20 January 2022
A large rock slab topple from India
Posted by Dave Petley
A large rock slab topple from India
The video below, posted to Youtube, occurred at about 4:10 pm on 7 January 2022. It shows a slab topple in a coherent slice of rock:-
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The location is reportedly the Ban Toll Plaza in Jammu and Kashmir in India, which is situated on the NH-44 road between Samba and Kunjwani. The location is 32.838, 74.940. It appears clearly on Google Earth.
There is little further information about this landslide, but it was associated with heavy rainfall. The slab topple appears to be a single, surprisingly coherent, slab of rock:-
The slab rock topple at Ban Toll Plaza in Jammu and Kahsmir, India. Still from a video posted to Youtube.
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It is likely that the release plane was a pre-existing, near vertical joint. It is extremely fortunate there was empty space in the impact zone.
The presence of this joint should have been picked up in the geotechnical investigations when the road was constructed. However, sub-vertical rock joints can be difficult to detect in rock joint surveys as they do not appear on the vertical face of the outcrop.
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.
Hello Dave,
Happy New Year!!
In the post above, you entered the coordinates of 38.838, 74.940. I think there’s a typo in the numbers as those coordinates are in western China, near the border with Tajikstan.
I believe the correct lat/lon is 32.838, 74.940.
Warmest Regards,
Ernie
[Thanks, you are right. I have now put this right. D.]
Looks like former quarry, specifically for access to nice flat slabs…
Me parece que las raíces del árbol que esta en la parte superior de la losa, lentamente iban empujando la placa de losa que se desploma.
[Translation:- It seems to me that the roots of the tree that is in the upper part of the slab, were slowly pushing the slab plate that collapses. D.]