Devil’s Slide Tunnel Update and First Attempts to Tame the Landslide
Geologic Hazards
Landslide on Arizona SR 87 Closes Highway
On March 21, 2008 a landslide caused the closure of Arizona State Route 87 between Payson and Phoenix near mile post 224. So far there are no official estimates as to the size, but based on aerial photos, it appears to be at least 50,000 sq-ft in plan. The offset at the head scarps was approximately 2-meters (6.6-ft) according to AZGS Geologists on site. It appears to have been a rotational slide as the toe of the landslide heaved the southbound roadway up by as much as 1-meter (3.3 ft). There was an existing soil-nail retaining wall on the slope that was destroyed by the slide as well. Lateral deformations can be seen in photos of the median barrier and the roadway striping. The deformations extended into the northbound lanes as well. More photos and links after the break. (Photo by ADOT)
Failures
Vajont Dam Disaster – 60 Years Later
Today marks the 60th anniversary of the Vajont Dam disaster – a tragic event that serves as a stark reminder of the profound interplay between geology, engineering, and the forces of nature. On the fateful […]
Geologic Hazards
105th Anniversary of Frank Landslide
Fellow geo-blogger David Petley of Durham University posted today about the 105th anniversary of the Frank Landslide in Canada. The slide had an estimated volume of 30 million cubic meters and took all of about […]