Geoscientists Without Borders^®

Uppsala University, Sweden: "Integration of geophysical, hydrogeological and geotechnical methods to aid monitoring landslide in Nordic countries: A 4D approach for landslide risk assessment"

Partners: Uppsala University, Geological Survey of Sweden, Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics, University of Cologne, Syiah Kuala University, and Swedish Geotechnical Institute

Summary: Landslides are one of the most commonly occurring natural disasters. Global damages range in the billions of dollars and cost hundreds of lives each year.

This project will study one particular kind, a quick clay or rapid earth flow landslide.  Undisturbed quick clay resembles a water-saturated gel. When a mass of quick clay undergoes sufficient stress, however, it instantly turns into flowing ooze, a process known as liquefaction. A small block of quick clay can liquefy from a stress as simple as a modest blow from a human hand, while a larger deposit is mainly vulnerable to greater stresses such as earthquake vibrations or saturation by excess rainwater.  Through the partners and transfer of the information, the humanitarian impact of this project will go beyond national borders.

Point of Contact: Alireza Malehmir - alireza.malehmir@geo.uu.se, Uppsala University