OA: Geohazards and Climate Interactions

What is a landslide?

wide range of ground movement e.g. rock falls, failure of slopes, shallow debris flows 

What are contributing factors to landslides?

• erosion

• heavy rain + snowmelt

• earthquakes

• volcanic eruptions

• excess weight of rain + snow

Landslides in US

• $1B in damages

• 25-50 deaths per year

Landslides globally

• 100s$b in damages

• hundred of thousands of deaths

Landslide Mitigation

• geological investigation

• good engineering practices

• effective enforcement of land use management regulation

What is failure of slope?

force pulling down (gravity) exceeds strength of Earth material that compose slope.

How fast can debris flow?

down hillside up to 200 miles per hour