Landslides

LANDSLIDES are one of the most common geological hazards in BC and have been recorded in all mountainous regions of the province. They occur when gravity pulls a mass of earth, rocks or other debris down a slope. Depending on the materials involved and the manner in which these materials move during a slide, geologists classify different kinds of landslides as rockfalls, AVALANCHES, slumps; earthfalls, flows and topples; mudflows; and debris flows, torrents and slides. While most landslides affect wilderness or undeveloped areas, a number have occurred on inhabited sites and caused serious damage and casualties. At the BRITANNIA MINE in 1915, a rock avalanche killed 56 men; at Britannia Creek in 1921, 37 people died in a debris torrent. BC's most famous landslide occurred in 1965 near HOPE, where a rock slide killed 4 motorists and damaged a major highway (see HOPE SLIDE). Landslides are frequently caused by EARTHQUAKES and severe weather, but there are also human-generated causes and the risk to life and property increases as urban areas, recreational sites and resource extraction expand into landslide zones. See also DISASTERS.
by Guy Robertson