Climate change to have little effect? on common landslides

New study suggests the frequency of landslides in storm-affected areas will not increase as a result of climate change. The frequency of common landslides is not likely to increase as a result of more rainstorms brought about by future climate change, new research from Cardiff University has shown. Experts at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences have shown that while the frequency of rainstorms may increase by up to 10% according to climate change projections, this would produce a long-term increase in shallow landslide frequency of less than 0. Shallow landslides are the most common type of landslide and are often caused by heavy rainfall. They occur through the collapse of soil, resulting in fast moving debris flows of rock and mud that present a very dangerous hazard to anything in their path. The new findings, which have been published in the journal Scientific Reports, challenges current theories within the field which suggest that landslide activity could increase proportionally with increased rainfall. Instead, the research findings show that the triggering of landslides is much more dependent on the build-up of soil - otherwise known as colluvium - on steep hillslopes, as opposed to rainfall from storms.