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Previously hidden landslide processes revealed using distributed acoustic sensing with nanostrain-rate sensitivity
Susanne M Ouellet1, Jan Dettmer2, Matthew J Lato3
1Department of Earth, Energy and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. susanne.ouellet2@ucalgary.ca.
Nature Communications
|July 23, 2024
Summary
New sensing technology reveals subtle, early landslide movements. This breakthrough in landslide monitoring detects nanostrain-rate changes at high resolution, crucial for predicting catastrophic failures.
Area of Science:
- Geosciences
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Earthquake Science
Background:
- Landslides exhibit slow creep over decades before catastrophic failure.
- Understanding strain evolution is key to predicting landslide transitions.
- Current monitoring tools lack the necessary spatial and temporal resolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To employ distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) for high-resolution landslide strain monitoring.
- To quantify strain-rate changes at meter and sub-minute scales during rainfall events.
- To detect and analyze subtle landslide processes often missed by conventional methods.
Main Methods:
- Utilized distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) strain data at frequencies below 1 Hz.
- Monitored the Hollin Hill landslide over a three-day rainfall period.
- Quantified strain-rate changes with meter-scale spatial and sub-minute temporal resolution.
Main Results:
- Observed near-surface strain onset at the head scarp.
- Detected strain acceleration in a developing rupture zone.
- Documented retrogression towards the scarp and flow-lobe activity.
- Identified processes with displacements less than 0.5 mm, undetectable by other methods.
Conclusions:
- Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) provides unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution for landslide monitoring.
- The study demonstrates nanostrain-rate sensitivity in detecting early landslide precursors.
- Findings align millimeter-scale, short-term movements with previously observed seasonal landslide patterns.
