Landslide dynamics from seismic wave inversion, satellite remote sensing, and numerical modeling

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This project is focused on developing and applying new methods to investigate the dynamics of catastrophic landslides. The dynamic motion of large and fast landslides is poorly understood for two main reasons: (1) the physics of rock sliding, breaking, and flowing as a granular mass is very complex, and (2) there is a nearly complete lack of direct observations and measurements of the speed and evolution of large landslides. The project will use a new method to determine the movement of landslides through interpretation of the seismic waves that are generated as the rock accelerates and slows down along its paths of sliding. Such waves are routinely recorded on global and regional seismographic networks as a consequence of large landslides and the signals can now be interpreted using methods modified from those used to study large earthquakes.The seismic analysis will be combined with interpretation and analysis of before-and-after satellite imagery that provides complementary information on the motion of the landslide, and numerical modeling of landslide motion over realistic topography. The combined analysis will lead to detailed descriptions of many recent catastrophic landslides, and new insights into the forces and processes involved.An outcome of the project is a tool to detect and quantify catastrophic landslides remotely and in near-real time. Communities engaged in natural-hazards mitigation and disaster management will find such a tool valuable, notably in cases where massive slope failures strike in remote areas or under conditions where communications are severely compromised. The collection of detailed descriptions of historical landslides that will result from the project will be of interest to a wide range of science and engineering communities concerned with slope instability.