Abstract
Abstract. Rapid mass movements (RMM) pose a substantial risk to people and infrastructure. Reliable and cost-efficient measures have to be taken to reduce this risk. One of these measures includes establishing and advancing the state of practice in the application of early warning systems (EWSs). EWSs have been developed during the past decades and are rapidly increasing. In this paper, we focus on the technical part of EWSs, i.e., the prediction and timely recognition of imminent hazards, as well as on monitoring slopes at risk and released mass movements. Recent innovations in assessing spatial precipitation, monitoring and precursors of the triggering and deformation of RMM offer new opportunities for next-generation EWSs. However, technical advancement can only be transferred into more reliable, operational EWSs with an adequate well-instructed dedicated staff. To this end, an intense dialog between scientists, engineers and those in charge of warning, as well as further experience with new comprehensive prototype systems jointly operated by scientists and practitioners, will be essential.
Highlights
A sustainable risk management approach is preventive and includes reliable and cost-efficient risk mitigation measures
In Austria, an overview of early warning systems (EWSs) for snow avalanche and landslide processes was published by the Forestry Torrent and Avalanche Control (Forsttechnischer Dienst für Wildbach- und Lawinenverbauung, 2008)
A recent overview of operational landslide EWSs in Europe was assembled for the EU FP7 project SafeLand
Summary
A sustainable risk management approach is preventive and includes reliable and cost-efficient risk mitigation measures. Early warning systems (EWSs) for rapid mass movements (RMM) have become an essential element of integral risk management worldwide (Glade and Nadim, 2014). They span a wide range of spatial scales and technological complexities, their ultimate goal is always the same: to alert people to imminent hazards and allow them to get to safety. The present review article only discusses the current state of the scientific and technical part of EWSs, i.e., the prediction and timely recognition of imminent hazards and released mass movements, as well as the monitoring of slopes at risk. The paper aims at providing a useful basis for the design of next-generation EWSs
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