GEOLOGIC, GEOTECHNICAL, AND GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION OF A SHALLOW LANDSLIDE, EASTERN KENTUCKY

Shallow colluvial landslides are common in eastern Kentucky, causing damage to roadways, infrastructure, and residences, with mitigation costs exceeding $10 million per year. A geological, geotechnical, and geophysical investigation was carried out for a shallow colluvial landslide in Boyd County, Kentucky, located in the east-central part of the larger Appalachian Plateau. The purpose of this project was to assess the geologic conditions, extent, and behavior of a rainfall-triggered landslide in eastern Kentucky and evaluate the use of electrical resistivity as a tool to characterize a shallow colluvial landslide. This study showed (1) colluvial landslide movement is correlated to rainfall; and (2) inverted resistivity sections with distinct resistivity contrasts correlated to landslide stratigraphy, depth of the failure surface, and groundwater regimes.