The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. Rockfalls are a key risk to climbers in high mountains, potentially causing injury or even loss of life. We regularly record such events in our fatal landslide research, although I have always […]
Switzerland
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
Brienz/Brinzauls: Controls on rockfalls in high mountain environments
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. The availability of high temporal and spatial resolution monitoring technologies, most notably terretrial laser scanning (Lidar) and doppler radar, has transformed our ability to understand rockfalls. These systems can be deployed to […]
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Grow-Fast-Die-Young Strategy Increases Swiss Forest Biomass
Climate change and CO2 fertilization can increase both growth and mortality of trees. The net effect on forest biomass depends on that trade-off, which long-term studies in Switzerland reveal.
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
Spectacular bouncing boulders in Ticino, Switzerland
The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides. Highly mobile boulders are one of the most extraordinary and hazardous landslide phenomena. In recent years, mobile phone footage has captured a number of these events, such as the famous boulder at […]
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Seismometers Listening at Rivers to Measure Sediment Transport
Bedload sediment, transported throughout an alpine catchment by a flood, was remotely tracked in detail by analyzing the ground vibrations recorded by a network of 24 seismic sensors.
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
Bisisthal: a one million tonne rock slope collapse in Switzerland
On 30 July 2023 a one million tonne rock slope collapse occurred close to Bisisthal in Switzerland. It was captured on video.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Scientists Just Measured a Debris Flow in Unprecedented Detail
This research team used a laser sensor originally designed for autonomous vehicles to track debris flow surges.
Posted inNews
How to Bend Lightning with a Laser Beam
For the first time, scientists have redirected lightning using a laser beam. And that’s just the start of what’s possible.
Posted inNews
Ice Towers May Hold Promise—and Water—for Some Cold, Dry Places
A new study that cues into the formation of ice cones for storing glacial meltwater reveals how the structures can be built more efficiently and which climatic conditions work best.
Posted inNews
Mountains Sway to the Seismic Song of Earth
The Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps is in constant motion, gently swaying back and forth about once every 2 seconds.