The USGS and its cooperators have installed instruments in a steep hillside about 38.5 km south of Asheville, NC in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest.
Recent Conditions
Instruments are used to monitor and detect changes in local conditions, including:
- Rainfall
- Ground Water Pressure (Tensionmeters)
- Soil Water Content
- Soil Temperature
- Battery Voltage
Data are updated every 30 minutes and displayed on graphs.
Project Background
Landslides in western North Carolina impact people and the environment and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong storms. For example, in September 2004 heavy rainfall from two hurricanes, Frances and Ivan, induced thousands of landslides over a large part of western North Carolina.
The USGS and its cooperators have installed instruments in a steep hillside about 38.5 km south of Asheville, NC in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Data collection at this site supports research on hydrologic factors that control landslide initiation. In many landslide-prone hillsides, infiltration of water from rainfall or snowmelt increases ground-water pressures. These elevated pressures can, in turn, induce landslide movement.
- Overview
The USGS and its cooperators have installed instruments in a steep hillside about 38.5 km south of Asheville, NC in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest.
Recent Conditions
Instruments are used to monitor and detect changes in local conditions, including:
- Rainfall
- Ground Water Pressure (Tensionmeters)
- Soil Water Content
- Soil Temperature
- Battery Voltage
Data are updated every 30 minutes and displayed on graphs.
Project Background
Landslides in western North Carolina impact people and the environment and are commonly induced by intense or prolonged rainfall associated with strong storms. For example, in September 2004 heavy rainfall from two hurricanes, Frances and Ivan, induced thousands of landslides over a large part of western North Carolina.
The USGS and its cooperators have installed instruments in a steep hillside about 38.5 km south of Asheville, NC in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest. Data collection at this site supports research on hydrologic factors that control landslide initiation. In many landslide-prone hillsides, infiltration of water from rainfall or snowmelt increases ground-water pressures. These elevated pressures can, in turn, induce landslide movement.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Front view of monitoring station enclosure and solar panel. (Credit: York Lewis. Public domain.)
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Side view of monitoring station enclosure, solar panel, and rain gage installation. (Credit: York Lewis. Public domain.)