UC Berkeley

Recent advances in geodetic technologies allow for analysis of spatial and temporal deformation of landslides that was previously not possible. Technologies such as continuous GPS and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) need to be incorporated in the current state of practice for landslide characterization. This landslide risk assessment project aims to characterize slope movement at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and in the Berkeley Hills as a result of static and dynamic forces, first using a comprehensive network of continuously streaming GPS stations that measure active ground surface displacement with sub-centimeter precision and accuracy. The intent is to combine the GPS observations with InSAR time series analyses to help develop a method for the determination and evaluation of landslide hazards remotely. Since the implementation of our GPS observation program in January 2012, landslide related surface displacements have been recorded as an effect of precipitation. © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.