General workplan (work packages)

This WP focusses on the slope mass-wasting at regional scale and analyses important historic events that occurred in the Central-Eastern Pyrenees using GIS (Geographical Information System) techniques. Many of the data-inputs (event data-base, rainfall records and susceptibility studies) are already available and can be totally or partially included in the following tasks. 

This WP focusses on the slope mass-wasting at catchment scale and applies different monitoring techniques. It principally focuses on the Rebaixader catchment, where a sophisticated monitoring system is installed since 2009 and data on mass-wasting activity and rainfall are available for the last 70-80 years. Two other monitoring sites (Cercs and Erill) give supplementary information to avoid site-specific interpretations.

This WP focuses on the slope scale and includes a full-scale physical experiment to analyze the response of bear and vegetalized artificial slopes to natural climatic actions and artificial infiltration, identify the controlling mechanisms and calibrate the numerical model developed in WP4. The lack of comprehensive field tests in the literature, full-scale experiment appears to be imperative to provide high quality measurements under well-controlled conditions about the thermo-hydraulic processes occurring at soil/plants/atmosphere interface and their coupling with mechanical effects. 

This WP focuses on the scale of slope mechanisms. is devoted to the development and implementation in the Finite Element code Code_bright of an advanced model for soil/plant/atmosphere interactions. The model will aim at reproducing the main coupled chemo-thermo-hydro-mechanical processes responsible of soil water extraction by plants and plant growth. Model will be validated on measurements obtained in the physical experiment while supporting its interpretation.

This WP includes the numerical simulations to be done at the slope scale with the THM and CTHM models developed in Workpackage 4. Simulations have several objectives: to support the design and interpretation of the physical experiment, calibrate the THM model and assess its level of representativeness, calibrate and validate the CTHM model, identify the different processes acting in bear and vegetalized slopes, interpret the field measurements acquired in the monitoring sites and analyze the mechanisms leading to shallow failure in these specific slopes. 

This WP analyses the impact of climate change on slope mass-wasting at different scales (regional, catchment and slope scale) using retro- and prospective approaches. Existing climate models and maps of vegetation changes will be combined with the outputs of the previous WPs in order to assess the impacts. 

This WP proposes some solutions on the practical aspects related to slope mass-wasting and changing climate. Some specific mitigation strategies at slope and regional scale will be identified and described. This WP should be a starting point for future research. 

This work package will be active throughout the project and will ensure efficient coordination of the participants in the other work packages and of all major research and dissemination actions. These latter includes the transference of the results to the EPOs and to the scientific community.