A new, 5G landslide monitoring system will be installed in the Jurassic Coast, UK.
The Jurassic Coast is located in southern England and comprises a World Heritage Site due to its unique geologic history. Stretching from East Devon to Dorset, it comprises geological formations (sedimentary) from different eras.
Landslides and cliff collapses are frequent in the Jurassic Coast due to the accelerated erosion and weathering processes that take place. Strong winds, wave action and precipitation reduce the mechanical properties of the soil and rock formations or result in cracks' propagation leading to instabilities. In 2020, a massive rockfall struck in a coastal area near the village of Burton Bradstock following a series of rainfalls. Earlier this year, a cliff collapsed near Weymouth, a town located in Dorset County. The ground failure was possibly a rotational slump that occurred in sandstone mass and sent 4.000 tons of debris into the sea. Fortunately, there were no casualties associated with the failure.
The monitoring endeavor is enabled via the collaboration of the British Geological Survey (BGS) and 5G RuralDorset, a project that aims at using 5G in favor of people's safety in rural areas. The increased landslide potential in the Jurassic coast is a threat both for local people and the millions of tourists that visit the region annually. Unfortunately, due to the extent of the vulnerable areas, traditional monitoring would be time-consuming and would require very large funds. The developers believe that the 5G system will make data transmission and assessment more efficient and cost-effective in comparison to the current monitoring techniques. Matt Warman, UK's Minister for Digital Infrastructure, stated: "5G is about more than just having a faster mobile phone and this project in Dorset is one of the innovative trials the government is funding to find new ways it can improve people’s lives. I look forward to seeing how it can boost public safety in our coastal communities and position the UK as a true world leader in 5G."
The new system will feature 5G tools coupled with geological knowledge from the Dorset Council and the BGS. In particular, Internet of Things (IoT) equipment will be used to document ground displacements, temperature changes, precipitation rates, and water content. The data will be collected via specified sensors and processed by analytic tools and machine learning techniques. The Vodafone’s 5G/NB-IoT network will be employed to transmit the data and the developed algorithms will assess the stability of the slopes in Jurassic Coast.
According to Catherine Pennington, an engineering geologist and landslide specialist at the British Geological Survey, the establishment of new landslide monitoring systems is crucial. The sea-level rise in combination with the extreme weather phenomena caused by climate change will further accelerate the erosion processes that take place in the Jurassic Coast. Thus, the region will probably experience even more landslide incidents. Moreover, the collection of data will shed the light on the landslide mechanisms and patterns and will aid in further understanding what drives the ground instabilities.
The system will be initially tested in two sites, Burton Bradstock and Lyme Regis, both vulnerable to ground failures.
A video of the Jurassic Coast captured by drone can be found below.
Sources: Ε&Τ, Dorsetecho
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