, 2012 | Los Angeles Times

There are three possible solutions for the landslide that destroyed a 900-foot stretch of Paseo del Mar in September, 2011. A) build a bridge, B) build a road through a nature preserve, C) terminate the Paseo del Mar.

Fredericksburg Landslide
March 19, 2012 | Fredericksburg.com

An article on the Fredericksburg.com website explains the plight of homeowners who have a landslide scarp a few feet from their foundations and the efforts to determine who should pay for slope stabilization.

Catching Rockfalls with a Net
March 12, 2012 | SwissInfo.ch

A video on the SwissInfo.ch website shows how large falling rocks can sometimes be caught with a steel net. It also illustrates several methods of landslide monitoring.

More about Landslides.

Landslide Mitigation in France
March 7, 2012 | Risques.tv

A video on the Risques.tv website shows a blast that was done to mitigate a landslide hazard near Grenoble, France. You can see commentary about the project on the Landslide Blog.

Tumbi Quarry Landslide – PNG
February 16, 2012 |

Dave Petley has been tracking developments associated with the Tumbi Quarry landslide in Papua New Guinea. This post: “How Can a Quarry Cause a Landslide?” has an impressive overview photo.

Landslides Can Damage Economies
February 5, 2012 | Deseret News

Landslides can damage more than buildings, highways and underground utilities. A landslide near Cedar City, Utah has caused severe damage to local economies.

Decision-Support Systems for Natural-Hazards and Land Management
January 31, 2012 | USGS

“Decision-support systems can be used to help synthesize, visualize, and analyze the natural-science and socioeconomic information needed for making risk-reduction and land-use choices.”

Abandon California Highway 39 Because of Landslides?
January 30, 2012 | Los Angeles Times

An article in the Los Angeles Times reports that the California Department of Transportation would like to abandon State Highway 39 because landslide and other problems are costing $1.5 million per year to repair.

Rockfall Video: Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand
January 24, 2012 | YouTube

A video shot by a person who was very lucky to survive a rockfall that occurred on the opposite side of a valley.

Pittsburgh Landslide Problems
January 16, 2012 | PittsburghLive.com

Pittsburgh is located in an area with a very high incidence of landslides. People there regularly learn that homeowners insurance does not cover landslides and special landslide insurance – if it is available – can be extremely expensive.

Landslide Prompts Evacuations in the Philippines.
January 15, 2012 | GMA Network

After dozens of people were killed by a landslide triggered by artisanal miners in the Philippines, the government has evicted 83 families that were living in dangerous areas.

Artisanal Mining Triggers 30% of Philippine Landslides?
January 12, 2012 | GantDaily.com

Leo Jasareno, director of the Philippines Mines and Geosciences Bureau estimates that 30% of recent landslides in the Philippines have been triggered by the poor excavation practices of artisanal miners.

Deadly Landslide in the Philippines
January 5, 2012 | ABC News

Heavy rains in the Philippines triggered a landslide that swept over a gold-mining community burying an estimated 100 people.

Paseo Del Mar Landslide Update
December 26, 2011 | Contra Costa Times

Damage caused by a landslide that cut off the Paseo Del Mar highway near San Pedro, California appears to be confined to an area fenced off by the city. The Contra Costa Times has a photo showing the severity of damage.

Scaling a Cliff Above a Highway
December 6, 2011 | National Geographic

A National Geographic video that shows professional cliff scalers improving the safety of a roadcut.

Landslides Plague Highway Construction in Oregon
December 1, 2011 | Oregon Live

Building a highway across ancient landslides with 30+ degree slopes in an area that gets 100 inches of rain per year can lead to problems.

Paseo del Mar Must be Moved
November 22, 2011 | Washington Post

Geologists have determined that the landslide cutting off the Paseo del Mar near San Pedro, California is so severe that it can not be repaired.

San Pedro Landslide
November 21, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley has interesting photos and commentary about the recent landslide near San Pedro, California that has shut down the Paseo del Mar.

How a Landslide Altered Trout Populations
November 15, 2011 | Science

Trout populations in the Eel River of California which now spawn in separate locations were for centuries confined by a landslide into a single area where interbreeding occurred.

Gas Pipeline Failure Triggers Landslide
November 7, 2011 | Palo Alto Online

A natural gas pipeline in California ruptured during a pressure test, triggering a landslide that blocked part of I-280.

Wisconsin Power Plant Landslide
November 6, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley has posted an update with before and after photos for the recent landslide that occurred at a power plant near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The slide sent an estimated 2500 cubic yards of ash into the waters of Lake Michigan.

Coal Ash Landslide Along Lake Michigan
November 3, 2011 | Associated Press @ Google

A landslide near Milwaukee, Wisconsin sent an estimated 2500 cubic yards of power plant ash into the waters of Lake Michigan.

Fire-Related Debris Flows in Arizona
November 1, 2011 | Arizona Geological Survey

Over one million acres of land in Arizona was damaged by wildfires in 2011. Now these areas are subject to potential debris flows during heavy rain. A recent article on the Arizona Geological Survey website describes the problem.

The Aberfan Landslide Disaster
October 21, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley has an interesting blog post about the Aberfan Disaster, a massive landslide that occurred on October 21st, 1966. It is the UK’s worst landslide, killing 144 people.

700,000+ Cubic Meter Landslide in Iceland
October 20, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley author of The Landslide Blog has posted some images of a 700,000+ cubic meter landslide that occurred last week in Iceland.

An Enormous Landslide on Vesta Asteroid?
October 16, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley interprets photos of the Vesta Asteroid and sees evidences of a possible landslide of enormous size.

Spectacular Cliff Collapse Video
October 11, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley author of The Landslide Blog posted this video and information on a cliff collapse in England.

Satellite Image: Landslides Triggered by the Sikkim Earthquake
October 7, 2011 | Landslide Blog

Dave Petley of the Landslide blog has posted some satellite images of the many landslides that were caused by the Sikkim earthquake in India.

Landslide Education in Oregon City
October 6, 2011 | Oregon Live

Citizens will have a chance to learn about how landslides work, how to spot hazardous areas and view landslide hazard maps at an October 13 forum in Oregon City. This is a great way for government agencies to share information about geology.

Evidence of a Volcanic Flank Collapse Landslide in Tenerife, Canary Islands
October 5, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley on the poorly understood volcanic flank collapse landslides on Tenerife in the Canary Islands

Preventing Landslides in Portland
October 5, 2011 | NWCN.com

This news video visits several landslide sites near Portland, Oregon and gives tips on how to avoid problems. Homeowners insurance usually does not cover landslide damage.

Landslide Incidence Mapping in Japan
October 3, 2011 | The Daily Yomiuri Online

Landslide incidence mapping in Japan has identified nearly 300,000 locations of landslide concern. Although landslides are triggered by heavy typhoon rains in many parts of Japan, local governments have been slow to implement landslide education and mitigation programs.

Landslide videos from India, USA and China
September 27, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley of the Landslide Blog has posted some videos of landslides that happened in the past week in India, USA and China.

World Bank: Landslide Mitigation Project in Jamaica
September 26, 2011 | Jamaica Observer

The World Bank is spending over $2 million on a landslide risk reduction project for several communities in Jamaica.

Building Codes and Multiple Natural Hazards
September 16, 2011 | National Institute of Standards and Technology

“As large parts of the nation recover from nature’s one-two punch—an earthquake followed by Hurricane Irene—building researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology warn that a double whammy of seismic and wind hazards can increase the risk of structural damage to as much as twice the level implied in building codes.” Quoted from the National Institute of Standards and Technology news release.

Super-Scale Submarine Slumping off the Oregon Coast
September 12, 2011 | Oregon State University

This isn’t news but the Oregon State University website has an excellent article titled: “Super-Scale Slumping of the Southern Oregon Cascadia Margin: Tsunamis, Tectonic Erosion, and Extension of the Forearc” with great seafloor maps and seismic sections. Be sure to enlarge the images.

Landslide-Generated Tsunamis
September 12, 2011 | GazetteTimes.com

Large landslides produce about 10% of the world’s tsunamis. Researchers at Oregon State University have a laboratory that models landslide-generated tsunamis by launching a ton and a half of gravel down a steep incline into water.

Related article: World’s Tallest Tsunami: 1720 Feet High.

Landslides in Japan
September 8, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

The Landslide Blog has images and descriptions of landslides that occurred in Japan as a result of Typhoon Talas.

Landslide Warning from the Pennsylvania Survey
September 7, 2011 | Pennsylvania DCNR

Recent heavy rain and flooding has increased the danger of landslides on moderate to steep slopes. [...] Landslides could be an issue in areas not otherwise susceptible to them, particularly in central and eastern Pennsylvania.

Motorists, property managers and local officials, and any property owners with steep slopes should be aware of the potential for landslides. [...] Periodic inspections of slope conditions on and adjacent to critical infrastructure, as feasible, are recommended during and after periods of the heavy rainfall. Quoted from the Pennsylvania DCNR press release.

Mount St. Helens Landslide Assessment
September 7, 2011 | The Seattle Times

The United States Geological Survey has a helicopter flying instruments at low altitude over Mount St. Helens. They are collecting moisture data that will be used to assess the potential for landslides.

Massive Landslide in Taiwan
September 7, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Dave Petley has posted several images of a massive landslide in Taiwan caused by typhoon Nanmadol.

Philippines Garbage Dump Landslide
September 1, 2011 | The Landslide Blog

Typhoon Nanmadol triggered a garbage dump landslide near the city of Baguio in the Philippines.

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