Landslides in sensitive clays – from geosciences to risk management

Abstract

Landslides in sensitive clays represent a major hazard in the northern countries of the world such as Canada, Finland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and in the US state of Alaska. Examples of catastrophic landslides in sensitive clays that impacted populations are numerous: e.g., Saint-Jean-Vianney in 1971 (Tavenas et al. 1971; Potvin et al. 2001), Rissa in 1979 (Gregersen 1981; L’Heureux et al. 2012), Finneidfjord in 1996 (Longva et al. 2003), Kattmarka in 2009 (Nordal et al. 2009) and St-Jude in 2010 (Locat et al. 2012). In order to respond to the societal demands, the scientific community has to expand its knowledge of landslide mechanisms in sensitive clay to assist authorities with state-of-the-art investigation techniques, hazard assessment methods, risk management schemes, mitigation measures and planning.