Ecology

Data on Environmental Earth Science Published by Researchers at Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources

  2012 AUG 24 (VerticalNews) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Ecology, Environment & Conservation -- Data detailed on Environmental Earth Science have been presented. According to news reporting originating in Taejon, South Korea, by VerticalNews journalists, research stated, "An early warning system can be an effective measure to reduce the damage caused by landslides by facilitating the timely evacuation of residents from a landslide-prone area. Early detection of landslide triggering across a broad range of natural terrain types can be accomplished by monitoring rainfall and the physical property changes of soils in real time or near-real time."

  The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, "This study involved the installation of a real-time monitoring system to observe physical property changes in soils in a valley during rainfall events. This monitoring included the measurement of volumetric water content, which was compared with the results of laboratory flume tests to identify landslide indicators in the soils. The response of volumetric water content to rainfall events is more immediate than that of pore-water pressure, and volumetric water content retains its maximum value for some time before slope failure. Therefore, an alternative method for landslide monitoring can be based on the observation of volumetric water content and its changes over time at shallow soil depths. Although no landslide occurred, the field monitoring results showed a directly proportional relationship between the effective cumulative rainfall and the gradient of volumetric water content per unit time (t/t (max)). This preliminary study thus related slope failure to the volumetric water content gradient as a function of rainfall. Laboratory results showed that a high amount of rainfall and a high gradient of volumetric water content could induce slope failure. Based on these results, it is possible to suggest a threshold value of the volumetric water content gradient demarcating the conditions for slope stability and slope failure."

  According to the news reporters, the researchers concluded: "This threshold can thus serve as the basis of an early warning system for landslides considering both rainfall and soil properties."

  For more information on this research see: Suggestion of a method for landslide early warning using the change in the volumetric water content gradient due to rainfall infiltration. Environmental Earth Sciences, 2012;66(7):1973-1986. Environmental Earth Sciences can be contacted at: Springer, 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013, USA. (Springer - www.springer.com; Environmental Earth Sciences - www.springerlink.com/content/1866-6280/)

  Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting B.G. Chae, Korea Inst Geosci & Mineral Resources, Geol Environm Div, Taejon 305350, South Korea.

  Keywords for this news article include: Asia, Taejon, South Korea, Environmental Earth Science

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