2014 GSA Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia (19–22 October 2014)

Paper No. 294-6
Presentation Time: 10:15 AM

GEOLOGIC, GEOTECHNICAL, AND GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION OF A SHALLOW LANDSLIDE, EASTERN KENTUCKY


CRAWFORD, Matthew M., ZHU, Junfeng and WEBB, Steven, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, 228 Mining and Mineral Resources Building, Lexington, KY 40506

Shallow colluvial landslides are common in eastern Kentucky, causing damage to roadways, infrastructure, and residences, with mitigation costs exceeding $10 million per year. A geological, geotechnical, and geophysical investigation was carried out for a shallow colluvial landslide in Boyd County, Kentucky, located in the east-central part of the larger Appalachian Plateau. The purpose of this project was to assess the geologic conditions, extent, and behavior of a rainfall-triggered landslide in eastern Kentucky and evaluate the use of electrical resistivity as a tool to characterize a shallow colluvial landslide. This study showed (1) colluvial landslide movement is correlated to rainfall; and (2) inverted resistivity sections with distinct resistivity contrasts correlated to landslide stratigraphy, depth of the failure surface, and groundwater regimes.