| Title: | Peat slides in Ireland - Causes and prescriptions |
|---|---|
| Date: | Friday 01 May 2009 |
| Time: | 12:30 |
| Venue: | Royal College of Physicians of Ireland |
| Organiser: | UCD Earth Systems Institute |
| Website: | http://www.ucd.ie/earth |
| Contact: | Sue Murphy |
| Audience: | All Welcome |
Peat slides in Ireland - Causes and prescriptions
Peat slope failures have occurred in Ireland as far back as the Early Bronze Age (4200 BP) with recent failures in the autumn of 2003 at Pollatomish, County Mayo and Derrybrien, County Galway focussing attention on such events. There are over 70 reported events of peat slope failures in Ireland, and more than likely a significant number of unreported events. The predicted changes in climate, particularly increases in extreme rainfall events will likely increase the occurrence of this geo-hazard.
This lecture by Dr Mike Long from the UCD School of Architecture, Landscape & Civil Engineering will explore the occurrence of peat failures in Ireland and the causal factors involved. Current practice for assessing the stability of peat slopes is discussed and particular attention is paid to the assessment of peat strength. Recent developments to improve the determination of peat strength for stability assessments will also be outlined.
