Landslides and mass movement

Pleistocene river gravels of the proto-Thames form low cliffs on the south coast of Mersea Island, Essex. This is a site of regional geological importance and is a SSSI. Active erosion is taking place, with the cliffs receding northwards. Rising sea-levels associated with global warming will exascerbate this effect.

Callow Bank landslide, seen from Higger Tor. The Kinder plateau is on the skyline at the left-hand side. See where this picture was taken. [?]

First of all, I did not take this picture. It was taken by the National Coal Board South Wales Area Photographer, but I was with him at the time. I have posted this here by request to show the technique of 'painting with light' to capture images underground in a hazardous, gassy environment, where electronic, or flash equipment cannot be used. The camera was set up on a tripod, all lights were turned out and the the shutter opened on the 'B' setting. The photographer then used his cap-lamp to paint the entire area with light, starting at the top and working downwards in a series of sweeps from side-to-side. Then the shutter was closed. The entire exposure was about 30 seconds. The picture shows the results of an outburst of coal and gas which has overwhelmed the shearer (just visible to the left of where the chain disappears into the debris). South Wales, Cynheidre Colliery, BV24 face, 5th May 1983.

First of all, I did not take this picture. It was taken by the National Coal Board South Wales Area Photographer, but I was with him at the time and I am in the photo (see note towards upper left of photo). I have posted this here by request to show the technique of 'painting with light' to capture images underground in a hazardous, gassy environment, where electronic, or flash equipment cannot be used. The camera was set up on a tripod, all lights were turned out and the the shutter opened on the 'B' setting. The photographer then used his cap-lamp to paint the entire area with light, starting at the top and working downwards in a series of sweeps from side-to-side. Then the shutter was closed. The entire exposure was about 30 seconds. The picture shows the results of an outburst of coal and gas which has overwhelmed the shearer (the coal cutting machine). South Wales, Cynheidre Colliery, BV24 face, 5th May 1983.

Remains of the A625 road on the Mam Tor landslip, Derbyshire. This is a section of the old A625 Sheffield to Chapel-en-le-Frith road at the foot of Mam Tor in the Peak District. The road was built across an extensive active landslip area and was in constant need of repair. The photo shows the repetitive layers of successive repairs made to this section. The road was finally closed in 1979. The landslip first formed about 3000 years BP, on an oversteepened slope left after Devensian. There is an 80 m high back scar in formed in the Mam Tor Beds. The toe of the landslip is still active today, moving at up to 2 metres per year in places. Photo taken in October 1999

Uploaded as a clue to a GWUK puzzle This building was demolished a few months after this photo was taken.

Jack's Rake on Pavey Ark - one of the Langdale Pikes, in the Lake District, Cumbria. This is a scramble rather than a footpath. In Book 3*, Wainwright classifies it as an easy rock climb and 'just about the limit that the ordinary common garden or fell walker (AW's word order) reasonably may be expected to attempt.' 'Although the Rake climbs high across the face of a fearful precipice, there is curiously little sense of exposure, for a comforting parapet of rock accompanies all the steeper parts of ascent.' * Wainwright, A. 1958. A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Book Three, The Central Fells . Westmorland Gazette, Kendal. Taken with a Zenit E and scanned from a Kodakcolor print.