PhD Studentship How Resilient are Complex Cliffs to Large Landslides in a Changed and Changing Climate

Many coastlines host large landslide complexes that are marginally stable and could reactivate in response to climate change. Despite advances in remote earth surface monitoring, the complex relationship between landslides movement (strain) and rainfall remains challenging to monitor and forecast. This is because landslide strain is controlled by the geotechnical properties of the materials deforming in the basal shear zone but both material behaviour and landslide-scale strain responses remain poorly constrained. We aim to develop new models to explore how the reactivation of deep-seated coastal landslides is controlled by the behaviour of their basal shear surfaces and better assess the potential hazard they may pose in the future.

Up to 80 landslide complexes have been identified along the English coastline. These complex cliff systems composed of a series of landslide units which move at different rates and depths through a range of mechanisms, but few have been studied in detail (Figure 1). Given that coastal erosion rates are increasing along most of the UK coastline in response to climate and sea level change, there is a pressing need to understanding how these landslides may reactivate if appropriate risk assessments and cliff management strategies are to be implemented.

We will select three sites and use advanced geotechnical testing approaches to measure the strength of the materials operating each setting and simulate their potential future failure scenarios. This novel dataset will be combined with field and remote earth surface monitoring data to develop new models to evaluate how these complex cliff systems could evolve in response to future climate change. The study will be the first to consider how different landslide failure mechanisms may develop within complex landslide systems and how this new knowledge can be used to evaluate the potential hazard they may pose in a changed and changing climate.

For further information on this project and details of how to apply to it, please click on the 'Apply' button above.

Further information on how to apply for a CENTA studentship can be found on the CENTA website: https://centa.ac.uk/apply/

Funding notes:

This project is offered through the CENTA3 DLA, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Funding covers: annual stipend, tuition fees (at home-fee level), Research Training Support Grant.

Academic requirements: at least a 2:1 at UK BSc level or a pass at UK MSc level or equivalent.

International students are eligible for studentships to a maximum of 30% of the cohort. Funding does not cover any additional costs relating to moving or residing in the UK. International applicants must fulfil the University of Birmingham’s international student entry requirements, including English language.  Further information: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgt/requirements-pgt/international/index.aspx.

References:
Journal:

Brunsden, D., Gardner, R., Goudie, A. and Jones, D. (1988) Land Shapes, Channel 4.

Carey, J. M. et al (2019) Displacement mechanisms of slow-moving landslides in response to changes in porewater pressure and dynamic stress. Earth Surface Dynamics 7, pp. 707- 722 .

Carey, J.M., Moore, R. & Petley, D.N. (2015) Patterns of movement in the Ventnor landslide complex, Isle of Wight, southern England, Landslides, 12,1107–1118

Carey, J. M., Petley D. N. (2014) Progressive shear-surface development in cohesive materials; implications for landslide behaviour, Engineering Geology, 177, 54-65.

Dini, B. et al (2019) Classification of slope processes based on mulitemporal DInSAR analyses in the Himalaya of NW Bhutan, Remote Sensing of Environment 233, 11408. doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.111408.

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