4 November 2009
The basic physics of landslides is the same everywhere
Posted by Dave Petley
Whilst landslides come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, the fundamental physics that controls material deformation on slopes is the same everywhere. I was reminded of this truism this week when Andrew Giles pointed out a large rockslide that occurred a few days ago, blocking Interstate 40 at Pigeon Gorge in North Carolina, USA. The Citizen-times.com website has a nice report and images of the slide:


The images reminded me very strongly of the 2003 Bukit Lanjan landslide, thousands of kilometres away in Malaysia (image from CKC Malaysia):


Dave Petley is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. His blog provides commentary and analysis of landslide events occurring worldwide, including the landslides themselves, latest research, and conferences and meetings.