Using GB-SAR technique to monitor slow moving landslide

A Ground-Based SAR (GB-SAR) interferometer was employed to measure the surface displacements of a landslide occurring in the Carnian Alps, north-eastern Italy, which has affected a national road and seriously damaged a road tunnel still under construction. Moreover, since the landslide is located on the left bank of the Tagliamento River Valley, it is feared that this mass movement might dam the river, creating a basin that would increase natural hazard for the valley inhabitants. The data collected from December 2002 to July 2005 by a conventional monitoring system, consisting of a GPS network and boreholes equipped with inclinometric tubes, showed that the landslide was moving at a quasi-constant rate of about 3 cm per year. Due to the slow deformation rate of the landslide, a recently developed GB-SAR technique based on the analysis of a restricted ensemble of coherent points was used. Two surveys, each lasting two days, were planned in December 2004 and July 2005, in order to map and measure the surface displacements that occurred over time. The results from the radar were compared with the ones derived from the GPS monitoring network. An agreement was achieved among the data collected, showing the capability of the GB-SAR technique to measure displacements even within a time span of several months between the surveys.     

Long‐Term Sediment Export Estimates from Northern Jordan using Roman Cisterns as Sediment Traps

Roman cisterns served as rainwater storage devices for centuries and are densely distributed in parts of northern Jordan. A major earthquake hit the region ca. A.D. 750 and in a short time many settlements were abandoned. As a consequence, most cisterns were not maintained, and they filled with sediments that today provide a postabandonment depositional record. In two field surveys, we mapped the locations of more than 100 cisterns in the Wadi Al‐Arab basin and selected two for detailed stratigraphic analysis that included ¹⁴C and optically stimulated luminescence dating. Catchment basin area for each cistern was determined by differential GPS. Both cisterns filled with sediments after the great earthquake and consequent abandonment of the region. Calculated sediment volumes are translated to long‐term average sediment export rates of 2.6–6.6 t ha⁻¹a⁻¹, which are comparable to erosion and sediment yield rates from other studies within the Mediterranean region. Our pilot study suggests that this approach can be applied elsewhere to calculate long‐term sediment export rates on hill slopes containing relict cisterns.     

Chasing a complete understanding of the triggering mechanisms of a large rapidly evolving rockslide

Rockslides in alpine areas can reach large volumes and, owing to their position along slopes, can either undergo large and rapid evolution originating large rock avalanches or can decelerate and stabilize. As a consequence, in particular when located within large deep-seated deformations, this type of instability requires accurate observation and monitoring. In this paper, the case study of the La Saxe rockslide (ca. 8 × 10⁶ m³), located within a deep-seated deformation, undergoing a major phase of acceleration in the last decade and exposing the valley bottom to a high risk, is discussed. To reach a more complete understanding of the process, in the last 3 years, an intense investigation program has been developed. Boreholes have been drilled, logged, and instrumented (open-pipe piezometers, borehole wire extensometers, inclinometric casings) to assess the landslide volume, the rate of displacement at depth, and the water pressure. Displacement monitoring has been undertaken with optical targets, a GPS network, a ground-based interferometer, and four differential multi-parametric borehole probes. A clear seasonal acceleration is observed related to snow melting periods. Deep displacements are clearly localized at specific depths. The analysis of the piezometric and snowmelt data and the calibration of a 1D block model allows the forecast of the expected displacements. To this purpose, a 1D pseudo-dynamic visco-plastic approach, based on Perzyna’s theory, has been developed. The viscous nucleus has been assumed to be bi-linear: in one case, irreversible deformations develop uniquely for positive yield function values; in a more general case, visco-plastic deformations develop even for negative values. The model has been calibrated and subsequently validated on a long temporal series of monitoring data, and it seems reliable for simulating the in situ data. A 3D simplified approach is suggested by subdividing the landslide mass into distinct interacting blocks.     

Long‐lived high‐T,low‐P granulite facies metamorphism in the Arunta Region,central Australia

In situ LA–ICP–MS U–Pb monazite geochronology from the Boothby Hills in the Aileron Province, central Australia, indicates that the region records more than 80 Ma of high‐T, low‐P (HTLP) anatectic conditions during the Early Mesoproterozoic. Monazite ages from granulite facies rocks and leucosomes span the interval 1576–1542 Ma. Pegmatites that overprint the regional gneissic fabric and are interpreted to record the last vestiges of melt crystallization give ages between 1523 and 1513 Ma. Calculated P–T pseudosections suggest peak metamorphic conditions in excess of 850 °C at 0.65–0.75 GPa. The retrograde evolution was characterized by a P–T path that involved minor decompression and then cooling, culminating with the development of andalusite. Integration of the geochronological data set with the inferred P–T path trajectory suggests that suprasolidus cooling must have been slow, in the order of 2.5–4 °C Ma^?1. In addition, the retrograde P–T path trajectory suggests that HTLP conditions were generated within crust of relatively normal thickness. Despite the long duration over which anatectic conditions occurred, there is no evidence for external magmatic inputs or evidence that HTLP conditions were associated with long‐lived extension. Instead, it seems probable that the long‐lived HTLP metamorphism was driven to a significant extent by long‐lived conductive heating provided by high crustal heat production in voluminous pre‐metamorphic granitic rocks.     

The monitoring of slow-moving landslides and assessment of stabilisation measures using an optical–mechanical crack gauge

It is possible to monitor slow-moving landslides and assess landslide stabilisation measures over protracted periods using an optical–mechanical crack gauge called a TM-71. This technical note outlines the theoretical background to the gauge and illustrates its practical application through a number of case studies. These studies are drawn from a range of landslide types and stabilisation measures. In terms of monitoring slow-moving landslides, three studies of deep-seated deformations are presented. The Taukliman coastal landslide on the Black Sea Coast is characterised by vertical and horizontal displacements of up to 0.2?mm?year^?1 and sudden earthquake-induced dilations of up to 6?mm. The Parohy ridge spreading landslide in the Malá Fatra Mountains is characterised by gravitationally induced vertical displacements of 0.7?mm?year^?1. The slope deformation that formed Cyrilka Cave in the Beskydy Mountains is characterised by very slow sinistral strike–slip movements of 0.8?mm?year^?1. In terms of assessing landslide stabilisation measures, two studies are presented from Orava Castle in Slovakia and Tetín in the Czech Republic. The data recorded at these sites demonstrate that the constructed stabilisation measures have successfully alleviated the potential landslide hazard in both localities. These case studies clearly demonstrate that the gauge represents an important tool with which to monitor slow-moving landslides and assess landslide stabilisation measures. It is able to provide a precise three-dimensional record of deformation, withstand harsh environmental conditions, and record reliable data over protracted periods.     

Spectrophotometric Determination of Gold (III) after Liquid–Liquid Extraction and Selective Pre‐concentration with a Novel Dibenzo‐18‐Crown‐6 Derivative

A selective and sensitive method for the extraction and spectrophotometric determination of gold with N,N′‐6,7,9,10,17,18,20,21‐octahydrodibenzo[b,k][1,4,7,10,13,16] hexaoxacyclo‐octadecine‐2,13–diylbis(2‐chloroacetamide) (ODBOCA) is described. The ODBOCA–Au(III) complex was extracted from a slightly acidic aqueous solution (pH 5) into a chloroform layer and then the absorbance of the extract was measured using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer with 1.0 cm quartz cells at 540 nm. An enrichment factor of 200 was achieved. In the chloroform medium at 540 nm, the molar absorptivity and Sandell’s sensitivity were 4.12 × 10³ l mol^?1 cm^?1 and 0.048 μg cm^?2, respectively. Beer’s law was obeyed in the range of 0.5–15 μg ml^?1 in the measured solution. The relative standard deviation for ten replicate samples at the 1.0 μg ml^?1 level was 3.0%. The limit of detection, based on 3s, was 0.5 μg l^?1 in the original sample. The effects of pH, ligand concentration and shaking time were studied. The ratio of the metal ion to ligand molecules in the complex was found to be 1:2 according to the Job Method. The effects of interference by a number of metal ions were investigated. The method was verified with certified reference materials and spiked tests, and quantitative recovery values were obtained. The method was fast, accurate, selective and precise, and was applied to the determination of gold in water and ore with good results.     

Surface displacements due to batter piles driven in cross‐anisotropic media

This article derives the closed‐form solutions for estimating the vertical surface displacements of cross‐anisotropic media due to various loading types of batter piles. The loading types include an embedded point load for an end‐bearing pile, uniform skin friction, and linear variation of skin friction for a friction pile. The planes of cross‐anisotropy are assumed to be parallel to the horizontal ground surface. The proposed solutions are never mentioned in literature and can be developed from Wang and Liao's solutions for a horizontal and vertical point load embedded in the cross‐anisotropic half‐space. The present solutions are identical with Wang's solutions when batter angle equals to 0^°. In addition, the solutions indicate that the surface displacements in cross‐anisotropic media are influenced by the type and degree of material anisotropy, angle of inclination, and loading types. An illustrative example is given at the end of this article to investigate the effect of the type and degree of soil anisotropy (E/E′, G′/E′, and ν/ν′), pile inclination (α), and different loading types (a point load, a uniform skin friction, and a linear variation of skin friction) on vertical surface displacements. Results show that the displacements accounted for pile batter are quite different from those estimated from plumb piles, both driven in cross‐anisotropic media. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Earthquake-induced landslide hazard and vegetation recovery assessment using remotely sensed data and a neural network-based classifier: a case study in central Taiwan

A catastrophic earthquake with a Richter magnitude of 7.3 occurred in the Chi-Chi area of Nantou County on 21 September 1999. Large-scale landslides were generated in the Chiufenershan area of Nantou County in central Taiwan. This study used a neural network-based classifier and the proposed NDVI-based quantitative index coupled with multitemporal SPOT images and digital elevation models (DEMs) for the assessment of long-term landscape changes and vegetation recovery conditions at the sites of these landslides. The analyzed results indicate that high accuracy of landslide mapping can be extracted using a neural network-based classifier, and the areas affected by these landslides have gradually been restored from 211.52 ha on 27 September 1999 to 113.71 ha on 11 March 2006, a reduction of 46.24%, after six and a half years of assessment. In accordance with topographic analysis at the sites of the landslides, the collapsed and deposited areas of the landslide were 100.54 and 110.98 ha, with corresponding debris volumes of 31,983,800 and 39,339,500 m³. Under natural vegetation succession, average vegetation recovery rate at the sites of the landslides reached 36.68% on 11 March 2006. The vegetation recovery conditions at the collapsed area (29.17%) are shown to be worse than at the deposited area (57.13%) due to topsoil removal and the steep slope, which can be verified based on the field survey. From 1999 to 2006, even though the landslide areas frequently suffered from the interference of typhoon strikes, the vegetation succession process at the sites of the landslides was still ongoing, which indicates that nature, itself, has the capability for strong vegetation recovery for the denudation sites. The analyzed results provide very useful information for decision-making and policy-planning in the landslide area.     

应用高精度GPS系统对四川丹巴哑喀则滑坡进行监测及稳定性分析

位于四川省丹巴县梭坡乡的哑喀则滑坡是一大型松散土质边坡。鉴于该滑坡的严重变形和可能失稳造成严重灾害后果,所以选择进行高精度GPS监测。并且阐述了应用GPS监测滑坡时对监测点位选择、数据处理等方法。2007年至今的GPS监测结果显示主滑坡体上监测点平均位移速率达每年0.6～0.9m,表明该滑坡变形严重。结合地表裂缝和植被等地表特征,发现降雨量和坡脚大渡河的冲刷、浸泡对滑坡今后的发育趋势有着决定作用,建议加强监测做好预警预报工作。本文还特别指出在监测期内监测到的地震(2008年5月12日)和人类工程活动对滑坡造成的影响。     

Retrieval of time series three-dimensional landslide surface displacements from multi-angular SAR observations

A major limitation for wide application of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing in mapping landslide surface displacements is the intrinsic gap between the ultimate objective of measuring three-dimensional displacements and the limited capability of detecting only one or two-dimensional displacements by repeat-pass SAR observations of identical imaging geometries. Although multi-orbit SAR observations of dissimilar viewing geometries can be jointly analyzed to inverse the three-dimensional displacements, the reliability of inversion results might be highly questionable in case of continuous motion because of the usually asynchronous acquisitions of multi-orbit SAR datasets. Aiming at this problem, we proposed an approach of retrieving time series three-dimensional displacements from multi-angular SAR datasets for step-like landslides in the Three Gorges area in this article. Firstly, time series displacements of a common ground target in the azimuth and line-of-sight (LOS) direction can be estimated using traditional methods of SAR interferometry (InSAR) and SAR pixel offset tracking (POT), respectively. Then, a spline fitting and interpolation procedure was employed to parameterize the displacement history in the sliding/dormant periods of step-like landslides and estimate displacements from multi-angular observations for identical date series. Finally, three-dimensional displacements can be inverted from these synchronized multi-angular measured displacements in traditional ways. As a case study, the proposed method was applied to retrieve the three-dimensional displacements history of the Shuping landslide in the Three Gorges area, China. Comparisons between SAR-measured displacements and measurements of global positioning system (GPS) showed good agreement. Furthermore, temporal correlation analyses suggest that reservoir water level fluctuation and rainfall are the two most important impact factors for the Shuping landslide stability.     

The 102 Landslide: human–slope interaction in SE Tibet over a 20-year period

The evolution of large-scale landslides should be studied because, over long periods of time, primary remediation measures may suffer reduced efficiency or have to be adjusted many times. The 102 Landslide in southeast Tibet, which originally formed in 1991 with a volume of 5.1 million m³ and still exhibits post-failure activity, provides a distinctive case study. The landslide evolved from earthquake destruction and unloading, rainfall-triggered sliding, and debris flow to sands sliding slopes. The NE ringed scarp receded by 38.96 m during a five-year period (2003–2008). The total recession was 160 m with a total area of 2500 m² during a 17-year period (1991–2008). Although several types of remediation measures were applied and were temporarily effective, the normal function of the Sichuan–Tibet Highway was affected by landslide reactivation from time to time. Actual effects of the engineering measures such as retaining walls, prestressed anchor cables, and drainage ditches confirm that hasty governance of this type of large-scale landslide is generally unfeasible over long time periods. Finally, an approach involving a tunnel running backward from the front face has been adopted as a permanent solution to large-scale moraine slope failures: This engineering practice has been in progress since April 2012. This paper describes the evolution of the 102 Landslide, the engineering interventions to mitigate the effects of the landslide on the Sichuan–Tibet Highway, and the choice of tunneling as a final mitigation measure. The present study concludes that approaches that allow escape from developing geo-hazards should always be the initial choice.     

Development of a methodological approach for the accurate measurement of slope changes due to landslides,using digital photogrammetry

This paper presents a method for studying recent landscape evolution due to mass movements. The method presented employs digital photogrammetric techniques, combined with global positioning system (GPS) measurements, to analyse landslide features depicted in aerial images taken by ad hoc and historical flights. The method was applied and validated in a 7 -km² area, located on a south-facing slope of a tributary of the Pas River (Cantabrian Range, Spain). In this area many landslide deposits and features are present, dated from 120,000  years BP to the present. The method starts with the design and carrying out of an ad hoc flight to take 1:5,000 photographs to be used as a reference, using different aircraft devices to control the position and geometry of the photograms. Different ground control points (GCPs) were measured using GPS techniques to support the geomorphological and photogrammetric work. Reference and historical photograms were digitised in a photogrammetric scanner and the digital images and GCPs were incorporated into a digital photogrammetric workstation to generate the reference digital stereo models by aerotriangulation. The models generated have a precision of 21 cm for the reference images and 33 cm for the historical images. The obtained landslide maps were compared with traditional geomorphological maps and an increased precision in the volume and area measurements was confirmed. Backward crown displacements show rates for the last 15 years of 15 mm year^?1. Mass involved in landslide mobility rates in recent landslides are 440  tons.     

Ice‐distal landscape and sediment signatures evidencing damming and drainage of large pro‐glacial lakes,northwest Russia

Lyså, A., Jensen, M. A., Larsen, E., Fredin, O. & Demidov, I. N.^* 2010: Ice‐distal landscape and sediment signatures evidencing damming and drainage of large pro‐glacial lakes, northwest Russia. Boreas, Vol. 40, pp. 481–497. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00197.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Sediments from river sections and the morphology of the upper reaches of Severnaya Dvina and Vychegda in northwest Russia show evidence of the existence of large ice‐dammed lakes in the area twice during the Weichselian. During the Late Weichselian, three separate ice‐dammed lakes (LGM lake(s)) existed, the largest one at about 135 m a.s.l. having a volume of about 1510 km³. Stepwise and rapid lake drainage is suggested to have taken place within less than 1000 years. The locations of various passpoints controlled the drainage, and when the lake was at its maximum level water spilled southeastwards into the Volga basin. Later, but before the lake water finally drained into the White Sea, water was routed northeastwards into the southeastern part of the Barents Sea. The oldest lake, the White Sea lake, existed around 67–57 ka ago, slightly in conflict with earlier palaeogeographic reconstructions regarding the chronology. The extent of the lake was constrained by, in addition to the Barents Sea ice‐sheet margin in the north, thresholds in the drainage basin. Later, one threshold was eroded and lowered during the LGM lake drainage. Given a lake level of about 115 m a.s.l., a lake area of about 2.5 × 10⁴ km³ and a water volume of about 4800 km³, the lake drainage northwards and into the ocean probably impacted the ocean circulation.     

Differential single-frequency GPS monitoring of the La Valette landslide (French Alps)

Recently, Global Positioning System (GPS) surveying techniques have been increasingly employed to monitor landslide movement. Here we present an application of GPS to monitor the La Valette landslide, located in the Ubaye Valley in the southern French Alps. This complex landslide is composed by an upper rotational part, a central part with generally translational movement and a lower part, which occasionally transforms into mud flows during intense rainfall events. Displacement rates average a few centimeters per month, with velocity peaks of some centimeters per day during periods of strong activity. GPS data presented in this study were acquired with two single-frequency GPS receivers Magellan connected to multipath-resistant antennas. The data were processed with the Magellan software MSTAR. Nine points have been set in the studied area, seven of them in the moving area, one in a stable area near the landslide and one on the facing slope, which is used as reference point. For each observation, one GPS receiver is placed on the reference point for the whole day and the second one is placed on each monitored point for 1-h sessions. The distance between the base and monitored point ranges from 480 to 1660 m. Eight survey campaigns were made between October 2000 and October 2002, to follow the evolution of the surface displacements. The maximum cumulative 3-D displacement observed in the area was about 21 m during the period in the center part of the landslide, corresponding to an average rate of movement of about 3 cm/day. The accuracy achieved during the GPS measurements has been evaluated to be about 2.4 cm in E–W direction, about 11 cm in N–S direction and about 7.4 cm in elevation in the worst case. The GPS results have been compared with traditional surveying techniques (EDM) carried out on the same site by RTM Service (Restauration des Terrains en Montagne). The velocities obtained by the two methods are similar. The advantage of the GPS technique is the collection of data for the three spatial coordinates (x, y, z) of each point, which allow to calculate the 3-D displacement vector. These measurements have been combined with SAR interferometric data in order to analyse the temporal evolution of the different landslide sectors.     

Measuring displacements of the Thompson River valley landslides,south of Ashcroft,BC, Canada,using satellite InSAR

The Thompson River valley, south of Ashcroft in British Columbia, Canada, has experienced several landslides since the mid-1800s. The national railways that run along the valley cross a number of these landslides. All the landslides occur in glacial deposits, typically sliding on weak clay layers. Some have failed rapidly to very rapidly and are currently inactive or showing deformation rates from a few millimeters to centimeters per year. An evaluation of satellite InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) using RADARSAT-2 images between September 2013 and November 2015 provides new insight into landslide displacements in the Thompson River valley. This information enhances the ongoing hazard management of unstable terrain. This paper presents the comparison of the InSAR measurements with other instrumentation (GPS and ShapeAccelArrays? -SAA) installed at one moving landslide and then addresses the extent and magnitude of the slope movements observed. InSAR was found to provide similar displacement values to those measured otherwise. The stable location showed displacements of +/?1 mm with an average near zero during the whole monitoring period. Six areas of slope movement were identified within the study area, all within or adjacent to the footprints of past landslides. The average line of sight (LOS) displacement rates range between 11 and 39 mm/year. Most of the landslides exhibited seasonal variations in velocity that corresponds to changes in river elevation in the valley.     

The Rock of Gibraltar re‐visited

Gibraltar, a 6km² peninsula jutting south from Spain at the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, is dominated by its 424 m‐high Rock: famous as a landmark to seafarers since ancient times. Twenty‐five years ago, an article in Geology Today (1991, v.7, pp.95–101) interpreted the Rock as a partly overturned mass of Early Jurassic dolomitic limestone, thrust into position during continent–continent collision about 15–20 million years before present and shaped finally by shoreline processes active during Quaternary tectonic uplift. Later articles featured the complex of tunnels and chambers excavated between 1782 and 1968 by British military engineers within its 2.6 km‐long main ridge (1992, v.8, pp.92–98), and the Neanderthals known to have used some of its caves (1997, v.13, pp.179–184). Significant aspects of the Rock's geological history have clarified since then.     

A deep-seated landslide dam in the Siriu Reservoir (Curvature Carpathians, Romania)

The Groapa Vântului (Wind’s Dip) landslide, situated in the Buz?u Carpathians, on the right-hand slope of the Siriu Reservoir, occurred in April 2006, after the first local movements were signaled in September–October 2005. It represents a reactivation of an older, apparently relict (and well covered by a secular beech forest) landslide, which blocked Siriu Reservoir for several weeks and caused a major change in the sedimentation regime downstream of it. The volume of the displaced material reached almost 2.5 million m³, affecting a surface of more than 250,000 m² and reducing the reservoir’s volume by almost 2 million m³. The landslide developed on a lithological contact of Paleogene flysch formations and features steep (40–50°) and high (up to 30 m) scarps, as well as complex inner sectors, of rotational, translational, and compresional movement. The assessment of landslide’s morphodynamic behavior is based on repeated geomorphological field mapping and measurements, differential Global Positioning System, and total station profiles, and mobile and fixed landmarks. This preliminary assessment contributes to the understanding of the behavior of old, peri-glacial landslide reactivations and also represents progress towards a better hazard assessment.     

The Yenice–Gönen active fault (NW Turkey): Active tectonics and palaeoseismology

The Yenice–Gönen Fault (YGF) is one of the most important active tectonic structures in the Biga peninsula. On March 18, 1953, a destructive earthquake (M_w = 7.2) occurred on the YGF, which is considered to be a part of the southern branch of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ). A 70 km-long dextral surface rupture formed during the Yenice–Gönen Earthquake (YGE).In this study, structural and palaeoseismological features of the YGF have been investigated. The YGF surface ruptures have been mapped and three trenches were excavated at Muratlar, Karaköy and Seyvan sites.According to the palaeoseismic interpretation and the results of ¹⁴C AMS dating, Seyvan trench shows that an earthquake of palaeoseismic age ca. 620 AD ruptured a different strand of the 1953 fault, producing rather significant surface rupture displacement, while there are indications that at least two older events occurred during the past millennia. Another set of trenches excavated near Gönen town (Muratlar village) revealed extensive liquefaction not only during the 1953 event, but also during a previous earthquake, dated at 1440 AD. The Karaköy trench shows no indications of recent reactivations.Based on the trenching results, we estimate a recurrence interval of 660 ± 160 years for large morphogenic earthquakes, creating linear surface ruptures. The maximum reported displacement during the 1953 earthquake was 4.2 m. Taking into account the palaeoseismologically determined earthquake recurrence interval and maximum displacement, slip-rate of the YGF has been calculated to be 6.3 mm/a, which is consistent with present-day velocities determined by GPS measurements. According to the geological investigations, cumulative displacement of the YGF is 2.3 km. This palaeoseismological study contributes to model the behaviour of large seismogenic faults in the Biga Peninsula.     

A Method for Rapid Determination of Re and Os Isotope Compositions Using ID‐MC‐ICP‐MS Combined with the Sparging Method

A simple, rapid method for the determination of Re and Os concentrations and isotope compositions using isotope dilution multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ID‐MC‐ICP‐MS) combined with Carius tube digestion and sparging introduction of Os was developed. For Os measurement, four channeltron ion counters to detect different Os isotopes were used simultaneously, which led to a drastic reduction in the measurement time. Rhenium isotopes were measured by means of eight Faraday cups with solution nebulisation and an ultrasonic membrane desolvator. The representative ¹⁸⁸Os count rate of an Os standard solution containing 50 pg of total Os was approximately 110000–120000 cps at the onset of measurement; the Re intensity of our in‐house 10 pg g^?1 standard solution reached 1820 V/μg g^?1 with a sample uptake rate of 95–99 μl min^?1. These values indicate that the sensitivity of the method was sufficient even for samples with low Re and Os concentrations, such as chert. As the temporal variations of the amplification efficiency of the ion counters differed from one another, we adopted a sample‐calibrator bracketing method to correct the measured Re and Os isotope ratios. The Re and Os concentrations via the isotope dilution method and the ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios of two sedimentary rock reference materials (JMS‐2 and JCh‐1) on the basis of the isotope ratios determined by the MC‐ICP‐MS and by negative thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (N‐TIMS) were comparable within their ranges. Based on Os isotope measurement of the IAG reference material [Durham Romil Os (DROsS)], the average difference from the recommended value and precision of Os isotope measurements by the sparging method in combination with multi‐ion‐counters were 0.72% and 0.76% [1RSD (%), n = 29], respectively. The precisions in the ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios [1RSD (%)] of JMS‐2, JCh‐1 and DROsS were 0.35–0.71, 1.56–3.31 and 0.99–1.28%, respectively, which depended on their Os ion intensities. No systematic difference was observed between the Re and Os geochemical compositions of JCh‐1 and JMS‐2 obtained by means of digestion with inverse aqua regia and CrO₃‐H₂SO₄ solutions, suggesting that either acid solution can be used for the sparging method of sedimentary rock samples. As CrO₃‐H₂SO₄ solution is believed to liberate predominantly the hydrogenous Re and Os fraction from organic‐rich sediment, the sparging method combined with CrO₃‐H₂SO₄ digestion and multi‐ion‐counters in the mass spectrometry is expected to be a powerful tool for reconstructing the secular change in marine Os isotope compositions with high sample throughput.     

Geo-diversity and its hydrological response in relation to landslide susceptibility in the Himalaya: a GIS-based case study

Assessment and inventory of landslide susceptibility are essential for the formulation of successful disaster mitigation plans. The objective of this study was to assess landslide susceptibility in relation to geo-diversity and its hydrological response in the Lesser Himalaya with a case study using Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. The Dabka watershed, which constitutes a part of the Kosi Basin in the Lesser Himalaya, India, in the district of Nainital, has been selected for the case illustration. The study constitutes three GIS modules: geo-diversity informatics, hydro informatics and landslide informatics. Through the integration and superimposing of spatial data and attribute data of all three GIS modules, Landslide Susceptibility Index (LSI) has been prepared to identify the level of susceptibility for landslide hazards. This resonance study, carried out over a period of five years (2007–2011), found that areas of most stressed geo-diversity (comprising very steep slopes above 30°, geology of Lower Krol and Lariakanta formation, geomorphology of moist areas and debris sites, land use of barren land with a very high drainage frequency and spring density) have a high landslide susceptibility because of high rate of average runoff (33 l/s/km²), flood magnitude (307.28 l/s/km²), erosion (398 tons/km²) and landslide density (5–10 landslides/km²). The areas of least stressed geo-diversity (comprising gentle slopes below 10°, geology of Kailakhan and Siwalik formation, geomorphology of depositional terraces, land use of dense forest with low drainage frequency and spring density) have the lowest landslide susceptibility because of the low rate of average runoff (6.27 l/s/km²), flood magnitude (20.49 l/s/km²), erosion (65.80 tons/km²) and landslide density (1–2 landslides/km²).