Hydrological and Geoelectrical monitoring of Landslides in the tropical Andes: Case Study Medellín - Colombia
Abstract
With the aim of understanding the dynamics of landslides in the tropical Andes of Colombia, we started a long-term project of monitoring different variables that might play a significant role in triggering mass movements. We selected an area of high slopes and active geomorphic processes in the city of Medellín - Colombia. Landslides in this area are mostly triggered by rain, and their frequency is known to be highly correlated with the bimodal distribution of rainfall that characterizes the region. After a stage of geologic and geomorphic mapping, we selected an area of active landslide processes of nearly 6 square kilometers, which is clearly affecting the nearby roads. We installed some basic equipment to measure several hydrologic variables in the soil, such as porosity, moisture, infiltration and percolation, obtaining clearly differentiated estimations for the dry and wet seasons. We also conducted several electrical resistivity tests, which included vertical soundings at specific locations along the slope, electromagnetic induction measurements to constrain lateral heterogeneity at those locations, and a resistivity tomography along the direction of maximum slope. Preliminary results suggest the presence of a layer of a debris flow about 4 m thick on top of a more consolidated material. The water table seems to fluctuate within the debris flow. The average infiltration and percolation decrease during the wet season by nearly 20% and 61% respectively. According to the measurements taken up to date, we speculate that the landslide dynamics is linked to subsurface flow in the first meters / tens of centimeters of the soil, favored by the high porosity, the presence of a fluctuating water table between 1.5 and 3 m deep, and the large contrast in electrical resistivity at a depth of 4 m.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFMNH43C1880L
- Keywords:
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- 4326 Exposure;
- NATURAL HAZARDSDE: 4328 Risk;
- NATURAL HAZARDSDE: 4330 Vulnerability;
- NATURAL HAZARDSDE: 4337 Remote sensing and disasters;
- NATURAL HAZARDS