For CIE exam board, a range of case studies in depth for mass movement within the Hazardous Environments and Plate Tectonics topics. Includes key statistics and allows comparisons for high evaluation within essays as well as short answer questions where only some evidence is required.
Largely cannot be predicted, some exceptions…
Can have some prevention
Holbeck Hall, Yorkshire, UK – 1993 [LANDSLIDE]
- Hotel built on a cliff in Yorkshire
- June 1993, rotational landslide occurred – 1 million tonnes of
glacial till (clay, sand and silt) slid from the 60m high cliff and
formed a toe 135 metres from the base
Causes:
o Rainfall of 140mm in the 2 months prior caused
antecedence in the soil [PHYSICAL]
o The slope it was built on had little drainage, high pore-
water pressure (PWC) as soil was saturated [PHYSICAL]
Management:
o Six weeks prior they saw cracks appear in the tarmac
but they just filled them up
o Another small slip caused the footpaths to be closed off
to the public 2 weeks before
o The day before, they evacuated the hotel when a guest
noticed that part of the garden had slipped dramatically
o Afterwards the land which slid was changed into a viewing
platform which became a tourist destination and it is
protected by concrete reinforced sea walls to prevent
hydraulic action
Rigopiano Avalanche, Alps, Italy – 2017 [AVALANCHE]
- A 4* hotel was at the bottom of a narrow gully which allowed the
snow to be channelled and directed with greater force towards
the hotel, completely destroying it
- 29 deaths – deadliest avalanche in Europe since 1999
Causes:
o A series of earthquakes had struck the region earlier that
day, causing instability on the slopes
o Heavy snowfall meant a large amount of shear stress on
the slope but also fresh snow isn’t compact and is easier
dislodge and cause an avalanche
Effects:
o Part of the roof of the hotel collapsed, trapping people
inside
o The hotel moved 33ft down the mountain
o Estimated weight of the snow – 120,000 tonnes
o Speed of avalanche – 60mph
o Largely destroyed the resort and people trapped inside
were located 30 hours later
o Minor injuries from this include hypothermia
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