An interesting landslide website: Observatoire Multidisciplinaire des Instabilités de Versants' (OMIV)

In France there is an organisation called OMIV (Observatoire Multidisciplinaire des Instabilités de Versants), which is charged with the responsibility to "conduct geomorphologic, geologic, hydrologic, geophysical and seismic studies related to long-term monitoring, understanding of processes, and assessment of hazards at several active landslides". Perhaps most interestingly, they make the data from their various measurements available online, which provides a great research and teaching tool. The website is here:

http://eost.u-strasbg.fr/omiv/Accueil.html

The key aspect of the site is detailed four case studies of landslides in France. In each case detailed information is provided on each landslide, together with a quite detailed explanation of the slide. One example is the La Valette mudslide, which is this one (Google Earth image):


For each of the landslides it is possible to download an array of information, including maps, seismic datasets, movement data, meteorological data, groundwater data, etc. It is quite a resource, and its all available free of charge.

Floods in France

France is currently suffering some terrible flooding that is also resulting in a serious threat of mudslides to the extent that some motorways (freeways) have had to be closed.

Although not really landslides, I felt I just had to show the following pictures of the Grangent reservoir on the Loire valley, which has trapped an extraordinary amount of debris washed down the river as a result of the rainfall:

Debris on the surface of the Grangent reservoir, France. From here.

More debris on the surface of the Grangent reservoir, France. Also from here.

There are also some fantastic pictures and videos, such as the image below, on this blog site (in French).

Some landslide images from the Alps

Well, I am finally back - apologies for the prolonged absence! It will take me a day or two to get back up to speed, but in the meantime I thought I'd post four landslide images from Switzerland and France that I took whilst on holiday (I have a very long suffering family...). In each case you can click on the image for a better view. Please feel free to use them in presentations, lectures etc but not commercially.

A large, apparently recent, complex rock fall near to Champery in Switzerland.

Classic ridge splitting and counter scarps, indicating deep seated, slow mass movements near to Leysin in Switzerland.

A recent, shallow slump caused by cutting a road into weak deposits at Chatel in France

An old rock fall deposit above a small settlement near to Chatel in France. I guess that the deposit mostly predates the buildings.