Abstract

Shallow landslides, particularly debris flows, are a characteristic mass movement type that occur along the Sea to Sky Highway in British Columbia. Historically, there have been a number of debris flows along the Sea to Sky Highway that have caused property damage, blocked traffic, and resulted in the loss of lives. This project analyses shallow landslide susceptibilty along the Sea to Sky Highway using a simple coupled slope and hydrological model developed by Montgomery and Dietrich (1994). Landslide susceptibility maps have been produced showing the required critical steady state rainfall required for a slope to become unstable, which is reflective of the primary trigger event of landslides in this region, that is, high magnitude rainstorms. Three dimensional visualizations have been produced to aid in the interpretation of susceptible areas, as well as for comparison against existing landslide defenses, and identification of human structures in areas of potentially high susceptibility.