This title explores the advances engineers have made to better prepare for avalanches and landslides and to minimize their damage. Clear text, compelling images, and helpful sidebars and infographics make this book an accessible and engaging read.

"Describes the causes of avalanches and landslides and steps engineers take to prevent or control them. Includes a "How it Works" special feature"--

With climate change and deforestation, debris flows and debris avalanches have become the most significant landslide hazards in many countries. In recent years there have been numerous debris flow avalanches in Southern Europe, South America and the Indian Subcontinent, resulting in major catastrophes and large loss of life. This is therefore a major high-profile problem for the world's governments and for the engineers and scientists concerned. Matthias Jakob and Oldrich Hungr are ideally suited to edit this book. Matthias Jakob has worked on debris flow for over a decade and has had numerous papers published on the topic, as well as working as a consultant on debris flow for municipal and provincial governments. Oldrich Hungr has worked on site investigations on debris flow, avalanches and rockfall, with emphasis on slope stability analysis and evaluation of risks to roads in built-up areas. He has also developed mathematical models for landslide dynamic analysis. They have invited world-renowned experts to joint them in this book.

"We cannot always prevent landslides and avalanches, but we can learn how to minimize their impact on humans. This informative book examines what scientists know about the sudden movement of earth or snow, whether we can predict these slides, and how we learn from each event. By studying the harm they cause, scientists and engineers continue to come up with new and improved technologies to predict landslides and avalanches and make cities, buildings, and people safer. Case studies and brief bios of key scientists and organizations highlight the information"--

Amongst the thematic topics discussed are global frequency, impacts on society, analysis of initial rock slope failure, monitoring of rock slope movement, analysis and modeling of post-failure behaviour, volcanic landslides, and influences of massive rock slope failure on the geomorphological evolution of mountain regions. Regional contributions include reports on rockslides and rock avalanches in Norway, western Canada, the Andes of Argentina, the Karakoram Himalaya, the European Alps, the Appennines, and the mountains of Central Asia. Rockslides and rock avalanches in the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union are discussed in detail for the first time in an English-language book. These landslides include the 1911 Usoi rockslide, that dammed 75 km-long Lake Sarez, and the 1949 Khait rock avalanche that may have killed up to 28,000 people. Both landslides were earthquake-triggered and both are located in Tajikistan. An additional highlight is a detailed description and analysis of large-scale artificial rock avalanches triggered by underground nuclear explosions during the testing programme of the former Soviet Union.

Developments in Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 14B: Rockslides and Avalanches, 2: Engineering Sites focuses on initiatives to offer a foundation for studies of mass movement phenomena in the Western Hemisphere. The selection first takes a look at the contributions of Josef Stini to engineering, geology, and slope movement investigations, the concept of Karl Terzhagi on rockslides, and the contributions of Laurits Bjerrum to the mechanics of rockslides. Concerns cover stability of hard rock slopes, influence of geological details, relation between slide process and remedial treatment, water pressure in pores and fractures, slope creep, rockslides, and avalanches, and early warning of an impending slide. The publication then examines rock slope movements with hydroelectric power projects in Mexico, Bighorn Reservoir slides in Montana, U.S.A., rock avalanche and wave at Chungar, Peru, and wedge rockslides in Libby Dam and Lake Koocanusa in Montana. The text examines Hogarth Pit slope failure in Ontario, Canada, pit slope performance in shale in Wyoming U.S.A., Twin Buttes pit slope failure in Arizona, U.S.A., and the Prime Mine slope failure in Arizona, U.S.A. Discussions focus on stability analyses, description of slope failures, cause of failure, remedial actions, geotechnical properties of tertiary shales, and subsequent slope performance. The selection is a valuable source of data for researchers interested in rockslides and avalanches.

Debris flows and debris avalanches are among the most dangerous and destructive natural hazards that affect humans. They claim hundreds of lives and millions of dollars in property loss every year. These 17 papers pull together recent research into new methods for mitigating the loss of life and property.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly being recognized as the basis of a wide variety of human diseases. Providing an authoritative update on our current knowledge of mitochondrial medicine, this text draws together world authorities from various fields to present general therapeutic strategies, as well as the treatments presently available in different specialties - thus making it essential reading for clinicians involved with the management of patients with mitochondrial diseases. A unique work, this text covers a range of specialties, including cardiology, ophthalmology, otology, nephrology, gastroenterology, hematology-oncology, and reproductive medicine, and does not focus exclusively on the more commonly known neurologic conditions. An accessible, user-friendly text, it also presents translational concepts of mitochondrial biogenesis and genetics in vignettes related to specific questions raised by the disease under discussion, rather than concentrating on basic science, which can often intimidate clinicians. This pioneering work is primarily directed to a clinical audience who are interested in the diverse and diagnostically challenging clinical presentations of mitochondrial diseases and their pathophysiology.

This volume documents advances in our knowledge of catastrophic landslides, providing a worldwide survey of catastrophic landslide events. It draws on South America to illustrate dramatically the impact of these phenomena on human populations. The occurrence of catastrophic landslides, including site-specific insights, is shown through six events of the past 20 years. Several other chapters focus on the mechanisms involved with catastrophic landsides both in relation to geologic factors in a particular geographic area as well as to specific geologic processes.

Avalanches, mudflows and landslides are common and natural phenomena that occur in mountainous regions. With an emphasis on snow avalanches, this book provides a survey and discussion about the motion of avalanche-like flows from initiation to run out. An important aspect of this book is the formulation and investigation of a simple but appropriate continuum mechanical model for the realistic prediction of geophysical flows of granular material.