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The article discusses the 5th international conference of the International Geoscience Programme (IGCP) 588 and fieldtrip guide. Topics discussed include a brief overview of Alaska, the Turnagain heights and fourth avenue landslides, and crustal deformation studies within the 1964 Alaska earthquake rupture zone, and portage garage and area of maximum coseismic submergence.

In recent years, natural hazards have caused increasingly damages to infrastructure and human beings in the alpine regions. At the same time, the global mean temperature is rising but in case of mass movement processes, there exists no direct connection between these two facts. It is not evident, that global rising temperatures will intensify the triggering effect of extreme precipitation everywhere. This will probably vary spatially. Adverse socioeconomic development has brought about the increase of real values. The impact of unsustainable land use has often caused higher susceptibilities. Even without adverse ˵Climate Change Effects″, the risks due to natural hazards will increase in the future as a consequence of socioeconomic development. Hence, databases and methods of hazard and risk assessment have to be updated and improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of landslides in mountain regions is complicated. Landslides are considered as a mechanism of loss and the accumulation of dispersed mineral matter. They also play a role in the formation of new mountain relief and ecosystems, and the conservation of archeological and environmental information. The loss by landslides of fine earth, an irreversible resource, reduces the life-supporting resources of mountain regions. To investigate this a 15–100 year chronosequence of landslides was studied in the West Caucasus (Georgia), using case studies of stabilised slumps within newly settled agricultural areas with accumulated fine earth. Past landslides that buried settlements can be considered as ˵keepers″ of scientific information recorded in cultural layers and fossil soils. The archeological site Gruzinka (North Caucasus, Russia) is such an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow deformation and fracturing have been shown to be leading mechanisms towards failure, marking earthquake ruptures, flank eruption onsets and landslide episodes. The common link among these processes is that populations of microcracks interact, grow and coalesce into major fractures. We present (a) two examples of multidisciplinary field monitoring of characteristic ˵large scale″ signs of impending deformation from different tectonic setting, i.e. the Ruinon landslide (Italy) and Stromboli volcano (Italy) (b) the kinematic features of slow stress perturbations induced by fluid overpressures and relative modelling; (c) experimental rock deformation laboratory experiments and theoretical modelling investigating slow deformation mechanisms, such stress corrosion crack growth. We propose an interdisciplinary unitary and integrated approach aimed to: (1) transfer of knowledge between specific fields, which up to now aimed at solve a particular problem; (2) quantify critical damage thresholds triggering instability onset; (3) set up early warning models for forecasting the time of rupture with application to volcanology, seismology and landslide risk prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Headwater catchments have been viewed as active geomorphic environments which generate high sediment yields, however, direct measurements in such settings are rarely undertaken. The dynamics of sediment supply and transfer in steep, UK upland catchments are assessed in this chapter using a series of detailed short-term sediment budget studies. It is demonstrated that sediment transfer in these catchments is relatively inefficient and high rates of erosion and sediment transport only manifest themselves at the local scale. Sediment yields are episodic and often associated with extreme rainfall events. Low sediment fluxes are usually the result of poor coupling between slopes and channels; and headwater and lowland sediment systems. It is concluded that the understanding of upland sediment systems requires full-component sediment budgets carried out at nested scales which link headwater and valley sediment systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The specifications of distribution and character of dynamic hazards due to water processes is reviewed in the paper: floods, mudflows, landslides, and swamping. The assessment of the damage caused by these processes is also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the geophysical investigation method was the determination of the presence of a concrete covering over an insecticide burial place, the thickness of the cover, and depth of the landslide body. Results of measurements by magnetic survey (MS), electrical sounding (ES), and electrical profiling (mapping) showed an absence of concrete cover but a subsoil layer of loam and clay 2.8–3.0 m thick. The formation of fissures in the cover has helped rainfall to penetrate into the pesticides, turning them into paste and liquid forms. The depth of the burial place changes from 7.8 m to 10.4 m and the base is in the upper layer of landslide cover). The second and older active landslide layer is at a depth of 13–18 m. An unexpected fracture in the burial place, which is on an active landslide, could cause an ecological disaster which could endanger the populations of the Shoraxbyur, Vardashen, and Erebuny suburbs of Yerevan, capital of Armenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high degree of development of the territory of the Republic of Moldova and the limited availability of lands favourable for agriculture stipulate the necessity of introducing potentially unstable slopes, exhausted quarries and wetlands into extensive agricultural and building use. However, this is often hindered by a wide spread of exogenous processes significantly complicating normal land use. Such processes result in human-caused damage as well as decreasing the crop capacity of agricultural lands with negative consequences for the national economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the information on the Coastal cliffs occur where marine erosion has cut into the seaward margins of high ground and Cliffs occur on many coastlines, including parts of the UK, Portugal, France, Italy, the west coast of the USA. The article mentions about the mid-high latitudes, extensive spreads of landslide debris, periglacial deposits and scree accumulated at the foot of the abandoned cliffline.

The article offers the information on the Landslide Hazard and risks related to landslides. The article mentions about the Destructive Significance of Landslides of Different Velocity Classes; sluggish, intermediate and catastrophic Broad categories of landslides; and Landslide dams: caused by large landslides (e.g. rock avalanches and rock slides), which block narrow, steep-sided mountain valleys.

The article offers the information on the Landslides that involve the movement of rock, debris or earth down a slope, and can involve a variety of mechanisms. The article mentions about the Liquefaction that is triggered by strong shaking during earthquakes or by working site equipment which temporarily increases pore pressures.

The article offers the information on the Behavior of Earth Surface Systems as the Many earth surface systems can be extremely complex and, at times, chaotic. The article mentions about the activity of surface processes results in morphological changes and the release of sediment leading to deposition; and Past landslide events can influence the location and style of future events.

The article presents case studies that explores application of photogrammetry for quantifying landform change. Cases mentioned include bed surfaces of flumes just 0.4 meter wide; landslides of dimensions two-three kilometers; and changes in river channel. It states that quantifying process involve generation of digital elevation models (DEVs) and orthophotos.

The strength of two residual soils, terra rossa and rendzina, which constitute most of the abandoned agricultural hillslope terraces near Yirka village, Western Galilee, Israel, was determined by two methods: shear by a basal direct field shear apparatus and probing by a dynamic penetrometer. The first apparatus was used to determine the cohesion and the angle of internal friction of the top soil and the second to inspect the change of the undrained shear strength of the above soils with depth. The strength parameters with midsummer water content (16.91% for terra rossa and 11.07% for rendzina) were found to be: terra rossa: c ≈ 10.57 kN/m², Φ = 41.24°; rendzina: c ≈ 10.72 kN/m², Φ = 42.34°. The strength parameters of the same soils with midwinter water content were: terra rossa: c¹ ≈ 2.18 kN/m², Φ¹ = 40.75°; rendzina: c¹ ≈ 5.24 kN/m², Φ¹ = 39.03°. Stability calculations confirmed by field investigations showed that the drop of cohesion of both soils in consequence of their saturation during the rainy season can cause terrace landsliding unless the terraces are retained by sufficiently strong enough retaining walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses key engineering geomorphological issues. Topics discussed include loess hydrology and pseudo-karst, mass movements in loess, mass movement types, landslide types based on slide mass composition and location of failure plane and landslide types based on their geometry and movement mechanism.

The article focuses on large landslides in mountains. Topics discussed include rock spreading and sagging that involves the large-scale, extremely slow deformation of mountain ridges and scarps, lateral spreading in brittle rocks overlying ductile materials, catastrophic landslides and the need for landslide hazard assessment and avoidance of critical settings.

The article focuses on landslide susceptibility, hazard and risk. Topics discussed include definitions in risk assessment and management adapted for landslide studies, calculation of how far the landslide is likely to travel should it occur and the need to include an evaluation of the consequences of a landslide occurring as part of the risk assessment.

The article presents information on landslide distribution and occurrence. Topics discussed include the four main controls on landscape development, namely, climate, geology, relief and time, the concept of morphoclimatic regions controlled by climate and its use to identify the broad distribution of different landslide types and types of cliff system on the basis of the throughput and storage of sediment within the system.

The article presents information on landslide activity and behaviour. Topics discussed include the importance of landslide in geomorphological investigations, importance of the variation in landslide activity, the behaviour of the ground during movement and its engineering implications, and a guide to the destructive significance of landslides.

The article provides an introduction to the topic of landslides. Topics discussed include definition of landslides, losses and damage resulting from landslides, tragic events that have resulted in appalling losses of life and examples of these and the requirement in engineering geomorphology for landslide investigation.

The article presents information on tectonic landforms. Topics discussed include definition and description of stratimorphs, escarpments, plateaus, mesas, buttes, fault scarps, fault-line scarps, rift valleys, horst blocks, fins, arches, precursors to landslide development along plateau edges and scarp faces of low-dipping escarpments, and engineering implications.

The landslide map in the Serchio basin (Central Tuscany, Italy) is an official document that represent the actual state of the landslides in the region. At present, the updating of the map is carried out by different municipalities using paper sketch maps, sent by post to the Autorità di Bacino del Fiume Serchio (AdB). The objective of the work presented here was to significantly speed up and simplify this updating process, while taking into account the severe constraints of the municipalities. This was to be achieved by providing them with a lightweight Web based map application that allows inventory of new landslides and submitting them via the WWW directly to the AdB databases. Open Source technology and Open Standards were employed to build a database-driven application. The data is stored in a spatial database backend (MySQL), following OpenGIS Simple Features specifications. Server applications extract data from the database and deliver it as a client-side application in SVG, the Scalable Vector Graphics format of the W3C. This paper presents the technical background and setup of this application and plans for future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter XVI of the book "Tom Swift Among the Diamond Makers or The Secret of Phantom Mountain" is presented. It highlights how the characters in the story encountered a landslide after they have witnessed the ghostly apparition and cites their terrifying reaction after the cataclysm. It also mentions their conversation regarding the unexpected disaster and explores how they have discovered the cave where the diamonds can be found.

The article focuses on landslide dams. Topics discussed include the scale of some landslide dams and a simple classification, two important flood hazards, namely, upstream or backwater flooding,and downstream flooding, failure of the Deixi landslide dam on the Minver, China in 1933 and the peak discharge associated with the failure of landslide dams.

The article provides information on the causes of landslides. Topics discussed include a method for classifying the processes that cause a landslide and main external processes that change the situation in or on a slope including weathering, erosion, subsidence, deposition, seismic events, air fall, changes in water regime, complex follow-on processes that occur after the initial failure and human interference.

The article provides a description of landslides. Topics discussed include landslide types and mechanisms including fall, topple, slide, spread and flow, examples of the various landslide types that occurred in the latter part of the 20th Century and dimensions and features of a landslide based on the UNESCO World Landslide Inventory.