2 November 2011

An update on the Wisconsin landslide, and a cliff collapse in Wales

Posted by Dave Petley

Summary: An update on the landslide in Wisconsin on Monday, and a report of a cliff collapse in Wales, also on Monday.

Various media reports have emerged over the last 24 hours following-up on the landslide at the We Energies power plant in Wisconsin on Monday morning about which I blogged  yesterday.  Perhaps the most interesting is this story, which suggests that the landslide material was indeed ash, which had been dumped in the ravine in the 1950s and 1960s.  In the article, this is described as being the cause.  That may be true, but I remain intrigued as to what has happened at the site more recently to trigger the slip this week.  Meanwhile, there is a good gallery of images of the landslide here, which rather helpfully permits this before and after comparison:

 

http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/photos/132962423.html#id_58603328

 

 

http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/photos/132962423.html#id_58603328

Meanwhile in Barry, Wales a cliff collapse occurred on Monday evening that has generated a little bit of a stir.  A section of cliff collapsed at a caravan (trailer) park on the coast, as this image shows (from this report) shows:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2056293/Woman-flees-Barry-landslide-sends-caravans-brink.html

Fortunately no-one was injured in the fall, and none of the caravans were lost.  It is interesting to note that quite a long section of cliff appears to have collapsed in this event.