Terrawatch: storms can cause landslides days later, scientists find
by Kate Ravilious from Science | The Guardian on (#664H0)
Changes in atmospheric pressure can set soils in motion hours or even days after heavy rain
Can a change in the weather trigger a landslide? Sometimes, yes, according to research.
Most landslides are set in motion by an earthquake or torrential rain, but some have no obvious trigger. In 2009, scientists were stunned to discover that the stop-start Slumgullion landslide in the Rocky Mountains - which has been inching down the hillside for 700 years - is triggered by changes in atmospheric pressure.
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