Turtle Mountain Field Laboratory, Alberta (NTS 82G): 2014 Data and Activity Summary

The Turtle Mountain monitoring system (TMMS) is a near-real-time monitoring system that provides data from a series network of eight geotechnical sensors on the south peak of Turtle Mountain (site of the 1903 Frank Slide) in the Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) is responsible for the long-term monitoring and interpretation of these data. It also notifies the Alberta Emergency Management Agency should significant movements occur.

This report has four main sections:

The first section contains information about the major changes to the TMMS’s network during the 2014 field season. This includes a review of the main repair and maintenance activities, a summary of new installations and abandoned stations, and a summary of system performance and reliability.

The second section provides data analysis for the primary, secondary, and non-operational instruments. These interpretations include slope conditions and displacement behavior from instrumentation results. Since weather factors have affected some of the sensors, this discussion focuses only on the sensors that have provided reliable annual data. The installation of the new secondary instrumentation, LiSAmobile is described.

The third section reviews the report by O. Hungr (Appendix B) on the runout analysis for two potential landslides of the North Peak of Turtle Mountain. Hungr’'s report outlines work carried out for AER/AGS to supplement recommendations from the 2013 Blue Ribbon Panel Report.

The fourth section discusses the Blue Ribbon Panel Report (Appendix A). This report was prepared for the AER/AGS to provide recommendations for the current and future Turtle Mountain Field Laboratory program. The report outlines the mountain site characterization and hazard assessment, reviews the early-warning monitoring system practices, and makes recommendations for the future of the project.