Anatomy of a Landslide Dam

[@alvonfinster2915]

Thanks, nice & concise. I live in the Yukon, and we have many failures of this sort - large and small. Melting permafrost is adding to the extent & intensity of slope failures. Most are not described - too large an area, too few people. I was involved in the fisheries, specifically salmon habitat. The failures can negatively affect upstream migration and the downstream deposition can form/destroy downstream spawning and rearing habitats.

[@PlayNowWorkLater]

I live in the Yukon as well. Been really curious about the effects of landslides as there have been a lot happening here lately. Really enjoyed this video

[@person86422]

Post10 would have had that blockage opened within the hour.

[@Don.Challenger]

Sadly, those few days Post10 was off inspecting some abandoned farmsteads and clearing forest trails (his other pastimes) and consequently was unreachable, without his shovel and trusty rake half of New Zealand was washed into the south Pacific.

[@erikowren7894]

And he will do it with only a rake 😊

[@howaboutataste]

I remember as a kid when there were down trees in the creek we would make a dam. All you need is a good log or two and then bring downed branches to it. The leaves would collect and slow down the flow of water remarkably. The water level upstream would rise until it flowed over. After several days the water level would be increased some distance upstream, with it being still and clear water. Also our parents would make us disassemble the dam at that point, or whenever they became aware of it. Which was also sort of fun but could be a heavy task. There's quite a lot of weight on it at that point and figuring out how to dismantle it was an exercise.

[@loveistheanswer8137]

This poster is actually a beaver with Internet. Lol

[@dreadfulbadger]

My parents never made me take my dams down luckily. Eventually they fill with sediment and it just looks like I never built anything there since I always used rocks

[@Don.Challenger]

@@dreadfulbadger Folks, you may have heard of rock doves (pigeons), well this energetic gentleman is a rock beaver.

[@shubh.bapi_9423]

I and my cousin brother used to do the same in our khal/খাল - meaning ditch, besides the paddy fields. We used to block the flow of the ditch using rubble, fine mud, lots of twigs and branches acting as reinforcements, with a steel pipe's cut section as emergency pass for water. The dam was 40-50 cm tall. Upstream of the khal's dam the water level was high so we set up bamboo nets, called 'Chai' (চাই) to catch small fishes like tilapiya or koi and well as look for mudcrabs and it was a decent harvest. My parents and uncle were actually surprised that both the brothers did catch fishes and crabs, if any in that seasonally dry khal. We showed the dam and it really did help conserve and divert some water with siphon to the adjacent field. That small dam was periodically repaired and stayed on for a few months until heavy rain flushed the dam away in August. Those were good memories of childhood!!!😅😢

[@keyboardwarrior9199]

Great video, very interesting and informative. Keep it up!

[@anandlahane7592]

Impressively informative. In India,,had we had such dedicated studies and monitoring,the Kedarnath havoc could have been avoided . May the souls rest in peace.

[@warphonesS22]

Not one person thought oh the water has reached the top of the dam. Let's put a camera to film the breach in all its glory.

[@raincoast9010]

I was looking for that but all i got was office dudes going bla, bla, bla... good grief! Same thing with that one that just happened in Canada, an incredible opportunity squandered.

[@Mrbfgray]

Folks above dam were sneaking down at night to shovel a ditch across the top.

[@OVTraveller]

So typical of bureaucracy: investigate, express concern, assessment, debate........etc. The solution was so evident from word go, so let the built up waters erode the landslide, sit back, go back to your office declare the disaster over!

[@johnprentice9895]

Having had a previous landslide in the area I'd suggest it's potentially a dangerous area to be working in and collecting the data finding research. Hats off to you guys stay safe and thank you for your excellent video.

[@KiarashPooladsaz]

Working on this case study for my thesis, this video is informative, patiently describing the event and it is so clear! Great team work.

[@raincoast9010]

Yes, so clear they didn't show the water over-topping and washing away the slide. (roll eyes!)

[@xzysyndrome]

Kinda bummed no one had the forethought to set up a camera to video the breach and emptying of the lake.

[@philipgarsidebooks]

I'm enjoying your videos. Very clear descriptions of what happened and why.

[@marcvandyck8052]

Ever heard about Lake Sarez, guys ?

[@fullcircle4723]

First time I heard of this and I'm in NZ. Thanks for the video.

[@DonLuc23]

Super video, brief, concise, informative, no background music, that makes it about perfect! Just stumbled onto your site.

[@joenewman6939]

You take hundreds of pictures but none of the dame when it breaches or erodes or collapses

[@vice.nor.virtue]

This is such a great video to show to students who may be interested in persuing a career in Geography. It was really interesting how they documented this dam.

[@Salutimondo]

I would suggest it be used to show medical students instead. They will know how to cure chronic insomnia by showing patients this video. 😴🛌

[@Karnage007]

Do you have data for the flood that went through Eskdale, Hawkes Bay, Cyclone in Feb 2023..?

[@cherylm2C6671]

You could make a kind of quake table for the hillside. Using the imagery you have taken, a 3d print using relatively small particles of either ceramic mud or 'spice-mix' greensand could be made to demonstrate where failures were likely to happen. May I direct your attention to The GeoModels KZbin channel? The Appalachians aren't moving quite as fast, but the New Madrid will burp sooner or later. Timely information can lend a lot of leverage.

[@emmaathome2902]

Dam forms, dam erodes, water flows..there you go.

[@737smartin]

Sounds benign enough…unless you need access to that flooded road, have interests upstream that are flooded, have interests downstream that are suddenly without stream water…and are then washed away by the deluge. Then, it’s a natural disaster.

[@josephthibeault9919]

Much can be done if you are actually doing something. The lake should not have been allowed to grow this size. Need someone in charge.

[@ahmadsamir1031]

i imagine after the landslide, the river dries up first while the reservoir fills up. What happened to the fishes?

[@myview5840]

They go on holiday

[@billrobbins5874]

Thank you for the precise information given. To fix it probably a good idea to study it for awhile. ♥️👍♥️

[@jimmymize8536]

why didn't they release water BEFORE it got backed up ?

[@davidr8309]

How?

[@jimmymize8536]

@@davidr8309 by removing the landslide that blocks the flow of water, would be what I'd do,, THE DAM FAILURE only happens when you DON'T drain the water flow,,

[@davidr8309]

@@jimmymize8536 How do you propose to remove the landslide?

[@dsma2023]

@@davidr8309 Drop explosives in a line up the center of the dam, and blast it to hell.

[@davidr8309]

@@dsma2023 if you “drop explosives” on the dam they will have very little effect on the dam made of rubble, the energy will mostly dissipate into the air.

[@assassinlexx1993]

So call up the blasting crew. They can blow a cut to drain the back up river. But instead it is talking talking talking. More real action not lip action.

[@ashrevlution3456]

The constant talk is constantly lining the pockets of those talking about it.

[@haroldburrows4770]

Blasting dirt and debris isnt nearly as easy as it may sound

[@assassinlexx1993]

@@haroldburrows4770 The Mythbusters had the right thinking " if in doubt more C4"

[@ET-vj4vz]

All this virtual nonsense...by the time their models told them to remove the blockage in a controlled manner. A rain storm did it for them all at once. Long ago some one would have been removing that immediately. This would have prevented the flooding of roads and property they spoke of in the beginning.

[@lilylove2021]

So much money 😱 Sara

[@theyetirulrs]

Understanding this is an extreme event, how does an event like this alter the streams eco system? Are the fish simply swept downstream and the area repopulates over time or do they shelter in place? While resources are limited, this seems a rare opportunity to study the question.

[@davel4708]

That's an interesting question.

[@robertbate5790]

Very interesting and informative. I also would ask a similar question to Mad Paper People. Whilst doing your obviously necessary observations, could not the natural flow of water be assisted to reduce the danger of a single massive event? But then rethinking the answer, perhaps not, as it would detract from the overall study of cause and effect as the results would be very different. Perhaps down stream factors determine the action, like the risks to life and limb. How many people or properties would be affected? If this were above a city, would the actions be different? You pays your money and takes your choice. 🇬🇧

[@Nowa100]

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT... And I'm here - you come in too

[@justold8348]

Yep , Mother Nature Happens (every day) !

[@wdwerker]

I understand the value of all the data collection but couldn’t they have set up a siphon over the top of the dam to at least minimize the amount of water building up behind the dam? Air lift in some large flexible pipe ?

[@sigcrazy7]

Look up Thistle, UT, USA. A similar slide in 1983 destroyed the town and created a three mile lake. Within days, the state had a temporary drain installed to prevent the lake from overtopping the dam. Eventually, the lake was slowly drained and a permanent bypass for the river was created through the mountain.

[@vapormissile]

When i was a kid, I camped at Hebgen Lake. It had had one of these happen some years prior, & it squished a few campers. Narrow mountain valleys plug easy. edit Montana

[@darkfur18]

It was quake lake, just downriver that formed from the earthquake

[@jessed3884]

good lord two weeks without action and the rain solved the problem with the obvious answer. dig a trench and let the water do its thing.

[@theodoregunter]

People have to have brains to do stuff that easy ! lol

[@AJHyland63]

So it was all about the models and not mitigating the problem.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

The models are used to help mitigate the problem not only at this site, but at future sites. Modeling is an invaluable tool for researchers in countless disciplines.

[@danielbuffington2041]

Thank you for sharing. This was very informative

[@sarah7022]

That was very interesting. Thank you.

[@realestbars3229]

How bout just blast the blockage?

[@johnfitzgerald2339]

You knew a dam-failure was imminent, but didn't bother documenting it?

[@gregoryeverson741]

the one fucking thing

[@OutThereLearning]

Great team

[@RangieNZ]

@GNSscienceNZ is there one of these models available, for the Clarence River event?

[@SonicPhonic]

Do they know how the landslide happened and how to prevent that?

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

I didn't note how this landslide occured, but landslides generally become more likely with heavy rainfall. If the hill side is lacking plant growth then a heavy rain is more likely to cause a landslide. Finally earthquakes often cause major landslides.

[@gator83261]

No pictures or video of the river eroding the dam. So disappointing….

[@tracynation2820]

An excellent video. 💙 T.E.N.

[@paulmbylbie6065]

That was way interesting.......

[@davexvs]

so nature caused it nature solved it humans over complicated it costing allot of money way to go nature as always

[@johnopheim7891]

What is a cumix? A cubic kilometer?

[@123mijas]

Like wot I say !!!!! Is really important,!!!!!

[@edonveil9887]

Is qmix a Kiwi word for m^3?

[@SJR_Media_Group]

*_Earth is used to make dams all the time_* ... However when humans make earthen dams, we control particle size, compaction, and we add a spillway for safe discharging of water. When nature makes a landslide dam, there is no compaction, no particle size management, and no spillway. Most landslide dams fail from erosion, some quite spectacularly.

[@julianshepherd2038]

Useful work

[@davidyardley512]

New Zealand in the past would have opened this up. Not now, the little engine that could became the little engine that won’t.

[@gloomycat9382]

Мы изучаем дамбы, которые появляются сами по себе. И что? Может изучите лаву, которая появляется сама по себе? Это называется: мы берем деньги у государства, чтобы тратить их в пустую!

[@anthonytomkinson1336]

More computer modelling, just what the world needs, don't they have diggers in New Zealand?

[@dojoswitzer]

You started explaining what specifically happened immediately after the dam was created and then turned all high level, never going back to show the dam failure. Please learn how to tell a story.

[@woofsworld381]

Post10 should come save the day

[@Xocolatben]

You should of blasted the dam immediately, instead of watching it over time as it's kinetic potential increased to a disastrous level. Wait and see is not a safe mitigation plan.

[@riparianlife97701]

Every vowel is an i in Kiwi. Cracks me up.

[@poetmaggie1]

People don't consider not building in flood plains. Farms are okay but building and then complaining when the flood comes is so stupid.

[@tommyshobalongdong]

Looks like a job for post 10

[@jimfarquhar2581]

The water will erode it in time leave it alone and stay out of the river bottom below.common sense

[@henrykang3736]

Wow science!

[@crazycatcarnt]

NZ is cool

[@OVTraveller]

In normal times this event would have been described as erosion, nothing more than what has been happening in river valleys since time in memorial. Now, every possible alternative factor has to be held responsible......climate change any one?

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

In those so called normal times many people died from landslide failing to retain the water flow. This is a relatively common occurrence in mountainous areas. Now researchers are attempting to mitigate the destructive consequences of a landslide being overtopped and a deluge sent downstream as the landslide dam fails.

[@snowghost247]

We need more docos with women as the talkers instead of rusty old man voices its nice

[@realestbars3229]

Yea woman narrators would be just as good but what's the problem with "rusty old man" voices?

[@snowghost247]

@@realestbars3229 just nice change of pace c: i love rusty old man voices

[@meanuncledavid]

Blow it up

[@albertosuarez2195]

To much scientific information...! After all that talk you missed to capture on video the dam breach or failure . Just remember that a picture is worth a thousand words and a video is worth a thousand pictures.

[@Salutimondo]

They discovered a cure for my insomnia after I watched as much as I could before falling into a deep sleep.

[@K1VV1939]

With all this land in New Zealand falling off into the sea there had better be some coming up in the middle or the entire Fee Simple land lease idea is going to fail.

[@funky-landscaper]

Post 10 enters the chat……..

[@loganmaxwell1443]

Looks like you guys done a whole lot of nothing

[@Salutimondo]

They did a lot of overthinking

[@Salutimondo]

I went to sleep halfway through with the constant talking talking talking. When I tried to find the place where the dam breached and the storm in a tea cup resolved itself, there was no video of the major event. Thumbs down. Turn your focus into curing insomniacs instead by playing sufferers this video is my suggestion.

[@MadPaperPeople]

instead of discussions and time wasting why not cut a V in the top to let water flow slowly and erode as it goes rather than watching and waiting till LOTS of water has backed up ???oh wages...you have a job and get paid to fix it ...the longer you wait the more IMPORTANT your job seems...

[@allangibson8494]

The dam failed totally within two weeks of forming.

[@slob0516]

Agreed. I was thinking a bomb. Blow a hole in it right when it's formed.

[@eviethekiwi7178]

ok, go figure out how to do that, smartass

[@foxnfrill]

Its not safe to take heavy equipment to a landslide site without extensive surveying to make sure the ground isnt at risk of furthering movement. Which would take longer than 2 weeks probably. And if you did that, it would happen fast due to it already being an unstable surface, so there is no real way to “slowly” release something that was naturally formed and has no ability to shed water without being quickly eroded.

[@ats-3693]

Another big mouthed internet expert.

[@JelMain]

The management of such an incident should be that of a dam construction in reverse, creating spillways either side, stepping them alternatively lower until the normal flow resumes in a lower bed. By that, I mean, cut a channel on the left side until the flow slows, while that's happening, form a coffer dam with a valve on the right side, clear the spoil a few feet lower behind it, open the valve to drain down further, then repeat on the left, left-right-left-right until a new bed exists. The remains of the spoil can then be dozed into the river, and the old course returns. Yes, there is always the threat of further slide activity, it may mean repeating it. Once a natural angle of repose is reached, end of problem. Of course, anticipative removal of dubious areas is to be recommended....

[@737smartin]

Well expressed theory, but impractical in this case. Such a project-IF deemed safe, which given the instability here is highly doubtful-would take weeks to plan, weeks to contract out, and weeks to implement. This whole thing destroyed itself in two weeks.

[@JelMain]

@@737smartin Fair enough, but that doesn't always happen, and the longer you wait, the bigger the threat. All you can do is hope it doesn't fail. Of course, history is filled with instances where it has, the Isolation of Great Britain and the Black Sea breakthrough being two such. But if you don't attack the issue with that in mind, then you're part of the problem, not part of the solution. I'm a retired crisis manager from the European State Department, a job I kept because I was well aware that a stitch in time saves nine, and if you don't try, you are guaranteed to fail.

[@opieshomeshop]

100s od thousands of years is total BS.

[@stephenjsmart4758]

Wasting time just move some soil ,slowly releasing the pressure, your creating a mountain out a mile hill

[@blauer2551]

Too much thinking and analyzing going on here. Should have got some boys on excavators and a blasting crew on site right after it happens.

[@chipbaker2025]

Commentators were slow and boring.

[@andrewfetterolf7042]

Geology wins

[@theodoregunter]

SO you live on a river and COMPLAIN ABOUT WATER how can earth hold that many GENIUSES ?

[@darronshirley7886]

Nobody should ever be allowed to remove this landslide dam this is what's wrong with the climate we have way to much human interference if man would stop trying to rearrange mother nature the weather would calm down and we would return to a normal climate again

[@Salutimondo]

Nature removed it

[@chugfoose7077]

Just send in Post 10 he'll have that clog opened up in a couple of hours.

[@darronshirley7886]

The world has taken care of it's self for millions of years and no problems right so stop building in the bottom of a river and then trying to reroute the river to stop flooding

[@Fossilsunleashed]

40 day flood

[@Fossilsunleashed]

billion year flood