Ancas Boe, Remmie and Ram, Arishma R. and Brook, Martin S. (2024) A comparative study of landslides on Maewo Island, Vanuatu and south-east Viti Levu Island, Fiji. UNSPECIFIED. (Submitted)
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
Landslides, unlike some other geological hazards, occur globally and are triggered either by natural processes or human activities. While landslides are an important agent for long-term landscape evolution, landslides can have devastating impacts on humans and their surroundings over shorter timescales. Both Fiji and Vanuatu are volcanic islands of the Pacific Rim but have varying hazard levels from earthquakes and volcanoes. However, both these regions are highly vulnerable to landslides due to their rugged topography, tropical climates, high amounts rainfall and highly weathered volcanic materials. The southwest Pacific region experiences numerous landslides annually, often rainfall-triggered, and these are somewhat predictable and understood. In Vanuatu, while damaging, landslides are understudied, highlighting the need for focused research to underpin effective landslide mitigation strategies. This study will compare, and contrast landslide properties in Maewo Island, Vanuatu, and the southeastern region of Viti Levu, Fiji, specifically along the Queen’s Highway. Field studies of selected slope failures will be conducted at study sites to identify slope failure types and their characteristics. This will be coupled with the sampling of soils from slope failure scarps to be analyzed in the laboratory to determine possible failure mechanisms, using Atterberg limits, particle-size distributions, and XRD. In Vanuatu, population growth and land development has led to the mass removal of forest vegetation and the undercutting of slopes for infrastructure, increasing the risk of slope failures. The lack of expertise in landslide management in Vanuatu (as well as parts of Fiji) underscores the importance of deepening our understanding of landslides and reducing their impacts in the region.
| Item Type: | Other |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | Q Science > QE Geology |
| Divisions: | School of Agriculture, Geography, Environment, Ocean and Natural Sciences (SAGEONS) |
| Depositing User: | Arishma Ram |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Apr 2025 22:11 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Apr 2025 22:11 |
| URI: | https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/14913 |
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