New Zealand (Commonwealth Union) – Landslides remain a common global natural disaster that has led to thousands of deaths and economic damage. The biggest landslide recorded in history was the May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, in the United States, resulting in an avalanche. A new University of Canterbury study hopes to save lives in West Coast communities by forecasting high-hazard zones vulnerable to landslide dams possibly resulting in devastating flooding.
Landslide dams usually occur as debris from a landslide blocks a river channel. This leads to a large dam backfilling into the upstream valley ultimately bursting (outburst flooding), bringing tragic impacts on communities that may lead to deaths and loss of properties and infrastructure.
Jane McMecking, who is doing her master’s in the Disaster Risk and Resilience Group, University of Canterbury, has developed a model to predict where landslide dams and how outburst flooding might occur on the West Coast as a component of her thesis. She hopes her study will save lives in the event of an Alpine Fault earthquake and assist councils and local Civil Defence with their activities.
The thesis ‘Landslide Dam Hazard Modelling in the West Coast of New Zealand’, received funds via the Toka Tū Ake EQC University Research Programme, which invests in research and capability building to raise resilience in New Zealand.
Landslide dams have an increased chance of forming along the mountainous parts of the West Coast when a large earthquake occurs.
“The more science we have, the more we understand these hazards and the more we can work with communities and relevant organisations to understand the impacts of potential hazards and improve our resilience. Landslide dams aren’t well known, so I’m hoping this project will bring more awareness,” said Jane.
Toka Tū Ake EQC Head of Research Dr Natalie Balfour stated that this sort of study is important to learning the effects of natural hazards on communities.
