Slope Stability Monitoring and Evaluation

Dear Colleagues,

As a result of the ever-changing climate and frequent engineering activities, slope stability has become an increasingly prominent ecological environment issue that impacts societal development and human safety in recent years. Given the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events and earthquakes, catastrophic natural and engineering disasters (e.g., landslide, rock fall, debris flow) may occur, resulting in huge casualties, economic loss, and ecological damage. Hence, it is crucial to understand issues such as slope deformation processes, slope instability mechanisms, and the influence of climate change and spatial variability on slope stability. Methods that monitor and evaluate slope stability can be either qualitative or quantitative. Site investigation, GPS, InSAR, theoretical analysis, experimental modeling, numerical simulation, probability statistics, machine learning, and deep learning techniques are among many examples of such methods.

In general, slope monitoring and evaluation are effective in mitigating slope instability. Slope monitoring can provide information on slope deformation, subsurface slope processes, rainfall, groundwater levels, internal structure, and mechanical properties of slopes. Recent advancements in equipment, data analytics, and field survey techniques significantly enhance the use of slope monitoring to reduce the risk of slope instability. Slope evaluation plays an equally significant role in the control, management, and mitigation of slope instability. In this regard, various quantitative approaches have been developed to predict (i) “where” (e.g., spatial prediction), (ii) “when” (e.g., temporal prediction), and (iii) “how” (e.g., number, size, impact, and destructiveness prediction). While some approaches focus on understanding regional characteristics such as susceptibility, hazard, risk, and vulnerability, there are also approaches that focus on the local aspects of slope behavior (e.g., slope stability, runout prediction, and change-detection mapping).

This Special Issue aims to promote research on slope stability monitoring and evaluation. We welcome submissions from various disciplines, including but not limited to the following topics:

• Failure modes and mechanisms of slopes.
• Impact of climate on slope stability.
• Landslide monitoring and early warning systems.
• Probabilistic slope stability assessment.
• Influence of spatial variability on slopes.
• Landslide susceptibility, hazard, and risk evaluation.
• Prevention and control of geological disasters.

Dr. Shuihua Jiang
Dr. Zezhou Wang
Dr. Faming Huang
Prof. Dr. Jinsong Huang
Guest Editors

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