Disasters triggered by landslides cause thousands of life losses and substantial devastation to local economy and infra-structure every year across the world. However, the causative factors and mechanisms underlying landslide initiation and dynamics are still poorly understood. Landslide susceptibility depends on a broad range of factors, such as soil physics and geochemistry, geological setting, climate and atmospheric dynamics, biogenic feedbacks, and anthropogenic influences, which have profound feedbacks with each other over a wide span of time- and length-scales. Moreover, landslide risk assessment further hinges on an accurate description of local vulnerability, i.e., the potential degree of damage caused by a landslide of certain type and magnitude under consideration of local socio-environmental aspects. Therefore, an interdisciplinary effort that combines physical, engineering and computer sciences with geological, geographical, and social sciences is required to advance our quantitative understanding of landslide processes.
This Research Topic of Frontiers in Physics is, thus, dedicated to improving our quantitative understanding of landslide processes and dynamics. We welcome submissions of outstanding, original research papers or review articles which will help to advance the current frontiers in the physics of landslides, whether from theoretical modelling, by means of laboratory or numerical experiments, based on field and remote sensing observations, or from the point of view of social and computational sciences, including application of artificial intelligence to model landslides susceptibility, vulnerability and risk.
Furthermore, to gain a better understanding of geomorphic processes on Earth, it is often helpful to investigate the geomorphodynamics of extra-terrestrial environments, such as the surface of Moon or Mars. The present Research Topic will thus further address the physics of landslides in these planetary environments, while putting emphasis on how this physics helps to better describe landslide processes on our own planet.
This Research Topic shall therefore provide a platform for the dialogue between the various disciplines on the physics of landslides, their causes and dynamics, and their socio-environmental feedbacks. This dialogue is important to both enhance our capabilities of landslide forecasting and management, and to produce novel insights for improved strategies of disaster prevention.
Below we provide a non-exhaustive list of the subjects that fit the scope of this Research Topic:
- physics of landslide initiation and/or dynamics, from debris flows, rockfalls and ice or snow avalanches to submarine landslides
- downscaled laboratory or numerical experiments on any type of physical system relevant for landslide physics
- hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment modelling from field or remote sensing observation
- engineering geology of landslides, including ancient landslides
- characteristics of recent landslides triggered by heavy rains and floods
- climate and land use change effects on future landslide occurrence and impact
- landslide management and disaster prevention modelling
- physics of landslides in extra-terrestrial environments
We particularly encourage submissions of manuscripts addressing processes at multiple time- and length-scales, as well as original research that will promote a strong inter-disciplinary discussion on landslide processes, including the physical, engineering, geological, geographical and social sciences.
We are looking forward to receiving your submission.
Disasters triggered by landslides cause thousands of life losses and substantial devastation to local economy and infra-structure every year across the world. However, the causative factors and mechanisms underlying landslide initiation and dynamics are still poorly understood. Landslide susceptibility depends on a broad range of factors, such as soil physics and geochemistry, geological setting, climate and atmospheric dynamics, biogenic feedbacks, and anthropogenic influences, which have profound feedbacks with each other over a wide span of time- and length-scales. Moreover, landslide risk assessment further hinges on an accurate description of local vulnerability, i.e., the potential degree of damage caused by a landslide of certain type and magnitude under consideration of local socio-environmental aspects. Therefore, an interdisciplinary effort that combines physical, engineering and computer sciences with geological, geographical, and social sciences is required to advance our quantitative understanding of landslide processes.
This Research Topic of Frontiers in Physics is, thus, dedicated to improving our quantitative understanding of landslide processes and dynamics. We welcome submissions of outstanding, original research papers or review articles which will help to advance the current frontiers in the physics of landslides, whether from theoretical modelling, by means of laboratory or numerical experiments, based on field and remote sensing observations, or from the point of view of social and computational sciences, including application of artificial intelligence to model landslides susceptibility, vulnerability and risk.
Furthermore, to gain a better understanding of geomorphic processes on Earth, it is often helpful to investigate the geomorphodynamics of extra-terrestrial environments, such as the surface of Moon or Mars. The present Research Topic will thus further address the physics of landslides in these planetary environments, while putting emphasis on how this physics helps to better describe landslide processes on our own planet.
This Research Topic shall therefore provide a platform for the dialogue between the various disciplines on the physics of landslides, their causes and dynamics, and their socio-environmental feedbacks. This dialogue is important to both enhance our capabilities of landslide forecasting and management, and to produce novel insights for improved strategies of disaster prevention.
Below we provide a non-exhaustive list of the subjects that fit the scope of this Research Topic:
- physics of landslide initiation and/or dynamics, from debris flows, rockfalls and ice or snow avalanches to submarine landslides
- downscaled laboratory or numerical experiments on any type of physical system relevant for landslide physics
- hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment modelling from field or remote sensing observation
- engineering geology of landslides, including ancient landslides
- characteristics of recent landslides triggered by heavy rains and floods
- climate and land use change effects on future landslide occurrence and impact
- landslide management and disaster prevention modelling
- physics of landslides in extra-terrestrial environments
We particularly encourage submissions of manuscripts addressing processes at multiple time- and length-scales, as well as original research that will promote a strong inter-disciplinary discussion on landslide processes, including the physical, engineering, geological, geographical and social sciences.
We are looking forward to receiving your submission.
