Precursor to disaster

Landslides affect the topography of the earth’s surface, the character and quality of rivers and streams and groundwater flow, the forests that cover the earth’s surface, and the habitats of natural wildlife including rivers, lakes and oceans. When large amounts of earth and organic materials enter streams as sediment resulting from landslides and erosions, the potability of the water and quality of habitat for fish and wildlife are reduced. Read 

At times, such landslides can have extremely high velocities with large volumes leading to more catastrophic effects on humans and environment.

This is the stunning aftermath of the largest landslide ever recorded in North America, which saw 165 million tons of earth dropping more than a half mile at a Utah copper mine on April 10, 2013.  The devastation at the Bingham Canyon Mine outside of Salt Lake City.

Aerial shot of landslide in Bingham Canyon copper-gold mine.
Photo courtesy Kennecott Utah Copper via Facebook.