Visualization of Tree Crown using Airborne Laser Scanner Data in Tropical Forest

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The term “landslide” describes a wide variety of processes that result in the downward and outward movement of slope-forming materials including rock, soil, artificial fill, or a combination of these. The materials may move by falling, toppling, sliding, spreading, or flowing. Figure 1 shows a graphic illustration of a landslide, with the commonly accepted terminology describing its features.

The various types of landslides can be differentiated by the kinds of material involved and the mode of movement. A classification system based on these parameters is shown in figure 2. Other classification systems incorporate additional variables, such as the rate of movement and the water, air, or ice content of the landslide material.

Figure 1: An idealized slump-earth flow showing commonly used nomenclature for labeling the parts of a landslide

Figure 2: Types of landslides. Abbreviated version of Varnes’ classification of slope movements (Varnes, 1978).

Read more on :  (http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3072/fs-2004-3072.html)

The Oso landslide in Washington state is the subject of research to better understand the likelihood of this kind of event happening again.

A team of scientists from the University of Washington has published a new study concluding that the deadliest landslide in US history, which killed more than 40 people in Oso, Washington, was not a fluke. In fact, they estimated that over the past 2,000 years, the same stretch of valley has been slammed by a major slide every 140 years, on average.

Using lidar images, the scientists zoomed in on old slides and quantified how rough their surfaces were. Then they compared slides of known ages to slides of unknown ages to come up with an approximate scale.

According to UW Today post, LaHusen, a University of Washington doctoral student and lead author on the paper published online by the journal Geology, said “This is the first time this calibrated surface dating method has been used for landslide chronologies, and it seems to work really well.”

– See more at: http://blog.lidarnews.com/#sthash.8RNgQCJq.dpuf