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Slope failures in the Ochil Hills, Scotland, November 1984
Author(s) -
Jenkins A.,
Ashworth P. J.,
Ferguson R. I.,
Grieve I. C.,
Rowling P.,
Stott T. A.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3290130109
Subject(s) - slope failure , geology , bedrock , debris flow , storm , debris , hydrology (agriculture) , geomorphology , sediment , slope stability , geotechnical engineering , saturation (graph theory) , oceanography , mathematics , combinatorics
Intense rainfall in November 1984 caused several slope failures on the steep slopes of the Ochil Hills. Each failure was of soil and till, no more than 2 m thick over bedrock, in a steep bowl. From 30–350 m 3 of sediment was removed. Failure seems to have been by shallow sliding triggered by saturation, but each slide became a debris flow, the largest one (Menstrie) filling a house with mud which was at twice the liquid limit two days after the event. The storm which caused the failures had an estimated recurrence interval of 50 years but the frequency of heavy rain is increasing and similar failures occurred nearby the following year.