Video: Fascinating Geotechnical News in 2016

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)

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Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Project is a political lightning rod, but this amazing simulation video released by WSDOT underscores what COULD happen if a significant earthquake struck the Seattle Downtown Waterfront area.

A short 25-second video showing an impressive rock slide event. Credit to Dave’s Landslide Blog. Rock slide on Hwy 96 in Northern California near the Humboldt/Siskiyou County line. from Paul Hailey on Vimeo.