Professor Dave Petley, of the International Landslide Centre in Durham's top-rated Geography Department, has returned from the earthquake zone after a reconnaissance mission with an US colleague. They have sent an urgent report to the Pakistan authorities with warnings and a list of actions required.
He says: “Although the national and international response to the disaster has been highly impressive there is a real need for the international community to take steps to help national organisations to prevent further tragedies in the coming months. The camps where people have lived since the earthquake could be hit by further landslips dislodged by the summer rains.”
The report warns about:
- A massive rock landslide in the Hattian area that has blocked two valleys to a depth of 250 metres. It was probably the largest earthquake-triggered landslip anywhere in the world during 2005. Two lakes are forming behind it and pose a serious threat. Previous studies show that 70 % of such landslide dams collapse and fail. Prof Petley recommends quick action to assess the stability of the dam, and the creation of a spillway to channel water safely before the July monsoons fill the lakes, causing overflow and possible collapse of the dam with potentially disastrous results.
- many other slopes in the area, left cracked and unstable by the earthquake. Monitoring equipment should be installed as soon as possible to assess the hazard. It may be advisable to move people out of some areas during the monsoon season.
- some of the tented villages for refugees built on the low terraces and 'alluvial fans'. These, say Prof Petley, are "highly dangerous positions". They are located at the bottom of slopes and close to rivers. The report adds: "These are near-perfect conditions for the generation of debris flows and flash-floods. Clearly the resistance of the tented villages to such events is effectively nil. We anticipate the potential for large-scale loss of life if this issue is not addressed."
Source: University of Durham
Related stories:
Scientists study 'stealth' tsunami that killed 600 in Java last summer
Though categorized as magnitude 7.8, the earthquake could scarcely be felt by beachgoers that afternoon. A low tide and wind-driven waves disguised the signs of receding water, so when the tsunami struck, it caught even lifeguards by surprise. That contributed to the death toll of more than 600 persons in Java, Indonesia.
Researchers learn from analyses of rare tsunami earthquake
Analyses of a classic, slow-rupturing tsunami earthquake whose massive waves devastated the coast of Java, Indonesia, this past summer are providing insight to seismologists and engineers, who want to better understand these rare events, recommend strategies to improve safety and perhaps provide long-range forecasts of potential danger zones worldwide.
Recent Landslides In La Conchita, CA, Belong To Much Larger Prehistoric Slide
The deadly landslide that killed 10 people and destroyed approximately 30 homes in La Conchita, California last January is but a tiny part of a much larger slide, called the Rincon Mountain slide, discovered by Larry D. Gurrola, geologist and graduate student at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Myths might be related to earthquakes
Researchers say northwestern Native American myths of two-headed serpents and epic battles between Thunderbird and Whale are rooted in seismic history.
Data show Antarctic ice stream radiating seismically
A seismologist at Washington University in St. Louis and colleagues at Pennsylvania State University and Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have found seismic signals from a giant river of ice in Antarctica that makes California's earthquake problem seem trivial.
Giant 8,000-year-old tsunami is studied
Italian scientists say geological evidence suggests a giant tsunami resulted from the collapse of the eastern flanks of Mount Etna nearly 8,000 years ago.
Chance discovery: Alaska Range glacier surges
There is evidence that the McGinnis Glacier, a little-known tongue of ice in the central Alaska Range, has surged. Assistant Professor of Physics Martin Truffer recently noticed the lower portion of the glacier was covered in cracks, crevasses, and pinnacles of ice--all telltale signs that the glacier has recently slid forward at higher than normal rates. It has not been determined whether the glacier continues to surge.
Researchers model the physics of mudflows
Mudflows initiated by natural processes at old, inactive volcanoes contributed to the tragic mudslide in Guinsaugon, Philippines, say researchers.
