The cover story in the latest issue of LIDAR Magazine is titled Unearthing Landslides. It describes the work done by a company called Quantum Spatial in the immediate aftermath of the Oso Landslide. They were also involved in scanning the recent landslide in Grand Mesa, Colorado. Quantum Spatial has developed a landslide tool that identifies areas of landslide risk based on different aspects of the LiDAR based topography. [Source: Read the article from LiDAR News. Image: LIDAR Magazine]
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Lasers, Software and the Devil’s Slide
[Editor] National Science Foundation (NSF) Press Release – June 30, 2008. Screenshot Credits: Jeramy Decker, Kiewit Corp [/Editor]
Running for more than 1,000 kilometers along picturesque coastline, California’s Highway 1 is easy prey for many of the natural hazards plaguing the region, including landslides.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is currently building a kilometer-long tunnel to bypass one of the most landslide-prone stretches of the highway, the Devil’s Slide, to help ensure drivers’ safe passage.
Using a new software package developed by researchers at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., project engineers are getting a detailed 3-D view of the rock exposed in the excavation, adding a new tool for improving both safety and construction progress.
[Editor] Click through for the rest of the press release. [/Editor]
USGS Landslide Documentary Video
The USGS has a documentary on landslide video on landslide danger in the San Francisco Bay area entitled “Riding the Storm”. I think the target audience is more general than geologist or engineer, but it is still interesting. The bullet points from the USGS site:
- A catastrophic 1982 rainstorm triggered 18,000 landslides in the Bay Area, claiming 25 lives and causing $66 million in property damage
- The combination of steep slopes, weak rocks, and intense winter storms make Bay Area uplands an ideal setting for landslides
- Landslides include both swift, potentially deadly debris flows and slower, but destructive deepseated slides
- Learn what USGS scientists have discovered about landslide dynamics and which slopes are most susceptible to sliding
- Hear the devastating stories of Bay Area residents affected by landslides and learn to recognize the danger signs
Click through to view the trailer and for links to download the full video. (Image credit: USGS)