Dave Petley
@davepetley.bsky.social
Vice-Chancellor at the University of Hull in England. Landslides, hazards, risk, vulnerability and resilience, plus a bit of Coventry City. #pusb #Breturn
In August 2025, I recorded 104 fatal landslides, a record total number of landslides for August. 2025 is shaping up to be a terrible year for fatal landslides, with the cumulative total to that point being close to the highest year, in 2024.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
November 11, 2025 at 7:15 AM
In August 2025, I recorded 104 fatal landslides, a record total number of landslides for August. 2025 is shaping up to be a terrible year for fatal landslides, with the cumulative total to that point being close to the highest year, in 2024.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
A new paper in the journal Geoarchaeology (Garcia et al, 2025) hypothesises that an earthquake-induced debris flow in about 900 AD may have played a role in the abandonment of the archaeological site at Pikillaqta in Peru.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
November 10, 2025 at 7:51 AM
A new paper in the journal Geoarchaeology (Garcia et al, 2025) hypothesises that an earthquake-induced debris flow in about 900 AD may have played a role in the abandonment of the archaeological site at Pikillaqta in Peru.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
On 4 November 2025, a very large landslide in a coal waste slope at Mae Moh Mine in Thailand, causing extensive damage.
It appears that the landslide was associated with very heavy rainfall.
eos.org/thelandslide...
It appears that the landslide was associated with very heavy rainfall.
eos.org/thelandslide...
November 7, 2025 at 8:41 AM
On 4 November 2025, a very large landslide in a coal waste slope at Mae Moh Mine in Thailand, causing extensive damage.
It appears that the landslide was associated with very heavy rainfall.
eos.org/thelandslide...
It appears that the landslide was associated with very heavy rainfall.
eos.org/thelandslide...
This enormous landslide occurred at the Mae Moh mine in Thailand at about 3 am on 4 November 2025. The trigger appears to have been heavy rainfall. Mae Moh is an enormous mine site at [18.3422, 99.7279].
The image was released by the operator, EGAT.
The image was released by the operator, EGAT.
November 5, 2025 at 8:06 AM
This enormous landslide occurred at the Mae Moh mine in Thailand at about 3 am on 4 November 2025. The trigger appears to have been heavy rainfall. Mae Moh is an enormous mine site at [18.3422, 99.7279].
The image was released by the operator, EGAT.
The image was released by the operator, EGAT.
Satellite images from @Planet show the series of debris flows on 31 October 2025 at Chesongoch in Kenya, which killed about 50 people.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
November 4, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Satellite images from @Planet show the series of debris flows on 31 October 2025 at Chesongoch in Kenya, which killed about 50 people.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
The Network Rail Task Force Review of Earthworks Management (I was a member) provides detail on why so many landslides occur on the UK rail system.
"Network Rail have inherited and manage 190,000 earthworks assets...The vast majority are over 100 years old."
www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/u...
"Network Rail have inherited and manage 190,000 earthworks assets...The vast majority are over 100 years old."
www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/u...
November 3, 2025 at 12:55 PM
The Network Rail Task Force Review of Earthworks Management (I was a member) provides detail on why so many landslides occur on the UK rail system.
"Network Rail have inherited and manage 190,000 earthworks assets...The vast majority are over 100 years old."
www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/u...
"Network Rail have inherited and manage 190,000 earthworks assets...The vast majority are over 100 years old."
www.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/u...
Some videos have emerged from Afghanistan, reportedly showing landslides and rockfalls triggered by the M=6.3 earthquake early this morning. The road between Mazar and Kabul is reportedly blocked, which will impact the delivery of emergency assistance.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
November 3, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Some videos have emerged from Afghanistan, reportedly showing landslides and rockfalls triggered by the M=6.3 earthquake early this morning. The road between Mazar and Kabul is reportedly blocked, which will impact the delivery of emergency assistance.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
On 31 October 2025, a landslide occurred at Kukas in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, triggered by heavy rainfall at about 2 am. Reports indicate that at least 22 people were killed. This image, from Facebook, suggests that it occurred in a steep gully.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
October 31, 2025 at 8:09 AM
On 31 October 2025, a landslide occurred at Kukas in Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, triggered by heavy rainfall at about 2 am. Reports indicate that at least 22 people were killed. This image, from Facebook, suggests that it occurred in a steep gully.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
On 22 May 2025, the 1.4 million cubic metre Qingyang landslide in Guizhou Province, China killed 19 people. A new paper in the journal Landslides (Wen et al. 2025) shows that adverse geological conditions caused the landslide, and heavy rainfall was the trigger.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
October 30, 2025 at 7:58 AM
On 22 May 2025, the 1.4 million cubic metre Qingyang landslide in Guizhou Province, China killed 19 people. A new paper in the journal Landslides (Wen et al. 2025) shows that adverse geological conditions caused the landslide, and heavy rainfall was the trigger.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
Some useful tools for monitoring the evolution and behaviour of #HurricaneMelissa
eos.org/thelandslide...
#Melissa #Jamaica #Cuba
eos.org/thelandslide...
#Melissa #Jamaica #Cuba
October 28, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Some useful tools for monitoring the evolution and behaviour of #HurricaneMelissa
eos.org/thelandslide...
#Melissa #Jamaica #Cuba
eos.org/thelandslide...
#Melissa #Jamaica #Cuba
Hurricane Melissa is bearing down on Jamaica, with many areas likely to see over 500 mm of rainfall. The impacts could be extremely significant.
eos.org/thelandslide...
Graphic from NOAA.
eos.org/thelandslide...
Graphic from NOAA.
October 27, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Hurricane Melissa is bearing down on Jamaica, with many areas likely to see over 500 mm of rainfall. The impacts could be extremely significant.
eos.org/thelandslide...
Graphic from NOAA.
eos.org/thelandslide...
Graphic from NOAA.
It was a huge pleasure to see @mattgreencomedy.com in York last night, ably supported international podcast star the Triple-G Unit. Only Matt could discuss overheating fridges and the rhetoric of immigration in the same sentence.
October 27, 2025 at 6:21 AM
It was a huge pleasure to see @mattgreencomedy.com in York last night, ably supported international podcast star the Triple-G Unit. Only Matt could discuss overheating fridges and the rhetoric of immigration in the same sentence.
I'm increasingly concerned about the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Melissa (which will become Hurricane Melissa in due course). The rainfall potential maps for parts of Jamaica are deeply worrying. Large-scale floods and landslides are likely. #Melissa #tropicalstormmelissa #hurricanemelissa
October 25, 2025 at 5:38 AM
I'm increasingly concerned about the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Melissa (which will become Hurricane Melissa in due course). The rainfall potential maps for parts of Jamaica are deeply worrying. Large-scale floods and landslides are likely. #Melissa #tropicalstormmelissa #hurricanemelissa
A new paper (Pedersen et al. 2026) in the journal Geomorphology describes the 10,900 years old Tupaasat rock avalanche in Greenland. This landslide had a volume that exceeded a billion cubic metres and a runout distance of 15.8 kilometres.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
October 24, 2025 at 2:41 PM
A new paper (Pedersen et al. 2026) in the journal Geomorphology describes the 10,900 years old Tupaasat rock avalanche in Greenland. This landslide had a volume that exceeded a billion cubic metres and a runout distance of 15.8 kilometres.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
I had a fantastic day at the NTU Clifton Campus yesterday, which included visits to academic schools and the opportunity to meet undergraduate and postgraduate students. Thanks to all those who made me so very welcome.
October 24, 2025 at 5:08 AM
I had a fantastic day at the NTU Clifton Campus yesterday, which included visits to academic schools and the opportunity to meet undergraduate and postgraduate students. Thanks to all those who made me so very welcome.
It's actually a mirror image of the Tessina landslide.
October 22, 2025 at 8:18 PM
It's actually a mirror image of the Tessina landslide.
Failure of the landslide debris from the Matai'an rock avalanche in Taiwan allowed another barrier lake to form. This breached on 21 October 2025, generating another damaging debris flow.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
October 22, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Failure of the landslide debris from the Matai'an rock avalanche in Taiwan allowed another barrier lake to form. This breached on 21 October 2025, generating another damaging debris flow.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
Today was my first day as Vice-Chancellor and President at Nottingham Trent University. Thank you to everyone who has made me so welcome.
I have a day at the Brackenhurst Campus tomorrow and at the Clifton Campus on Thursday.
I have a day at the Brackenhurst Campus tomorrow and at the Clifton Campus on Thursday.
October 20, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Today was my first day as Vice-Chancellor and President at Nottingham Trent University. Thank you to everyone who has made me so welcome.
I have a day at the Brackenhurst Campus tomorrow and at the Clifton Campus on Thursday.
I have a day at the Brackenhurst Campus tomorrow and at the Clifton Campus on Thursday.
What a difference three years can make. On the left is the crowd at the CBS on 8 October 2022 when we lost 0-1 to Burnley. On the right is the crowd yesterday when we beat Blackburn 2-0. I'm not sure where we'll finish this season, but the progress is astonishing. #pusb
October 19, 2025 at 7:45 AM
What a difference three years can make. On the left is the crowd at the CBS on 8 October 2022 when we lost 0-1 to Burnley. On the right is the crowd yesterday when we beat Blackburn 2-0. I'm not sure where we'll finish this season, but the progress is astonishing. #pusb
These pictures catch the start and the end of my time at the @uniofhull.bsky.social. Thank you to my colleagues, our students, the alumni community and the many friends of the University. It has been an honour and a privilege to lead such a wonderful institution.
October 18, 2025 at 5:54 AM
These pictures catch the start and the end of my time at the @uniofhull.bsky.social. Thank you to my colleagues, our students, the alumni community and the many friends of the University. It has been an honour and a privilege to lead such a wonderful institution.
Satellite images of the parts of #Mexico affected by heavy rainfall in recent days are being captured by @planet.com. This is the area around Conquextla, for example. There are many shallow landslides, some of which have combined to create channelised debris flows. This pattern is repeated widely.
October 15, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Satellite images of the parts of #Mexico affected by heavy rainfall in recent days are being captured by @planet.com. This is the area around Conquextla, for example. There are many shallow landslides, some of which have combined to create channelised debris flows. This pattern is repeated widely.
An excellent new paper in the journal Landslides (Xie et al. 2025) describes a cluster of 143 landslides that was triggered by about 140 mm of rainfall, killing two people, in Pengshui County, China on 12 July 2024.
Before and after images by @planet.com
eos.org/thelandslide...
Before and after images by @planet.com
eos.org/thelandslide...
October 14, 2025 at 7:46 AM
An excellent new paper in the journal Landslides (Xie et al. 2025) describes a cluster of 143 landslides that was triggered by about 140 mm of rainfall, killing two people, in Pengshui County, China on 12 July 2024.
Before and after images by @planet.com
eos.org/thelandslide...
Before and after images by @planet.com
eos.org/thelandslide...
Reconstruction by Quiroga et al (2025) of landslides on the banks of Lake Rupanco in Chile, triggered by the 22 May 1960 Mw-9.5 earthquake, indicate that a 161 million m^3 landslide triggered a tsunami with a maximum amplitude of 33.3 m. About 120 people were killed.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
October 13, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Reconstruction by Quiroga et al (2025) of landslides on the banks of Lake Rupanco in Chile, triggered by the 22 May 1960 Mw-9.5 earthquake, indicate that a 161 million m^3 landslide triggered a tsunami with a maximum amplitude of 33.3 m. About 120 people were killed.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
The report of the Board of Inquiry into the 14 January 2025 McCrae Landslide in Australia found that a major burst in a water main triggered the failure. The leak, which began at least 150 days before the landslide, released at least 40 million liters of water into the slope.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...
October 9, 2025 at 6:24 AM
The report of the Board of Inquiry into the 14 January 2025 McCrae Landslide in Australia found that a major burst in a water main triggered the failure. The leak, which began at least 150 days before the landslide, released at least 40 million liters of water into the slope.
eos.org/thelandslide...
eos.org/thelandslide...