3D scan of Bute Inlet landslide to provide detailed insight into what happened

File Photo
Researchers at the Hakai Institute flew over the massive slide Wednesday to get the latest LIDAR 3D scan measuring about 13 km long.

Researchers with the Hakai Institute were back at the site of the massive Bute Inlet slide yesterday and expect to be able to piece together a detailed analysis of what was first detected by seismometers in the early morning hours of November 28th.

“It was picked up all across the North American continent so the first ones to detect it were the seismologists,” said Eric Peterson, Founder of Hakai Institute.

At about 6 a.m. November 28th, an enormous piece of a mountain – about five or six times the size of Egypt’s largest pyramid – caved into Elliot Lake, causing a tsunami 100 metres high that tore through Elliot Creek to the Southgate River about 13 km away.

“It basically hammered that lake and probably knocked pretty much all of the water out of that lake and it was a decent-sized lake,” said Peterson.

Scientists are still trying to determine why that happened.

The Hakai Institute has been studying climate, snow, ice fields and watersheds on the BC coast since 2005 and has a detailed 3D scan of the same area before the landslide.

On Wednesday they did a second, post-slide scan and will now be able to compare the two, with experts expecting to learn some fascinating details.

“Such as identifying what went where, how far it went, how violent it was, exactly how high were the flows when they came through? The LIDAR scan will be able to tell us that in great detail so we’ll be able to describe with great clarity what happened,” added Peterson.

They’ll also be able to determine if there’s still a risk at the site. The Hakai Institute notes that there appear to be large cracks now visible in the mountain.

Peterson says in the big picture we need to learn from this because there are so many other glacial lakes and fjords across the province.

“I think we should be taking a little bit more of a proactive look at where are the areas of risk and are there things we can do to mitigate these concerns?”

Dean StoltzDean Stoltz

Recent Stories

Send us your news tips and videos!