Norwegians try to cause landslide in unstable mountain

Norwegian authorities are trying to provoke a landslide by pumping water onto a mountain where a major shift in the rock has appeared threatening.

Lars Harald Blikra of Norway's Water Resources and Energy Directorate says 75,000 liters (19,500 gallons) of had been pumped up overnight onto the Mannen mountain, 350 kilometers (217 miles) northwest of Oslo.

He said Friday the pumping could continue for days, adding "we have not seen so large a shifting before."

In recent weeks, movement of up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) has been recorded—compared with a normal shifting rate of 1-2 centimeters (0.4-0.8 inches) per year.

Late Thursday, 11 people living in four houses close to Mannen were protectively evacuated.

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Citation: Norwegians try to cause landslide in unstable mountain (2017, October 6) retrieved 23 June 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2017-10-norwegians-landslide-unstable-mountain.html
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