Slope Monitoring for Early Warning of Rapid Landslides: Mitigating Rainfall-induced Disasters

Towhata and coauthors draw on their decades of research and innovation to describe an inexpensive and easy to interpret early warning system for rainfall-induced landslides.This system will enable readers to identify slope collapses before they happen and act to prevent economic and human losses. Readers will gain an understanding of existing slope monitoring technologies and their applications and advantages and disadvantages.They will also understand the need for early warning systems for rapid landslides that are caused by heavy rainfall. Because such landslides are increasing in frequency because of a climate-change-related increase in short-term but heavy rainfall, the authors first review the current context before explaining the importance of field monitoring for their continuing professional career development.The authors describe their technology, which is based on an inexpensive tiltmeter sensor and can detect landslides several hours prior to their onset.It is important that