TU Graz Researchers Identify Chemical Processes as Key to Understanding Landslides

Mass movements (like a landslide in the picture) cause considerable damage year after year. A study by TU Graz now identifies the triggers of such events. Kieffer - TU Graz/DCNA By Christoph Pelzl The study results are based on investigations of repeated mass movements and are expected to benefit planning, maintenance, and development of transportation infrastructure in affected areas. Mass movements such as landslides and hill-slope debris flows cause billions of euros in economic damage around the world every year. Between 20 and 80 million euros are spent annually from the disaster fund to repair disaster damage in Austria, 15 to 50 percent of which is attributable to mud flows and landslides. Now, a team of geologists from Graz University of Technology (TU Graz), in cooperation with the Burgenland state road administration, identified for the first time the chemical influencing factors and triggers for recurrent mass movements in fine-grained sediments. From results published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, preventive measures and strategies can be derived to guard against such events.