Tuesday 13 March 2018

Landslide destroys houses in central Croatia.

Several houses in the town of Hrvatska Kostajnica in central Croatia were destroyed in a landslide on Tuesday 13 March 2018. Nobody was hurt in the incident, which was linked to flooding caused by thawing snow in the region. Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.

Damage caused by a landslide in Hrvatska Kostajnica, central Croatia, on 13 March 2018. AP.

Southern Europe has seen a high number of snow related incidents this winter, largely due to high levels of snowfall. This is, in turn caused by warmer conditions over the Atlantic, which leads to higher rates of evaporation over the ocean, and therefore higher rates of precipitation over Europe, which falls as snow in cooler regions such as the Alps. 

See also...

http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/magnitude-44-earthquake-in-dalmatia.htmlhttp://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/magnitude-39-earthquake-in-western.html
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/at-least-one-dead-following-landslide.htmlhttp://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/five-dead-in-bosnian-mine-collapse.html
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/magnitude-39-earthquake-in-western.htmlhttp://sciencythoughts.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/magnitude-49-earthquake-in-southeast.html
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