Research Clusters / Groups / Centres

Professor Dave Petley, BSc (Hons) AKC PhD FRGS FGS ILTM CGeog

Wilson Chair in Hazard and Risk in the Department of Geography

Telephone: +44 (0) 191 33 41909

Fax: +44 (0)191 33 41801

Room number: S212

Biography

My research interests lie primarily in the understading of landslides and landslide mechanics, especially in high mountain areas within less developed countries. To this end, I established and am director of the International Landslide Centre, see: http://www.landslidecentre.org/

More specific details of my research areas are as follows:

1 Material deformation processes
I am interested in a range of issues associated with deformation, including compaction of rocks (especially near-surface compaction of soft sediments), drained and undrained shear behaviour; the brittle-ductile transition in mudrocks; strain dependent behaviour during shear deformation; mechanisms of fracture generation and growth; accelerating patterns of behaviour; new techniques for deformation analysis; subsidence analysis and modelling; and material deformation controls on natural systems.
To this end I have developed the geotechnical laboratory at the Department of Geography to become a cutting-edge facility.

2 Landslide mechanics and landslide hazard and risk assessment
I am very interested in understanding the ways in which first time failures develop. I also have strong interests in various other aspects of landslides, including terrain evaluation and mapping; triggering mechanisms; frequency? magnitude relationships; runout mechanisms and processes; vulnerability analysis for mountain communities; landslide hazard and risk mapping; hill slope hydrological mechanisms; analysis of future patterns of movement; volcanic flank collapse; deep-seated landslide processes; topographic amplification during seismic events; landslide mechanics during intense precipitation; landslide dating; landslide modelling.

3 Remote sensing technology for earth surface mapping
I have a strong interest in the use of remote sensing, especially with respect to landslide mapping / monitoring and movement assessment. More specific interests include: the application of ATM technology to landslide delineation; terrestrial digital photogrammetry, airborne digital photogrammetry; digital elevation model extraction for airborne and terrestrial imagery; high resolution multispectral imaging; SAR interferometry for horizontal and vertical movement analysis; laser scanning for process delineation and monitoring; the integration of multiple datasets.

A (reasonably!) full, up to date CV can be found at: http://www.landslidecentre.org/petleycv.pdf

I maintain a blog of landslide and rockfall events happening worldwide, including maps of the locations of fatal events at: http://daveslandslideblog.blogspot.com/

Research Groups

Research Projects

Boulby Geoscience
Coastal Behaviour and Rates of Activity (COBRA)
International Landslide Centre
Monitoring Programme for the Whitby TV mast site

Research Interests

Landslide hazard and risk assessment
Landslide mechanics and processes
Landslide monitoring
Material deformation

Selected Publications

Books: authored

D. Petley 2001. Landslide Hazard and risk assessment techniques - a review.
D. Petley 2001. Landslide hazard and risk assessments - A definitive scheme.

Books: sections

Petley, D. N., Dunning, S. A., Rosser, N. J. & Kausar, A. B. 2006. Incipient earthquakes in the Jhelum Valley, Pakistan following the 8th October 2005 earthquake. In Frontiers of Science. Marui, H. Yokyo: Universal Academy Press. 47-56. (Additional information)
Petley, D. N. & Petley, D. J. 2006. On the initiation of large rockslides: perspectives from a new analysis on the Vaiont movement record. In Massive Rock Slope Failure. Mugnozza, G., Strom, A. & Hermanns, R. L. Rotterdam: NATO. 49.
Petley, D. N., Higuchi, T., Dunning, S., Rosser, N. J., Petely, D. J., Bulmer, M. H. K. & Carey, J. 2005. A new model for the development of movement in progressive landslides. In Landslide Risk Management. Hungr, O., Fell, R., Couture, R. & Eberhardt, E. Amsterdam: Balkema.
Petley, D. N., Dunning, S. A. & Rosser, N. J 2005. The analysis of global landslide risk through the creation of a database of worldwide landslide fatalities. In Landslide Risk Management. Hungr, O., Fell, R., Couture, R. & Eberhardt, E. Amsterdam: Balkema.
Rosser, N. J., Dunning, S. A., Lim, M. & Petley, D. N. 2005. The application of a terrestrial laser scanning technique for quantitative rockfall hazard assessment. In Landslide Risk Management. Hungr, O., Fell, R., Couture, R. & Eberhardt, E. Amsterdam: Balkema.
Dunning, S. A., Petley, D. N. & Strom, A. L. 2005. The morphologies and sedimentology of valley confined rock-avalanche deposits and their effect on potential dam hazard. In Landslide Risk Management. Hungr, O., Fell, R., Couture, R. & Eberhardt, E. Amsterdam: Balkema. 601-704.
Petley, D. N., Hearn, G. J. & Hart, A. 2005. Towards the development of a landslide risk assessment for urual roads in Nepal. In Landslike hazard and risk. Glade, T., Anderson, M. & Crozier, M. J. Chichester: Wiley. 597-620.
Inkpen, R. J., Petley, D. & Murphy, W. 2004. Durability and rock properties. In Stone decay: Its causes and controls. Smith, B. J. & Turkington, A. V. Shaftesbury: 33-52.
S.A. Sepulveda, W. Murphy & D. Petley 2004. The role of topographic amplification on the generation of earthquake-induced rock slope failures. In Landslides: Evaluation and Stabilization. W.A. Lacerda, M. Ehrlich, S.A.B. Fontoura & S.F. Sayao Balkema. 1: 311-315.
M.H.K. Bulmer, F. Mantovani, W. Murphy & D. Petley 2002. SAR interferometry in landslide monitoring; experiences from Black Ven landslide, Dorset 2001. In Geomorphology: the Expert Opinion to Modelling. D. Delahaye, F. Levoy & O. Maquaire Strasbourg. 21-27.
D. Petley 2001. The use of terrain evaluation for hazard assessment in Eastern Taiwan. In Land Surface Evaluation for Engineering Practice. J. Griffiths Engineering Geology Special Publications. 209-213.

Journal papers: academic

Petley, D.N., Hearn, G.J., Hart, A., Rosser, N.J., Dunning, S.A., Oven, K. & Mitchell, W.A. 2007. Trends in landslide occurence in Nepal. Natural Hazards 43(1): 23-44. (Additional information) (View publication online)
Ramli, M. F. & Petley, D. N. 2006. Best band combination for landslide studies in temperate environments. International Journal of Remote Sensing 27(6): 1219-1231.
Bulmer, M. H., Petley, D. N., Murphy, W. & Mantovani, F. 2006. Detecting slope deformation using two-pass differential interferometry: Implications for landslide studies on Earth and other planetary bodies. Journal of Geophysical Research 111: E06S16. (Additional information) (View publication online)
Chia-Hung, J., Lin, J-C., Hsu, M-L. & Petley, D. N. 2006. Fluvial transportation and sedimentation of the Fu-Shan small experimental catchments. Quaternary International 147(1): 34-43.
Dunning, S. A., Rosser, N. J., Petley, D. N. & Massey, C. R. 2006. Formation and failure of the Tsatichhu landslide dam, Bhutan. Landslides 3(2): 107-113.
Lin, J-C., Petley, D. N., Jen, C-H. & Hsu, M-L. 2006. Slope movements in a dynamic environment - A case study of Tachia river, Central Taiwan. Quaternary International 147(1): 103-112.
Petley, D.N. 2006. The Vajont (Vaiont) Landslide. Geo-strata (March-April 2006).
Lim, M., Petley, D.N., Rosser, N.J., Allison, R.J., Long, A.J. & Pybus, D. 2005. Combined digital photogrammetry and time-of-flight laser scanning for monitoring cliff evolution. The Photogrammetric Record 20(110): 109-129. (Additional information) (View publication online)
Petley, D.N., Higuchi, T., Petley, D.J., Bulmer, M.H. & Carey, J. 2005. Development of progressive landslide failure in cohesive materials. Geology 33(3): 201-204. (Additional information) (View publication online)
Ramli, M. F. & Petley, D. N. 2005. Image filtering of airborne thematic mapper or landslide delineation. Ultra Scientist of Physical Sciences 17(2): 221-228.
Sepulveda, S., Murphy, W., Jibson, R. W. & Petley, D. N. 2005. Seismically-induced Rock Slope Failures Resulting from Topographic Amplification of Strong Ground Motions: The Case of Pacoima Canyon, California. Engineering Geology 80(3-4): 336-348.
Rosser, N. J., Petley, D. N., Lim, M., Dunning, S. A. & Allison, R. J. 2005. Terrestrial laser scanning for monitoring the process of hard rock coastal cliff erosion. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology 38(4): 363-376.
Chen, H. & Petley, D. N. 2005. The impact of landslides and debris flows triggered by Typhoon Mindulle in Taiwan. Quaterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology 38(3): 301-304.
Petley, D.N., Mantovani, F., Bulmer, M.H. & Zannoni, A. 2005. The use of surface monitoring data for the interpretation of landslide movement patterns. Geomorphology 66(1-4): 133-147. (Additional information) (View publication online)
Sepulveda, S. A., Murphy, W., Jibson, R. W. & Petley, D. N. 2005. Topographic controls on co-seismic rock slides during the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, Taiwan. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology 38: 189-196.
Petley, D.N. 2005. Tsunami - how an earthquake can cause destruction thousands of kilometres away. Geography Review 18(5): 2-5.
Kemeling, I., Scott, I.M., Petley, D.N., Rosser, N.J., Allison, R J. & Long, A.J. 2004. Data driven modelling of a complex mining subsidence process. Proceedings of the SPIE International Symposium on Remote Sensing, Masplalomas Gran Ganaria September 2004.
Kemeling, I. & Petley, D.N. 2004. Radar interferometry to monitor slow surface deformation in rural England. Proceedings of the European Space Agency ENVISAT and ERS symposium, Salzburg September 2004.
Petley, D.N. 2004. Slip-sliding Away. Planet Earth (NERC) Winter 2004: 26-27.
Petley, D. 2004. The evolution of slope failures: mechanisms of rupture propagation. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 4(1): 147-152. (Additional information) (View publication online)
N.J. Rosser, M. Lim & D.N. Petley 2004. The use of terrestrial laser scanning for the monitoring of coastal cliff processes. Proceedings of the International Lidar Mapping Forum February 2004.
A.J. Wilson, D.N. Petley & W. Murphy 2003. Down-slope variation in geotechnical parameters and pore fluid control on a large-scale Alpine landslide. Geomorphology 54(1-2): 49-62.
C.R.J. Kilburn & D.N. Petley 2003. Forecasting giant, catastrophic slope collapse: lessons from Vajont, Northern Italy. Geomorphology 54(1-2): 21-32.
Hearn, G. J. & Petley, D. N. 2003. Landslide risk assessment for road planning and management in developing countries. Earthworks 17: 6-7.
F. Ramli & D. Petley 2002. Morphological mapping: it's subjectivity and application to the delineation of relict landslides. Science Putra Malaysia 10: 22-26.
Petley, D.N., Bulmer, M.H. & Murphy, W. 2002. Patterns of movement in rotational and translational landslides. Geology 30(8): 719-722. (Additional information) (View publication online)
W. Murphy, D.N. Petley, J. Bommer & J.M. Mankelow 2002. Uncertainty in ground motion estimates for the evaluation of slope stability during earthquakes. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology 35: 71-78.
R. Inkpen & D. Petley 2001. Fitness spaces and their potential for visualizing change in the physical landscape. Area 33(3): 242-251.

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Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

General issues: natural hazards
Asia (excluding Middle East): Taiwan, Hong Kong, Nepal, Bhutan
Geological hazards: landslides
Geological hazards: typhoons and hurricanes

Grants Awarded and Grant Applications

2004: NERC: The development of progressive failure in cohesive landslides (£12,200)
2004: Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council: Geomorphological processes, Skinningrove, Cleveland (£22,000)
2004: Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick Ltd: The use of terrestrial laser scanning for slope characterisation
2004: Shetland Council / Halcrow Ltd: Deformation processes governing slides in peat deposits
2003: BBC / Crown Castle Ltd: Cliff process monitoring, Whitby
2003: Benefactor: The establishment of the International Landslide Centre at the University Of Durham (£212,000)
2003: British Embassy Nepal: Seismically-induced landslides along the Kathmandu access roads, Nepal
2003: ESA: The use of radar interferometry in surface deformation monitoring
2002: Cleveland Potash Ltd. (with Professor R.J. Allison and Dr A.J. Long). Subsidence and coastal processes (£301,000 inc 2 PhD studentships & 1 PDRA).
2002: European Union Asia-Link programme (with the University of Sannio Italy and Tribhuvan University Nepal). Land-Man - developing a new curriculum for landslide management (EURO268,000).
2000: DfiD KaR (with Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick PLC) Landslide risk assessment in the rural access sector (£540,000).