A new study in Chile shows how small differences in rock type can drive large differences in erosion, vegetation, and river networks, illuminating the role of mineralogy in shaping landscapes.
Chile
Posted inNews
Megadroughts Have Grown in Size and Scope
A new study maps and ranks the largest, longest-lasting, and most severe multiyear droughts from 1980 to 2018.
Posted inNews
A New Tornado Database Helps Researchers Worldwide
Thanks to unique geography and atmospheric conditions, the United States is a tornado hot spot, but these deadly whirlwinds also hit Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The failure mechanism of the 17 December 2017 Santa Lucía landslide in Chile
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. On 17 December 2017, a large landslide was triggered at Santa Lucía in the northern Patagonian Andes of Chile. An initial rock slope failure transitioned into a 12 km long debris flow […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 13 June 2024 tailings dam failure at the Chinchorro TSF at Peñablanca in Chile
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. At about 8 pm on 13 June 2024, a failure occurred in the embankment wall of the Chinchorro tailings storage facility, close to the village of Peñablanca, near the town of Cabildo […]
Posted inNews
Astronomers May Have Spotted the Birth of a Planet
Lumps of dust are spiraling around a young star 5,000 light-years away. They could be Jupiter-like planets in the making.
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
An interesting erosive event in the Socavón Cochoa area of Viña del Mar, Chile
Dramatic erosion of a sand dune in Viña del Mar, Chile appears to be related to maintenance of a drainage pipe.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Short-Lived Solutions for Tall Trees in Chile’s Megadrought
Some southern beeches in the Andes have plumbed deeper for moisture as the surface has dried up. But doing so may deplete resources and undermine the trees’ future health.
Posted inNews
Rain Makes Skulls Bigger—in Mice
New research shows how regional weather, shaped by towering mountain ranges, might influence the size and shape of local rodents.
Posted inNews
Supervolcanoes Linger a While, Then Rush to Erupt
Geologists examined crystals in rock from four massive eruptions in the Chilean Andes.