Geophysical-geotechnical sensor networks for landslide monitoring

In this study we describe the development of an integrated geophysical/geotechnical sensor network for monitoring an active inland landslide near Malton, North Yorkshire, UK. The network is based around an automated time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography (ALERT) monitoring system, which has been expanded to incorporate geotechnical sensor arrays. The system can be interrogated remotely using wireless telemetry to enable the near-real-time measurement of geoelectric, geotechnical and hydrologic properties. The overarching objective of the research is to develop a 4D landslide monitoring system that can characterise the subsurface structure of the landslide, detect changes in the slope, and reveal the hydraulic precursors to movement. Results to-date have shown that ALERT can characterise 3D landslide features, and detect changes associated seasonal temperature and subsurface moisture content changes, and crucially, the displacement of geophysical sensor arrays that allows the motion of the landslide to be monitored in near-real-time.