Landslide processes in a flysch massif - case study of the Kawiory landslide, Beskid Niski Mts. (Carpathians, Poland)

Abstract

Geological setting and precipitation triggers seem to be obvious parameters controlling landslides, but their relation to individual sliding processes has not been clear. We take on interdisciplinary approach (combining Earth science methods with an engineering-geotechnical approach) to examine sliding processes in the Kawiory landslide in the Polish Carpathians. Field parameters were obtained from inclinometer monitoring, meteorological records, piezometer data and geomechanical tests. Numerical simulation of the landslide development was performed, both for the reconstruction of the internal deformation phenomena on the slope and for approximate prediction of its future behaviour. An empirical formula describing the relationship between the depth of groundwater level (GWL) and precipitation is presented. The case study showed that for the observed quasi-continuous creep, the depth and in particular the intensity of GWL fluctuations might be crucial.