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Rockfalls and rock slides

High mountains with steep slopes make Norway vulnerable to various types of landslides in solid rock. Slides can be triggered by large amounts of rainfall, temperature fluctuations, frost cracking, root bursting, erosion, or extreme loads such as earthquakes.

Services related to rockfalls rock slides

  • danger zone and caution mapping
  • calculation of landslide discharge and forces on structures
  • risk-and vulnerability analysis
  • designing and assessment of security measures
  • assessment of effects related to climate change, climate adaptation
  • assessment of secondary effects such as tidal waves (tsunamis)
  • investigation of avalanche accidents and avalanche incidents
  • knowledge transfer to municipal authorities

Research and development

The research efforts at NGI related to rockfalls cover:

  • empirical analysis of rockfall incidents to assess the connection between discharge and other factors
  • correlation between precipitation and temperature fluctuations and the triggering of rockfalls, and whether expected climate changes will lead to an increased frequency of rockfalls
  • effect of forest on outlet for rock falls
  • mapping of rockslides and assessment of discharges
  • assessment of outlet models for hazard zone mapping and design of protection against rock falls and establishment of best practices for model use
  • contribution to the preparation of a new guide for the investigation of rockfall and rockfall hazards in construction matters
Portrait of Heidi Hefre

Heidi Hefre

Head of Section Snow and Rock Hazards heidi.hefre@ngi.no
+47 413 10 535