Chilcotin River landslide and risk of flooding downstream – SFU experts available

Following the news that a landslide blocked the Chilcotin River in British Columbia's Cariboo region, SFU experts are available to explain what has happened, how the situation might develop, and the possible downstream impacts.

JOHN CLAGUE, professor emeritus, Earth sciences, CRC Chair in Natural Hazard Science  
jclague@sfu.ca  
Expertise: The link between extreme weather events and climate change; geology, climate change, natural hazards, floods, landslides. Relating to this landslide specifically, the stability of the landslide dam and implications for the speed of incision – how fast the landslide is breached will affect the nature of the downstream flooding.

BRENDAN MURPHY, assistant professor, School of Environmental Science
Brendan_murphy@sfu.ca
Expertise: Geomorphology, hydrology, and post-wildfire hazards.

JEREMY VENDITTI, professor, environmental science and geography  
778.782.3488 | jeremy_venditti@sfu.ca  
Expertise: impact of flooding on river bank erosion; impact of landslide activity; impact of the slide on salmon.

BRENT WARD, professor, Earth sciences, co-director, Centre for Natural Hazards Research  
604.771.5829 | bcward@sfu.ca  
Expertise: natural hazards, landslides, floods, earthquakes; making communities more resilient to climate change/flooding; lingering impacts of major flood events. The geology of the region – this is a very landslide-prone spot and there was a similar river-blocking landslide very close to the same site in 1964. Downstream consequences of a breach of the landslide dam.

CONTACT

WILL HENDERSON, SFU Communications & Marketing 
604.368.2532 | will_henderson@sfu.ca

Simon Fraser University
Communications & Marketing |  SFU Media Experts Directory
778.782.3210

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