Peter T. Bobrowsky

Independent Consultant

The paper outlines landslide mapping and change-detection monitoring protocols based on the successes of ICL-IPL Project 202 in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. In this region, ice sheets, glaciers, permafrost, rivers and oceans, high relief, and biogeoclimatic characteristics contribute to produce distinctive landslide assemblages. Bedrock a...

The International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) was proposed and established in January 2002, based on the Japan–China international joint research activities (1991–1999) in a part of IDNDR (International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction) and the UNESCO-IUGS Joint programme IGCP-425: Landslide Hazard Assessment and Cultural Heritage (1998–200...

Coastal deposits at Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni in Vancouver Island along the Cascadia subduction zone were re-examined to improve the earthquake history of the southwest coast of Canada. We found sand sheets interbedded within peat and mud, suggesting deposition by strong flows in a low-energy environment. Based on limiting maximum and mini...

To understand distributions of coastal diatoms along Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, this paper describes diatom assemblages observed in 47 surface sediment samples from intertidal environments. One hundred and eighty‐four diatom taxa were identified from five transects crossing tidal flats, salt marshes, and freshwater forests in Tofin...

This is the second volume focused on geoethics published by the Geological Society of London. This is a significant step forward in which authors address the maturation of geoethics. The field of geoethics is now ready to be introduced outside the geoscience community as a logical platform for global ethics that addresses anthropogenic changes. Geo...

This is the second volume focused on geoethics published as a Special Publication of the Geological Society of London, a significant step forward in which authors address the maturation of geoethics, a maturity that has strengthened its theoretical foundations in recent years and reached more insight in its reflections. The field of geoethics is no...

A study of factors impacting landslide displacement rates was conducted on the Ripley Landslide within the Thompson River valley in British Columbia, Canada for the International Programme on Landslides’ project #202. Seasonal and multiyear changes in atmospheric factors cause cyclic fluctuation of matric suction in the vadose zone through changes...

The Sendai Landslide Partnerships 2015–2025 was proposed and adopted as a voluntary commitment to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Partnerships was signed by 22 global stakeholders committing to contribute to landslide disaster risk reduction. Under the Partnerships, ICL published a full color open access book “ISDR-ICL Sendai...

The International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) was founded at the UNESCO-Kyoto University joint Symposium in January 2002. The ICL also decided to create the International Programme on Landslide (IPL) and a new international journal Landslides in the foundation meeting in 2002. The ICL was registered as a legal body under Japanese law in 2002 as...

Here we describe the development of a novel characterization and monitoring technology for unstable natural and engineered slopes. The system is based on time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), which is a geophysical technique used to non-invasively image subsurface resistivity to depths of tens of meters. Resistivity is a useful proper...

Resilient railway transportation networks require sustainable, cost-effective management of service operations to meet future socio-economic needs and ensure the protection of the natural environment. Where transportation corridors traverse unstable terrain, critical rail infrastructure is at risk of damage and presents potential local and national...

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the following parts: • Impact of Large Ground Deformations near Seismic Faults on Critically Impo...

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings: • One theme lecture and one keynote lecture • Monitoring and remote sensing for l...

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings: • Four Forum lectures and one award paper • Sendai Landslide Partnerships, Kyoto L...

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings: Part I with topics is mainly about landslides and earthquakes; landslide dams and...

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings: • Five keynote lectures • Recent development in physical modeling of landslides •...

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings: • Keynotes • Landslide detection, recognition and mapping • Landslide susceptibili...

This paper presents a novel approach to continuously monitor very slow-moving translational landslides in mountainous terrain using conventional and experimental differential global navigation satellite system (d-GNSS) technologies. A key research question addressed is whether displacement trends captured by a radio-frequency “mobile” d-GNSS networ...

Landslides along a 10 km reach of Thompson River south of Ashcroft, British Columbia, have repeatedly damaged vital railway infrastructure, while also placing public safety, the environment, natural resources, and cultural heritage features at risk. Government agencies, universities, and the railway industry are focusing research efforts on a repre...

To fully understand tsunami hazards along Canada’s Pacific coast we must consider all potential sources including local and region-wide earthquakes, volcanic activity, slope failure events and bolide impacts. Furthermore, as climate changes, future extreme meteorological conditions will exacerbate slope failures on steep and over-steepened slopes,...

The WLF5 organizing committee called for a preliminary registration of speakers for the WLF5. A total of 609 speakers from 63 countries/regions have completed the preliminary registration form on the WLF5 web, http://wlf5.iplhq.org/speaker-registration/ as of 1 January 2020.

In this paper, we examine the influence of the 27 October 2012, Mw 7.8 earthquake on landslide occurrence in the southern half of Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands), British Columbia, Canada. Our 1350 km² study area is undisturbed, primarily forested terrain that has not experienced road building or timber harvesting. Our inventory of l...

Landslides in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin are widespread, primarily along valley slopes, yet rarely make the news and their impact to the Canadian economy is underappreciated. In preparing this paper, Canadian landslide practitioners from industry and government came together to estimate order-of-magnitude financial costs of prairie land...

Resilient railway transportation networks require sustainable, cost-effective management of service operations to meet future socioeconomic needs and ensure protection of the natural environment. Where transportation corridors traverse unstable terrain, critical rail infrastructure is a risk of damage and presents potential local and national econo...

A 6.3 m tsunami swept through Kitimat Arm, British Columbia in 1974. An even larger wave struck and damaged the Northlands Navigation dock at Kitimat and the Haisla First Nation docks at Kitamaat Village the following year. Further down the fjord, two large coastal block failures were observed on the fjord walls across from the Gitga'at village of...

Landslides in the Thompson River valley, British Columbia have the potential to adversely impact vital national railway infrastructure and operations, the natural environment, cultural heritage features, communities, public safety and the economy. To better manage geohazard risks in the primary national transportation corridor, government agencies,...

Landslides in the Thompson River valley, British Columbia, Canada, have historically impacted vital transportation infrastructure, the environment and natural resources, cultural heritage features, communities, public safety, and the economy. To better understand and manage geohazard risks in Canada’s primary national railway corridor, government a...

ERT IMAGING OF SUBSURFACE STRUCTURE OF A SINKHOLE IN GREENE COUNTY, MISSOURI Shishay Kidanu, Missouri S&T; Evgeniy Torgashov, Missouri S&T; Neil Anderson, Missouri S&T Thousands of sinkholes have been identified in the state of Missouri; Greene County, in particular, is one of the counties in the state most known for the occurrence of sinkholes....

We present our research on the Prato Casarile landslide dam in Genoa city to illustrate the interactions between slope instability processes and structural stabilization interventions aimed to reduce the hazard in a densely-populated area. Analysis of the degradation of structural interventions constructed after flood events in 1953, 1970 and 2014...

Loss of matric suction in the head scarp has the potential to trigger increased movement in metastable landslides. Measurements taken from in-place dielectric permittivity sensors installed in the head scarp and within the slide mass are analyzed based on temporal trends combined with weather station and displacement monitoring data. Fluctuations i...

Series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series  Equips professionals with a formal understanding of engineering geology topics  Clarifies the similarities or differences in fundamental concepts and principles in the discipline  Explains the relevance and application of primary tools and practices in engineering geology  Directs professionals and...

Recurrent storms, floods, landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis challenge the development of resilient infrastructure and communities in coastal northwestern British Columbia. Vulnerability assessment first requires extended and improved understanding of geohazards in the Pacific Basin to constrain modelling of future events. An investigation of soi...

The geosciences need practitioners who possess an ethical conscience and the desire to act responsibly. Ethically responsible geoscientists will achieve suc-cess and satisfaction by carrying out excellent research and professional activ-ities, and by maintaining honest and open collaborations with colleagues. Such individuals will be able to contri...

Regardless of the exact definition used or the type of landslide under discussion, understanding the basic mechanics and processes of a typical landslide is critical. With an increasing awareness and mandate to fully understand new building site characteristics, improve existing critical infrastructure and appreciating the importance of an area’s l...

The geosciences need practitioners who possess an ethical conscience and the desire to act responsibly. Ethically responsible geoscientists will achieve success and satisfaction by carrying out excellent research and professional activities, and by maintaining honest and open collaborations with colleagues. Such individuals will be able to contribu...

Recently the interest by geoscientists in (geo)ethical aspects of geoscience knowledge, education, research, practice and communication has grown considerably. Today the topic of geoethics has gained a significant visibility within the scientific community. The IAPG – International Association for Promoting Geoethics (http://www.geoethics.org), fou...

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 cu...

A vital section of Canada’s national railway transportation corridor traverses a 7 km-long section of unstable terrain in the Thompson River valley, British Columbia. Landslides in this region have adversely impacted vital national railway infrastructure and operations, the environment, cultural heritage features, communities, public safety and eco...

In this paper we present the first results from Coherent Points Analyses and Differential Stacking of RADARSAT-2 InSAR persistent scatterer interferograms covering a portion of the Thompson River valley, south of Ashcroft in British Columbia Canada. Surface displacements amounting to less than 5 cm/year are detected on landslides that are crossed b...

Rupestrian settlements were among the first man-made works in the history of humanity. The most relevant masterpieces of such human history have been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These sites and their associated remains are not always in equilibrium with the environment. They are continuously impacted and weathered by a variety of in...

The interest of geoscientists in (geo)ethical aspects of geoscience knowledge, education, research and practice is rising and today geoethics has a significant visibility. This prominence is the result of hard work done in the last 4 years by the IAPG – International Association for Promoting Geoethics (http://www.geoethics.org), a not-for-profit,...

Landslide hazards in the Thompson River valley, British Columbia adversely impact vital national railway infrastructure and operations, the environment, cultural heritage features, communities, public safety and the economy. Field investigations and monitoring of the very slow-moving Ripley Landslide, 7 km south of Ashcroft, indicates movement acro...

An international multi-year project is investigating and monitoring the Ripley Landslide, 7 km south of Ashcroft, British Columbia to better understand and manage landslides along Canada's western railway corridor. From 2013 to 2016, the China Geological Survey (CGS) and Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) collaborated to test and evaluate experiment...

Landslide activity has been an ever-present concern in the Thompson River Valley near the town of Ashcroft, B.C. since the late 19 th century, when accounts of large slope failures were first documented. Many of these sites continue to experience ongoing slow movement or periodic reactivations. Due to their large size and slow movement rates, under...

The International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG: http://www.geoethics.org) was founded on August 2012 to unite global geoscientists to raise the awareness of the scientific community regarding the importance of the ethical, social and cultural implications of geoscience research, education, and practice. IAPG is an international, multid...