Daniel Grant

Landslides: How safe are you and your family?

Dear New York Times audience, do you know whether or not you live in an area that
may be susceptible to a mass wasting event such as a landslide? In this article, we will expand
on a recent event about a landside, we will have a comprehensive understanding of both
natural and anthropogenic landslides, the angle of repose and finally discuss the recovery
operations we can conduct to prevent future mishaps.
The type of mass wasting event that occurred was a landslide. It happened in
Stenungsund, Sweden, affecting a major road, the E6 motorway between Gothenburg and
Oslo, Norway, and several buildings. This mass wasting event likely occurred due to extensive
landfill operations in the upper part of the slope, which destabilized the slope and triggered the
landslide. The deposition of a large mass of material on the head scarp of the landslide may
have contributed to the failure. The landslide was devastating to the affected area as it caused
extensive damage to infrastructure, including a major roadway, and several buildings. While
fortunate that no fatalities occurred, three people were injured in car accidents caused by the
landslide. In hindsight, this mass wasting event could potentially have been prevented or
predicted with better monitoring and regulation of the landfill operations. What's more,
increased awareness of the potential hazards of such activities, and their impact on slope
stability could have led to preventative measures. Local communities could have been better
prepared or warned about this potentially life-threatening hazard through improved monitoring
of the slope stability, early detection systems for landslides, and education about the risks
associated with extensive landfill operations in sensitive areas. In retrospect, increased
oversight and control of landfill operations may have prevented or foreseen this massive waste
event. Preventive actions might have also been taken if there had been more knowledge of the
possible risks associated with these activities and how they affect slope stability. By greater
surveillance on the slope stability, proactive detection mechanisms for landslides, and
awareness about the risks linked to large landfill operations in sensitive locations, local
populations may have been more informed or alerted about this potentially fatal hazard.
Let's now examine the definition of a landslide and examine its traits, causes, and
effects. One kind of "mass wasting," a landslide is the movement of an enormous amount of
dirt, stones, or debris down a slope while rocks and soil are pulled by gravity. Depending on
the kind of geological material involved, this phenomenon can entail falls, collapses, and flow,
among other slope movement modes. For example, rockfalls and mudslides are typical
examples. Landslides usually occur when forces downslope, mostly due to gravity, exceed the
stability of the materials on the slope. This imbalance can be caused by a variety of factors,
including as snowmelt, rainfall, variations in the water level, stream erosion, volcanic activity,
earthquakes, human activity, or a combination of these. Sometimes, earthquakes or other
causes can cause landslides to occur underwater as well. These underwater landslides have the
potential to create tsunamis and serious harm to coastal communities. We can distinguish
between the two by analyzing the anthropogenic reasons now that we are aware of the natural
causes. Although dams have many advantages, including the ability to regulate flooding,
supply water, and generate a hydropower, their installation and maintenance can change the
surrounding environment and raise the danger of landslides. Furthermore, construction
activities including blasting, excavation, and changing natural drainage patterns can cause
slope instability due to dams. Particularly, if the slopes have become prone to instability
because of geologic causes, these actions may erode the stability of nearby slopes and increase
their vulnerability to failure.
Now that we have a thorough understanding of both man-made and natural landslide
causes, we can move on to the angle of repose about slope stability. Why is this issue
relevant? The angle at which rocks or soil will remain without sliding is known as the angle of
 repose. This issue is the simplest manner in which I can define and explain it. To elaborate,
the angle of repose—which is the highest inclination at which the material maintains its
structural integrity—is the stable slope that unconsolidated particles naturally adopt. It usually
ranges from 25 to 40°. An angle that is greater than the angle of repose on a given material
causes a slope to become steepened, which greatly increases the likelihood of collapse.
In summation, recovery operations are essential to the restoration of areas devastated
by landslides. These initiatives usually entail disposing of trash, fixing broken infrastructure,
and helping the impacted community. Even so, taking preemptive measures is crucial to
averting landslides in the future. Public education is important, but so is continued
observation, and the application of practical slope stabilization methods. This involves using
vegetation, artificial structures, or retaining walls to reinforce the slopes that are susceptible to
erosion. Using geotechnical instruments, slope stability may be regularly monitored to provide
early warnings and enable appropriate intervention.

Works Cited

 Britannica. “Landslide.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, 18 Feb. 2023,

https://www.britannica.com/science/landslide.
 DCR Virginia Gov. “Dam Safety Education - Dam Failures.” Department of Conservation and
Recreation, 18 Feb. 2023, https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/ds-
education-dam-failures.
 Petley, Dave. “The 23 September 2023 Landslide at Stenungsund in Sweden.” Eos,
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanGeophysicalUnion, 26 Sept. 2023,
https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/stenungsund-landslide-1.
 USGS. “What Is a Landslide and What Causes One? | U.S. Geological Survey.” USGS.Gov |
Science for a Changing World, https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-landslide-and-what-causes-one.
Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.