SLIDE: Assessing the contribution of slow-moving landslides to erosion in the Himalayas

Section: Geophysics

Responsible staff: Nicolas D’Oreye

SLIDE is a four‑year project carried out in collaboration with the Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques (CRPG) [Centre for Petrographic and Geochemical Research] of the University of Lorraine in Nancy, ISTerre (Grenoble), the Centre Spatial de Liège [Liège Space Centre] (Belgium) and the ECGS. The project is co‑funded by the ANR (France) and the FNR (Luxembourg).

The project aims to study the contribution of slow and deep‑seated landslides to denudation and the evolution of mountain landscapes in the central Himalayas, using InSAR time series, optical imagery, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), as well as seismic and infrasound methods.

The project officially began on 1 December 2024. The initial tasks consisted of selecting and testing GNSS, seismic and infrasound equipment in preparation for deployment at a landslide site to be identified in central Nepal. Several potential monitoring sites are currently being evaluated.

The first measurement stations were deployed in May 2025, with further installations planned for November of the same year. Systematic processing of satellite radar images (InSAR) for full coverage of central Nepal is currently carried out routinely and makes it possible to measure ground deformation with sub‑centimetre resolution. The next stages of the work will include analysing these data, which cover more than 21,000 km², with the help of artificial intelligence.