Geotechnical News • December 2018
33
GEOHAZARDS
at how fragmentation of rockfalls
affected runout volume, distance and
ultimately risk (Jordi Coriminas)
and by several papers that followed
including papers on structure from
motion, InSAR, photogrammetry
(Richard Carter, Dwayne Tannant,
David Bonneau, Farnoush Hosseini,
Lauren Hutchinson), and hazard and
risk assessment related to landslide
velocity (Michel Jaboydedoff).
Seismicity was discussed across
several papers including a keynote
talk on induced (man-made) seismic-
ity in Western Canada (David Eaton),
and a critical examination of seismi-
cally affected geotechnical stability
and a framework for deciding how to
approach performance-based design
(Thuraisamy Thavaraj).
Other case studies and program
updates were provided for multiple
sites, and a poster session expanded
considerably on the range of topics
mentioned above.
Summary
By the end of Geohazards 7, the fol-
lowing was clear. In 26 years since
the first Geohazards conference,
Canada has grown in our technical
understanding of both hazard and risk.
Much of this is due to the applica-
tion of technologies and computing
power only recently available, while
the remainder is due to the relentless
pursuit of a mechanistic understand-
ing of hazard and the iterative growth
of that knowledge. Based largely on
Geohazards 7 as a barometer, the
state of the art in Canada has grown
substantially. We have better runout
models for rock fall, sensitive clay
landslides, debris and rock avalanches
and snow avalanches. We have better
and more accurate tools overall. Our
ability to detect and predict landslides
and ground movement in general is
increasing rapidly with the widespread
use of new technologies. Snow ava-
lanche control is getting more refined,
and risk analysis, despite several
decades of use, appears to be under-
going a step change in quality and
accuracy. As we continue to develop
and grow as a nation, solutions to geo-
hazards problems will be increasingly
important. And we’re in good hands.
Closing notes
Thank you for your letters! If you
have a paper or project related to
Geohazards that you think would be
interesting to GN readers, please send
me note at
Until the spring,
Rick
Richard Guthrie
Director Geohazards and
Geomorphology
Stantec, 325 25th St. SE,
Calgary, AB, Canada
Figure 4. A sketch of a downward translational landslide (sketch by
R. Guthrie, based on notes and presentation by F. Tremblay-Auger.)
