Kokwea ya mabanga ya libongo, kopɔla ya mabanga ya ntalo, mpe kopɔla ya permafrost¶
Mituya ya mbalakaka ekeseni na mikili. This page uses 911, the number for the United States and Canada. Many other countries use 112, 999, or another number. Find the number for your country.
Mabanga ya libongo, mabanga ya mbu, mpe mabanga ya permafrost ya Arctique to ya nse ya Arctique emonani lokola ezali makasi mpe ya libela, nzokande ezali kati na mabele oyo ezali na nguya mingi mpe oyo ezali stable te na Mabelé. Na bokeseni na kopumbwa mokemoke na kati ya bangomba, kokweya ya mabanga ya libongo mpe kokita ya malili ya permafrost esalemaka mbala mingi lokola kokweya ya mbalakaka, ya likama ya bloc, kokita ya kobaluka, to kokita ya biloko ya mabe na mbangu mingi na likebisi oyo eyokamaka zéro liboso ya kozanga. Mbula na mbula, bato oyo bakendaka na libongo oyo batambolaka to bafandi na nse ya mabanga milai ya zelo to ya mabanga ya krɛyo bakundamaka na bomoi na bankóto ya tɔni métriques ya mabanga oyo ezali kokwea, nzokande bato oyo batambolaka na bangomba mpe bato oyo batalaka bisika oyo batɛlɛmi pene na bansɔngɛ oyo etɛlɛmi likoló bazindaka tii na nse ntango mabanga oyo bakati na nse bakataka na nse ya basapato na bango.
Na ba latitudes ya nord mpe na ba zones hautes alpines, températures ya mopepe mpe ya océan oyo ezali ko chauffer noki ezali kosala que thermokarste ebeba noki, konyangwa ya ba glaces, mpe kokita ya dégel na sima. Ntango permafrost oyo etondi na zɛlo esili kopɔla, mabele oyo kala ezalaki makasi lokola béton ebungisaka boyokani na yango ya structure mpe ekómaka mai mpe ekómaka pɔtɔpɔtɔ oyo ekoki kopekisa te, emɛlaka banzela, ebukaka miboko ya bandako, mpe ekweaka mabongo mobimba ya bibale mpe mabanga ya libongo mpe ekɔtaka na mbu na boumeli ya bangonga. Koyeba ba précurseurs visuels ya panne ya pente, kobatela ba tampons ya sécurité ya makasi likolo pe na se ya ba bluffs ya libongo, kosala mbala moko komibikisa soki ekangami na kokweya, pe ko évacuer ba immeubles oyo ebebisami yambo ya cisaillement structurelle esalema ezali mayele ya tina ya kobikisa bomoi.
Sala boye sikoyo¶
- Zwá nsima mbala moko longwa na nsɔngɛ nyonso ya mabanga, oyo ekangami likoló, to mabele oyo euti kopasuka. Kokende na kati ya mai ata na mɛtrɛ 5 to 10 mosika na nsɔngɛ, to na ntaka ya horizontal na nsima oyo ekokani na bosanda ya libanga oyo ezali semba soki bluff ezali na zelo oyo ekangami te, mabele ya lima, till glacial, to permafrost oyo ezali kozindisa.
- Kima epai ya mai to na ngambo pembeni ya libongo soki libanga moko ebandi kobukana likolo na yo na libongo. Kokima ata moke te semba na nse ya libanga; kende mbangu mbala moko epai ya molongo ya surf mpo na kobima libanda ya esika oyo mabanga ekweaka, kotalaka nsima na yo mpo na mabanga oyo ezali kopumbwapumbwa mpe ba tobogans secondaires.
- Batela motó mpe nzoto na yo na boule ya mwana oyo azali na libumu soki okangami na glissement active mpe okoki kokima te. Kita na mabolongo na yo, ezinga na boule ya seresere oyo etali mosika na esika oyo ezali kokweya, zingisá maboko na yo ya liboso na nkingo mpe na mokuwa ya motó, mpe salá poche ya kopema liboso ya elongi na yo na mabɔkɔ na yo soki sédiment oyo ekangami te ezipi yo.
- Kolongola mbala moko ndako nyonso ya libongo to ya permafrost soki baporte ekangami, mabele ebaluki, to mabulu ya fondation epanzani noki. Kopema te mpo na kokanga biloko soki oyoki makelele makasi ya kopumbwa, ya koganga, to ya kobukana na cadre ya mabaya, to soki omoni mabulu ya tension efungwami na lopango kati na ndako mpe nsɔngɛ ya bluff.
- Kanga ba gaz naturel minene, propane, mpe ba utilités électriques kaka soki ba soupapes ezali na esika ya malamu na kati ya mabele. Kotambola ata moke te na pont cantilever, patio oyo ebebi, to mabele oyo ezali kokita pene na crest ya pente mpo na kokanga compteur ya utilité; bansinga ya gaze oyo epasuka na mabele oyo ezali kobalusama esalaka makama ya kopanzana mbala moko.
- Kotimola ata moke te na mosapi ya lokolo ya libanga oyo ekwei na mabɔkɔ mpamba kozanga ete moto oyo amipesi na ye oyo azali kotala soki ezali kokwea ya mibale. Bilongi ya mabanga oyo euti kokata sika ebimisaka pene na ntango nyonso kokweya ya mabanga ya mibale oyo ebomaka na boumeli ya miniti moke nsima ya kokwea ya liboso; benga nimero ya urgence ya esika ofandi (911 na Etats-Unis mpe Canada, 112 na Union européenne mobimba, 999 na Royaume-Uni) to tala banimero ya mbalakaka mpe kozela ba équipes techniques ya rescue.
flowchart TD
Start["Likama ya Bluff ya libongo, Cliff, to ya Pente ya Permafrost"] --> Location{"Ozali wapi?"}
Location -->|"Na Likolo ya Libanga / Na Ndako"| TopCheck{"Ezali na ba fissures ya tension, mabanga ya mikemike oyo ezali kokweya, to kobukana ya structure?"}
Location -->|"Na Plage na Base ya Cliff"| BaseCheck{"Mabanga ya mikemike ezali kosopana, mputulu ezali komata to mabanga ezali kopasuka?"}
Location -->|"Na Permafrost ya Kozinda / Thermokarst"| PermaCheck{"Mabele ezali lokola éponge, ezali kokita, to ezali kolakisa ba lentilles ya glace oyo ezali polele?"}
TopCheck -->|"Ɛɛ"| EvacInland["Bozonga sima semba na kati ya mabele mosika na jante, bokanga gaz soki ezali na likama te, benga 911 / 112 / 999"]
TopCheck -->|"Te"| BufferTop["Tikala sima ya ba barrières, bomba ba mbwa na nsinga, tikala na 5 à 10 mètres (16 à 33 pieds) sima depuis bord"]
BaseCheck -->|"Ɛɛ"| SprintSurf["Salá mbangu mbala moko epai ya mai ya mbu to na ngámbo mosika na nzela ya glissement mbala moko"]
BaseCheck -->|"Te"| BufferBase["Tambola pene na nzela ya mai ata na bosanda ya mabanga 1 kino 2 mosika na moboko ya bluff"]
PermaCheck -->|"Ɛɛ"| RetreatHigh["Bozonga sima na ngomba na tundra to mabanga ya nsé oyo ezali na matiti makasi, bokima ba slurries ya potopoto"]
PermaCheck -->|"Te"| MonitorGround["Meká bokasi ya mabele na sonde, tikala mosika na mabongo ya ebale oyo ekatamaki na nse mpe na ba wedges ya glace"]
SprintSurf --> Trapped{"Bato bakundamaki na ventilateur ya biloko oyo ebebi?"}
Trapped -->|"Ɛɛ"| SpotterRescue["Benga 911 / 112 / 999, pesa spotter ya mabanga mpo na ba chutes secondaires, sonde ba débris ya surface kaka soki ezali na sécurité"]
Trapped -->|"Te"| StayClear["Tikala ata na ntaka ya mɛtrɛ 165 longwa na cicatrice ya sika; kokwea ya mibale ezali pene"]
Mecanismes ya kokweya ya mabanga, érosion ya ba bluffs, mpe dégel permafrost¶
Kososola ba mécaniques géologiques oyo ezali ko diriger instabilité ya pente elimboli ntina nini libanga oyo etelemi sans changement depuis ba décennies ekoki kokweya na ba secondes na ba secondes na nsima ya midi ya kimia mpe ya moi makasi. Ba formations géologiques ndenge na ndenge elongi te na nzela ya ba processus physiques ekeseni, moko na moko ememaka bilembo ya likebisi oyo ekeseni na ba distances ya runout.
| Lolenge ya mabele mpe Lolenge ya bozangi kokoka | Matériel Géologique ya liboso | Ba Mécanismes ya Déclencheur | Bilembo ya likebisi oyo emonanaka mingi | Vitesse mpe Distance ya Runout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block ya mabanga ya makasi Topple na Rockfall | Granite, basalt, mabanga ya calcaire, craie, mabanga ya zelo | Notching basal oyo ekatamaki na mbonge, wedging ya congelation-dégel, prying ya misisa, koningana ya sismique | Ba cicatrices ya sika ya mabanga oyo esili kosila te, mabanga ya ntalo oyo ezali kosopana, makelele ya kopasuka, biloko oyo ezali likoló | Kokwea ya bonsomi na mbangu ya 10 kino 30 m/s (33 kino 98 ft/s); mabanga ya minene epumbwaka mbala 1 to 1,5 na bosanda ya mabanga na libongo |
| Slump ya Bluff côtière ya sédiment doux | Mabele ya lima ya mai, zelo, mabanga ya ntalo, loess, till glacial | Saturation ya mbula makasi, irrigation ya pelouse, sous-cutting ya mbonge ya surge ya tempête | Ba fissures ya tension na forme ya arc na crest, ba nzete inclinée, seepage ya potopoto na kati ya bluff | Kokita ya mbangu ya rotation to koleka ya mabele; biloko ya mabe epalanganaka mbala 1,5 to 3 na bosanda ya bluff epai ya surf |
| Sea Cave Roof and Arch Collapse | Sedimentary rock, karst limestone, volcanic tuff | Hydraulic air compression from waves inside caves, roof joint erosion | Circular sinkhole depressions on clifftop above sea caves, hollow vibrations | Sudden vertical drop of surface into underlying void; zero lateral escape time once shear starts |
| Retrogressive Thaw Slump (Permafrost) | Ice-rich silt (yedoma), ground ice lenses, peat | Warm summer air, wildfire moss removal, solar radiation on dark soil | Headwall retreating meters per day, exposed ice faces, mud slurries | Continuous headwall collapse with liquefied mud pulses traveling hundreds of meters |
| Thermo-Erosion Coastal Block Collapse | Permafrost bluffs with ice-wedge polygons | Warm ocean waves melting a deep horizontal thermal niche at bluff base | Deep polygonal cracks outlining tundra blocks, overhanging sod mats | Frozen blocks 5 to 15 meters (16 to 50 feet) wide topple once basal niche reaches 2 to 4 meters (6.5 to 13 feet) |
| Thermokarst Sinkhole and Pingo Collapse | Drained lake basins, ice-cored mounds, ice wedges | Subsurface meltwater drainage creating caverns, infrastructure heat transfer | Sudden circular ponds on tundra, cracked asphalt, tilting poles, methane bubbles | Subsidence of 10 to 50 cm (4 to 20 in) per year, plus sudden 1-to-3-meter (3-to-10-foot) surface cave-ins |
The two-fronted assault on coastal bluffs¶
Coastal cliffs fail because they are attacked simultaneously from the ocean side and the landward side:
- Marine undercutting at the toe: During high tides and storms, breaking waves hurl sand and cobbles against the cliff base while compressing air inside fissures at pressures exceeding 300 kilopascals (43 pounds per square inch). This carves a concave wave-cut notch at the base, leaving the upper cliff hanging unsupported as a cantilever beam.
- Groundwater saturation at the crest: Rainwater, snowmelt, leaking pools, and septic systems infiltrate the top of the bluff and percolate down to impermeable clay layers. High pore-water pressure pushes soil grains apart, destroying shear strength while adding weight, often triggering fair-weather collapses weeks after a rainstorm.
Danger
Never sit, sunbathe, pitch a tent, or set up a beach umbrella directly beneath a coastal cliff or bluff, even if the rock looks solid and dry. More beachgoers are killed by sudden fair-weather rockfalls during calm summer afternoons than during storms, because thermal expansion from hot sunlight and delayed groundwater seepage fracture undercut overhangs without any storm warning.
Spotting pre-collapse warning signs on cliffs and bluffs¶
Before a cliff face or coastal bluff shears away, the stressed rock or soil exhibits physical deformations that give you critical minutes to evacuate.
Visual and audible indicators from the cliff top¶
When walking along coastal trails or clifftop properties, scan the ground 3 to 15 meters (10 to 50 feet) back from the rim:
- Tension cracks and arcuate fissures: Narrow cracks running parallel to the cliff edge or curving in a crescent shape through grass or pavement. Fresh, moist soil or torn white plant roots inside a crack mean the ground is actively pulling away.
- Vertical step-offs (scarplets): Where the seaward side of a crack drops 2 to 10 centimeters (1 to 4 inches) lower than the landward side, rotational slumping has begun.
- Overhanging turf mats and undercut rims: Grassy sod held together by roots often projects 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) out over empty space after underlying sand or chalk has fallen away.
- Tilted fences, leaning trees, and stretched utility lines: Fence posts leaning seaward, pulled-apart asphalt cracks, or tilted trees indicate active slope creep.
- Sinkholes behind the cliff edge: Circular depressions forming 5 to 20 meters (16 to 65 feet) inland indicate an unseen sea cave roof collapsing upward or subsurface piping erosion.
Visual and audible indicators from the beach below¶
When walking along a narrow beach bordered by cliffs, continuously monitor the vertical face above you:
- Trickling pebbles and dust puffs ("rock rain"): Shearing along rear fracture planes squeezes loose sand, pebbles, and dry dust out of cracks right before detachment. Falling pebbles or dust puffs signal an imminent major collapse.
- Freshly exposed, unweathered rock patches: Weathering and algae coat stable cliffs in muted tones. A bright white scar on chalk or clean fracture on sandstone means a recent rockfall has left adjacent overhangs unsupported.
- Groundwater seepage lines and wet dark bands: Horizontal dark stripes of wet clay or dripping water mid-bluff mark internal erosion and lubricated slip planes.
- Talus cones and fresh debris aprons: Piles of jagged boulders or slumped mud at the cliff foot prove active instability above.
- Audible cracking, popping, or rumbling: Stressed rock emits sharp cracks or deep thuds as internal rock bridges snap prior to full detachment.
Immediate survival actions during an active cliff collapse¶
If you hear a sudden roar, feel the ground shudder, or see a cliff face detaching, you have between 2 and 8 seconds to react before debris reaches the beach or the rim gives way.
1. If you are on the beach below a collapsing cliff¶
- Look up for a split second to identify the failure zone, then sprint toward the ocean: Unlike inland landslides where you should never run downhill, on a coastal beach the ocean surf is your safest refuge. Run directly away from the cliff face toward the water, or sprint diagonally along the shoreline away from the falling section if the collapse is narrow.
- Clear the horizontal runout zone: Falling rock masses shatter upon hitting the base and project horizontally across the sand at speeds exceeding 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour). In dry rockfalls, fragments typically travel outward a horizontal distance equal to 0.5 to 1.0 times the vertical height of the cliff. In wet clay bluff slumps or saturated chalk collapses, the liquefied debris lobe can surge outward 1.5 to 3.0 times the height of the cliff, crossing the beach into the surf zone.
- Enter the shallow surf if necessary, but watch for displacement waves: If the beach is narrow and the slide is massive, run into waist-deep water to avoid crushing rock debris. Brace yourself against the seabed, because thousands of tons of rock plunging into shallow water can generate a localized displacement wave and strong backwash currents.
- If rock fragments are raining down and you cannot outrun the slide: Never lie flat on your stomach on the sand, which exposes your spine and skull to maximum impact. Duck behind the seaward side of a massive boulder if one is sitting away from the cliff base, or drop to your knees facing the ocean, curl into a tight fetal ball, interlock your fingers behind your neck, and pull your knees up to protect your chest and organs.
- If buried in loose sand or bluff soil: Keep your mouth closed while sediment is moving, cup your hands in front of your nose and mouth to create an air pocket, and expand your ribcage deeply as the slide slows down so your chest has room to breathe before the wet sediment sets.
2. If you are on top of the cliff when the ground gives way¶
- Drop everything and scramble straight inland on all fours: If you feel the ground lurch downward or see a crack opening between your feet and the mainland, leap or dive across the crack toward the inland side immediately. Crawling on hands and knees keeps your center of gravity low so you do not tumble backward over the edge.
- Grab anchored inland vegetation, never edge vegetation: Reach for tree trunks, fence posts, or bushes rooted firmly on the landward side of the tension crack. Never grab bushes growing on the collapsing block itself, as their roots will pull you down with the falling slab.
- If you are riding a collapsing slump block downward: A rotational slump often slides downward along a curved plane while keeping its grassy top surface tilted slightly backward toward the cliff face. Stay on top of the moving turf block rather than jumping off the front edge where you will be crushed at the toe, then scramble off the side of the debris mound toward the waterline as soon as it stops.
3. Watch for deadly coastal tidal cutoff¶
A major cliff collapse often dumps an enormous mound of clay, trees, and boulders all the way across the beach into the low-tide surf zone, blocking the coastal walking route.
- Never scramble over a fresh, unstable landslide lobe to get back to your starting stairway if the cliff above is still shedding rocks.
- Check the tide state immediately: If the tide is rising and a cliff collapse blocks one side of a cove while a rocky headland blocks the other, you face tidal cutoff (being trapped against the vertical cliff by rising water). Call 911, 112, or 999 (and request the Coast Guard or RNLI lifeboat) immediately while you still have dry sand, climb onto the highest stable rock outcrop away from the fresh scar, and wave bright clothing to guide rescue boats.
Permafrost thaw, thermokarst, and Arctic slope emergencies¶
Permafrost is ground (soil, sediment, peat, or rock) that remains at or below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) continuously for at least two consecutive years. Across Alaska (United States), northern Canada, Greenland, Scandinavia, the European Alps, and Siberia, rapid warming is destabilizing the active layer (the top 30 to 150 centimeters / 1 to 5 feet of soil that thaws every summer and refreezes in winter) and melting the deeper permafrost table beneath it.
| Permafrost Hazard Feature | Physical Appearance in the Field | Primary Danger to People and Vehicles | Safe Traversal and Emergency Protocol |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retrogressive Thaw Slump (RTS) | Horseshoe-shaped scar on a hillside or lakeshore; vertical headwall of exposed ice and mud up to 25 meters (82 feet) tall; soupy mud floor | Toppling blocks of frozen earth from the headwall; chest-deep liquefied silt on the slump floor that traps hikers and ATVs | Detour at least 50 meters (165 feet) upslope behind the headwall cracks; never walk across the grey mud floor of an active slump |
| Active-Layer Detachment Slide | Ribbon-like scar on a hillside where the surface moss and thawed mud have slid off the slick permafrost table underneath | Sudden hillside slide of saturated peat and mud; piles up in ridges at the slope base, sweeping away camps or pipelines | Camp only on flat gravel bars, bedrock ridges, or well-drained uplands; avoid pitching tents at the base of silt slopes after rain |
| Thermo-Erosion Gully and Ice-Wedge Trough | Deep, narrow trenches following polygonal patterns on tundra; often hidden beneath overhanging mats of willow and tussock grass | Hikers or snowmobiles break through the vegetative bridge and fall 2 to 6 meters (6.5 to 20 feet) into meltwater channels | Probe grass-covered troughs with a pole before stepping across; follow elevated polygon centers rather than sunken troughs |
| Thermokarst Cave-In and Drunken Forest | Spruce or larch trees leaning in all directions; sunken potholes filled with muddy water; hollow crusts over melted ice lenses | Ground collapses underfoot into water-filled voids; tree roots under tension can snap when cut during trail clearing | Route around freshly flooded depressions; never drive heavy machinery across thawing silt without timber mats |
| Methane Seeps and Crater Outbursts | Ba vents ya gaz oyo ezali ko bulbuler na ba lacs, ba montagnes circulaires (pingos) oyo ezali kovimba na se ya gaz sous-sol mpe pression ya mayi | Déplacement localisé ya oxygène na ba cavités fermées; kopumbwa ya mbalakaka ya potopoto oyo ezali na pression mpe ba blocs ya glace | Kokota jamais na ba tunnels ya glace sous-permafrost, ba caves, to ba cavités ya pingo sans monitore ya 4 gaz; zalá mosika na bangomba ya tundra oyo ezali kopumbwapumbwa |
Escaping liquefied permafrost silt (thermokarst mud entrapment)¶
When ice-rich Pleistocene silt thaws rapidly in a retrogressive thaw slump or coastal bluff collapse, it releases more water than the soil pores can hold. This creates a thixotropic mud slurry that looks like firm grey clay under a thin sun-dried crust but behaves like liquid silt underneath.
- If you break through the crust into deep permafrost mud: Do not thrash or try to walk forward, which drives your legs deeper into the frigid 1-degree-Celsius (34-degree-Fahrenheit) slurry.
- Drop your heavy backpack immediately: Unclip your waist belt and sternum strap and let the pack sit on the mud surface next to you as a flotation platform.
- Spread your body weight horizontally: Lean forward or backward so your chest or back lies flat across the mud surface, distributing your weight over a wide area.
- Free your legs one at a time: Work your legs slowly in small circular motions to let water seep down around your boots and break the vacuum suction. Never let a rescuer pull you straight up with a winch or ATV strap while your legs are locked in deep silt; dig around the trapped limbs first.
- Swim or roll across the mud surface: Once both legs are horizontal on the surface, crawl on your stomach using a swimming motion or roll sideways toward solid tundra grass, then treat immediately for hypothermie oyo ezali na kati.
Warning
In Arctic coastal villages and riverside camps, never tie boats or pitch tents beneath frozen tundra bluffs during summer open-water season. Warm ocean waves and river currents carve deep horizontal notches into the frozen base of the bank (thermo-abrasion), causing 10-meter-tall (33-foot-tall) blocks of frozen earth to topple silently into the water, crushing boats and generating lethal swamping waves.
Evacuating structures undermined by bluff erosion or thawing ground¶
Homes, apartments, roads, and industrial facilities built along eroding ocean bluffs, clay bluffs, river cutbanks, and thawing permafrost face sudden structural failure when slope retreat removes foundation support.
Structural red flags requiring immediate evacuation¶
Evacuate immediately if your building exhibits any of these structural failure signs during or after a storm, high tide, or rapid thaw:
- Cantilevered or hanging foundations: Any portion of a concrete slab, footing, pier, patio, or deck support post is visibly hanging over the cliff edge with air beneath it, or soil has washed away from pilings.
- Sudden jamming of multiple doors and windows: When the seaward side of a house settles toward the bluff face, wooden wall frames rack into parallelograms, pinching doors and windows shut and cracking drywall diagonally at 45-degree angles.
- Audible structural noises: Loud popping, snapping, creaking, or groaning sounds from wall studs, roof trusses, or floor joists indicate active load redistribution as ground support drops away.
- Separation of decks, porches, or chimneys: A gap of 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) or more opening rapidly between an oceanfront deck ledger board and the house wall, or a chimney leaning away from the siding, signals imminent detachment.
- Ruptured or stretched utility pipes: Hissing sounds or the rotten-egg odor of mercaptan from gas lines, gushing water from broken PVC pipes, or taut overhead electrical wires pulling at the mast.
- Rapidly retreating bluff rim: If a storm or slide brings the cliff edge within 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) of your foundation wall, the building is inside the active wedge of failure and is unsafe for occupancy.
Step-by-step building evacuation and utility isolation¶
- Alert all occupants and exit through the inland (street-side) doors: Evacuate immediately toward the street or inland high ground. Never step out onto an oceanfront balcony, cliffside deck, or seaside patio to look at the erosion scar; cantilevered decks are often the first components to plunge down the cliff.
- Grab only your emergency go-bag, medications, pets, and keys: Spend no more than 60 seconds exiting. Never move heavy furniture or appliances out of rooms on the cliffward side, as added live load can trigger floor collapse.
- Shut off natural gas, propane, and electricity if the meters are safely inland:
- If the gas meter or propane tank is on the street side on stable ground, use an adjustable wrench to turn the quarter-turn supply valve 90 degrees until the lug is perpendicular to the pipe (or close the propane handwheel clockwise).
- Flip the main circuit breaker off at the electrical panel if it is accessible from a safe inland wall.
- Shut off the main domestic water valve at the street curb box so a snapped pipe does not pump pressurized municipal water into the unstable bluff soil.
- Never walk near the cliff edge or enter a tilting basement to shut off utilities. Retreat to the street and call your utilities and the fire department immediately.
- Warn adjacent neighbors on both sides: Bluff slumps propagate laterally along the shoreline as your yard's slump removes lateral earth support for adjacent properties. Knock on neighbors' street-side doors and alert them to check their foundations.
- Contact municipal building inspectors and geotechnical authorities: Call 911, 112, or 999 if there is immediate danger to life, gas leaks, or people on the beach below. Request a municipal building and geotechnical engineering inspection before re-entering.
Bystander rescue and medical care after a cliff collapse¶
When a coastal cliff collapses onto a beach, a freshly sheared cliff face is out of mechanical equilibrium and frequently releases lethal secondary rockfalls over the next 5 to 60 minutes.
1. Scene safety and the mandatory cliff spotter rule¶
- Call emergency services immediately: Dial 911, 112, or 999 and provide the beach name, access stairway number, cliff height, estimated casualties, and tide state. Request cliff rescue teams, the Coast Guard / lifeboat service, and air ambulance support.
- Never rush blindly into the rockfall zone: Look up at the cliff scar before approaching. If rocks are still falling, if an overhanging slab is separated by a gaping crack above the debris pile, or if dust is billowing, stay back.
- Kopona moto oyo amipesi na kotalatala: Soki moto oyo azwi mpasi akundami ndambo na nsɔngɛ ya libándá ya ventilateur ya biloko oyo ebebi, pesa moto moko atelema malamu pene na nzela ya mai azali kotala kaka likoló na elongi ya libanga mpo na koganga likebisi ya mbala moko soki mabanga ya mikemike ezali kosopana to libanga ebalukaki.
2. Kobimisa ba victimes mpe kopekisa syndrome ya crush¶
Soki okoki kokutana na moto oyo azwi mpasi na nsɔngɛ ya libándá ya liboke ya biloko oyo ebebi kozanga ete otɛlɛma na nse ya esika oyo etɛngamá:
- Kolongola liboso nzela ya mopepe mpe ntolo: Kopangusa zelo, mabele ya lima, to mabanga ya ntalo mosika na zolo, monoko, mpe ntolo ya moto oyo azwi mpasi mpo ete mimpululu na ye epanzana. Ba victimes ya glissement ya mabele mpe ya sand-bluff bakoki kokufa na asphyxie traumatique na kati ya 3 à 5 minutes tango sable humide ya makasi efinaka na ribcage na bango mbala nionso oyo babimisaka pema.
- Timola malamu zinga zinga ya maboko oyo ekangami: Salelá maboko na yo, mabaya oyo ezali kopumbwapumbwa, to ba seau ya plastique na esika ya kosalela ba pelles ya bibende pene na nzoto ya moto oyo akundami mpo na koboya kopasola ba tissus.
- Suspect traumatisme spinale na hémorragie interne: Moto nionso oyo abetami na libanga oyo ezali kokweya azali na risque makasi ya cervical kozoka ya mokuwa ya mokɔngɔ, . kozoka na motó, mpe ba fractures ya ba fractures. Bomba motó, nkingo mpe mokuwa na bango ya mokɔngɔ na molɔngɔ longola kaka soki glissement secondaire oyo ezali kosala esɛngaka kobendama na mbalakaka na axe molai ya nzoto epai ya mai oyo ezali kopumbwapumbwa.
- Kebá na syndrome ya crush soki libanga ya kilo ekangami enama to pelvis koleka miniti 15: Tango libanga ya kilo enyataka misisa minene koleka miniti 15, kobukana ya misisa esangisi potassium, myoglobine, mpe acide lactique oyo ebomaka. Kotombola na mbalakaka libanga moko na enama oyo ekangami molai, ebimisaka potassium na makila, oyo ekoki kosala ete motema ekangama (syndrome de réperfusion) oyo ebomaka. Tala ba dispatcheurs médicaux ya urgence yambo ya kotombola libanga ya kilo na victime oyo akangami na boumeli ya miniti koleka 15, longola se soki marée oyo ezali komata to kokweya ya mibale ezali likama ya liwa ya mbala moko, mpe contrôle makasi kobima makila na pression directe to na tourniquet.
Tip
Kanisa kozwa mateya ya maboko na esobe mpe ya lisalisi ya yambo ya mbalakaka uta na Croix-Rouge, Ambulance ya St John, to lisanga ya kobikisa bangomba/ya libongo ya esika ofandi. Koyekola ndenge ya ko gérer immobilisation ya mokuwa ya mokɔngɔ, ba blessures ya crush, mpe hypothermie na ba environnements austere ya côtier ebikisaka vie avant ba hélicoptères to ba bateaux de sauvegarde ekoka kokoma.
Bokiti ya biloko na tango molayi pe bolengeli ya bopanzani ya mabele¶
Soki ofandi na bluff ya libongo, na libanga ya libongo ya laki, to na terrain ya permafrost, gestion proactive ya mayi mpe suivi géotechnique ezo reculer malembe na pente pe pesa likebisi ya liboso.
- Kolongola ba entrées ya mayi ya artificiel pene ya crest ya bluff:
- Kabola ba asperseurs ya matiti mpe irrigation à goutte à goutte na 15 mètres (50 feet) ya bord ya libanga.
- Ba gouttières ya toit ya ba tuyaux, ba downspouts, mpe nzela ya kokɔta na ndako ekɔtaka na ba tuyaux oyo ekangami te oyo ezali na mabulu te oyo ekɔtaka na canalisation ya mopepe makasi ya balabala ya kati ya mabele to nzela mobimba na nse ya elongi ya bluff na nsinga ya makasi ya polyéthylène ya densité makasi (HDPE) oyo ekangami tii na mosapi ya libongo.
- Kobwaka ata moke te mai ya pisini to mai ya mpɛmbɛ na matiti ya libongo, mpe bongolá bisika oyo mai ya mai oyo ezali kobimisa mai ezali pene na bisika oyo ezali na mabanga ya ntalo na bisika oyo ekangami na bosɔtɔ.
- Kobatela matiti ya mboka oyo ezali na misisa mozindo mpe kopekisa kobwaka biloko na nsɔngɛ ya mabanga:
- Kolongola ata moke te banzete ya mboka oyo ezali pembenipembeni ya mbu, matiti ya dune, to banzete oyo ezali na misisa mozindo na likoló ya bluff mpo na kobongisa ndenge oyo ozali komona, mpamba te ba réseaux ya misisa ekangisaka mabele mpe ekɔtisaka mai ya nse ya mabele.
- Longola banzete ya kilo oyo ekɔtaka na misisa ya mozindo te lokola molona ya zɛlo (Carpobrotus edulis), oyo ebakisaka kilo ya kufa na bilongi ya mabanga oyo ezali na nse mpe kokata yango na nkasa.
- Kobwaka ata moke te bosɔtɔ ya lopango to kotondisa yango likoló ya nsɔngɛ ya libanga, oyo ekangaka mai mpe ebombaka bisika oyo epasukaka na tension.
- Kotia ba enjeux simples ya suivi ya fissures:
- Mema mabaya mibale na mozindo na mabele na mipanzi oyo ekeseni ya esika nyonso ya kopasuka ya mabele ya nsinga ya nsuki pene na bluff mpe meká ntaka kati na nsuki mibale likoló ya mabaya pɔsɔ na pɔsɔ na ruban ya mezire ya bibende.
- Soki esika yango ekómi monene na milimɛtrɛ 5 to 10 (0,2 tii 0,4 pouces) na boumeli ya mwa mikolo, kotambola na nse ezali kokende nokinoki; benga mbala moko ingénieur géotechnique oyo azali na licence.
- Kobatela ba fondations ya permafrost na transfert thermique:
- Bomba bandako ya permafrost etombwami na ba pilings oyo ekoki kobongwana, ba thermosyphons passifs, to ba pads ya graviers ya minene oyo ezali ata 1 mètre (3 pieds) ya mopepe koleka na se ya mabele, mpe longola soko moke te tapis ya mousse ya tundra oyo ezo insular.
Mituna oyo batunaka mingi¶
Ntaka boni nsima na nsɔngɛ ya libanga ya libongo to mosika boni na moboko ya mabanga na libongo ezali mpenza na likama te?
Mobeko ya géologique oyo esalelamaka mingi oyo esalemi na ba agences ya libongo lokola British Geological Survey mpe Maritime and Coastguard Agency (Royaume-Uni) ezali mobeko ya bosanda ya mabanga 1 na 1 tango ozali kotambola na libongo oyo ezali na se : kotikala na ntaka ya horizontal mosika na nse ya libanga ata ekokani na bosanda ya semba ya libanga (ndakisa, soki libanga ezali na 20 mètres to 65 feet molai, kotambola ata mɛtrɛ 20 to mɛtrɛ 65 libanda epai ya mai). Ntango ozali kotambola likoló ya libanga, zalá na banzela oyo ezali na bilembo oyo ezali na kati ya mai nsima ya bifelo ya libateli, mpe zongá nsima ata mɛtrɛ 5 to 10 longwa na nsɔngɛ, mpamba te mbala mingi bisika oyo ezali likoló ebimaka libanda mpe eloko moko te oyo esimbaka yango na nse.
Mpo na nini kokwea mingi ya mabanga minene oyo ezali pembenipembeni ya mbu esalemaka na mikolo ya molunge mpe ya moi makasi na eleko ya molunge ntango mopɛpɛ makasi to mbula ebɛtaka te?
Cliff collapses on calm summer days occur for two main geological reasons. First, heavy winter or spring rainwater takes weeks or months to percolate slowly downward through deep soil and rock fractures before building up peak pore-water pressure behind the cliff face during the summer. Second, intense summer sunlight heats the outer rock face during the day while the rock cools at night, while drying out clay layers so they shrink and crack, snapping the final internal rock bridges holding an undercut overhang in place.
If a cliff starts collapsing above me while I am on the beach, should I run along the cliff base or run straight into the ocean?
Unless you are standing at the outer edge of a narrow rockfall and can step laterally onto safe ground in one second, your safest escape route is almost always to sprint straight toward the ocean surf away from the cliff face. Coastal cliff collapses frequently spread laterally across 30 to 100 meters (100 to 330 feet) of shoreline at once; running parallel along the base keeps you inside the impact zone longer, whereas sprinting straight toward the waterline gets you beyond the horizontal runout distance fastest.
Nasengeli kosala nini soki mbwa na ngai ezali kolanda ndɛkɛ to bale likoló ya nsɔngɛ ya libanga to ekangami na nsɔngɛ ya libongo oyo ezali kobukana?
Never climb down an eroding coastal bluff or scramble over a cliff edge to rescue a pet. Statistics from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and the United States Coast Guard show that the vast majority of dogs survive or scramble back up on their own due to their low center of gravity and four-paw traction, whereas human owners who climb after them frequently trigger secondary slides and suffer fatal falls. Keep your dog on a short leash near all cliffs; if your dog goes over the edge, stay back from the rim and call 911, 112, or 999 to request a rope rescue team.
Assurance standard ya ba propriétaires ya bandako efutaka ndako na ngai soki bluff moko ya côtier ekweyi to permafrost esili na se ya fondation na ngai?
Na États-Unis, Canada, Royaume-Uni, mpe bikólo mingi mosusu, bapolisi ya assurance ya bankolo bandako oyo bato mingi basalelaka elongolaka mbeba oyo euti na koningana ya mabele, na ndakisa koguga ya mabele, kokita ya mabanga ya ntalo oyo ezali pembenipembeni ya mbu, mabulu ya kozinda, mpe kokita ya malili oyo eumelaka, kaka ndenge bapolisi ya mpela oyo bato mingi basalelaka elongolaka mingimingi kopɔla mokemoke liboso ya kokwea. Bakolo bandako na ba bluffs oyo ezali ko éroder basengeli mingi mingi kosomba "Difference in Conditions" (DIC) to couverture spécialisée autonome to couverture ya glissement ya mabele, to kozala na confiance na ba dons ya kosomba ya mitigation ya ba danger municipales avant que falaise ekoma na fondation na bango.
Why is thawing permafrost ground sometimes compared to quicksand, and can you sink completely under it?
Ice-rich permafrost (especially ancient wind-blown silt known as yedoma) often consists of 50 to 80 percent solid ice by volume. When that ice melts rapidly inside a retrogressive thaw slump, the fine silt particles are suspended in excess meltwater that cannot drain downward because the frozen permafrost table underneath acts like an impermeable bowl. While human bodies are slightly less dense than saturated silt and will not sink completely out of sight unless buried by an active mudslide, a hiker who steps through the surface crust can easily sink waist-deep into freezing mud and become immobilized by suction and hypothermia unless they lie flat to distribute their weight.
Ba guides oyo etali yango¶
- Landslides and mudslides
- Sinkholes and ground collapse
- Tsunamis: evacuation and survival
- Rip currents and ocean water emergencies
- Structural damage and building collapse
- Kozoka ya konyata mpe syndrome ya compartiment
Ba sources e vérifié¶
- United States Geological Survey (USGS, United States): Coastal Bluff Erosion, Landslide Hazards Program, and Permafrost Thaw Studies
- British Geological Survey (BGS) and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA, United Kingdom): Coastal Geohazards, Cliff Instability, and Beach Safety Guidance
- Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and Geological Survey of Canada (Canada): Permafrost Degradation, Retrogressive Thaw Slumps, and Landslide Safety
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, United States): Coastal Construction Manual (FEMA P-55) and Erosion Hazard Management
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO): Snow, Water, Ice and Permafrost in the Arctic (SWIPA) Technical Assessments