NERC-NSTC SEIS-ELEC Slope Evaluation using Interferometric Seismology and Geoelectrical-Based Deep Learning for Instability Detection

Landslides represent a significant global hazard to infrastructure, ecosystems, and communities, a risk amplified by the increasing intensity of extreme weather patterns due to climate change. Conventional slope condition monitoring methods (walk-over or satellite/aerial surveys) rely heavily on surface observations. These methods are often inadequate for predicting the instability of critical slopes, as they cannot detect subsurface precursors to failure and typically identify issues once failure has begun. Often due to high cost of manual repeat surveying, conventional methods have low sampling frequency (months-years), making them insufficient for providing early warnings of failure.
"NERC-NSTC SEIS-ELEC Slope Evaluation using Interferometric Seismology and Geoelectrical-Based Deep Learning for Instability Detection" addresses this issue by proposing a cost-effective long-term multi-physics monitoring strategy, using the Yorkshire Landslide Observatory (YOLO) at Hollin Hill as the primary test site. The slope stability of this crucial natural laboratory is primarily influenced by rainfall and moisture fluctuations, one of the major factors of slope failures. Previous research attempted different geophysical methods individually, such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), seismic refraction, and distributed acoustic sensing.
A critical gap remains: a comprehensive multi-physics approach that integrates both ground resistivity and mechanical variations. SEIS-ELEC directly addresses this challenge by introducing seismic ambient noise interferometry (SANI) to complement the existing BGS 4D ERT monitoring system at YOLO. SANI is highly sensitive to changes in seismic wave velocity caused by hydrological variations. By combining these two methods, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the hydro-mechanical coupling mechanisms leading to slope failure.
The aim of SEIS-ELEC is to establish a globally relevant landslide hazard assessment framework...