Landslides have recently been referred to as ‘geohazards’ due to the devastating impact that they have on the built and natural environment. Numerous mass movement classifications have been developed internationally, but mass movement research in southern Africa has been relatively limited.
Landslides in southern Africa can be grouped into three broad categories namely, deep; large paleo-landslides; shallower, smaller slides which may form debris flows; and slow mass wasting processes, such as soil creep and solifluction. Landforms in all of these categories occur in the Drakensberg but little is known about the factors, which create instability or initiate slope failure.
This lecture will address some of these issues, present a classification of the mass movement types which occur in the southern Drakensberg and discuss statistical and spatial techniques for mapping and predicting mass movement development.
Devlyn Hardwick is based at the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies and teaches earth system science and Geographic Information Systems. She is currently completing her PhD. Devlyn was previously employed as a researcher at the CSIR.
Date: 1 June
Where: Origins Centre, Wits University
Time: 18:00 for 18:30
Cost: R35 adults; R25 Wits students and staff
RSVP:
ask@origins.org.za or 011 717 4700
Booking is essential.