Innovation Winter 2025/26

THE SCIENCE AND UNCERTAINTY OF Rockslides are devastating geological events. Anticipating their likelihood and impact is a challenge, but technology and increased data collection are moving that mountain. ROCKSLIDES By Brian MacIver W hen the earth collapsed under the rush of floods in southern Bosnia in October 2024, entire hillsides swallowed villages, homes, and lives in a matter of minutes. In Darfur, the 2025 rainy season triggered a devastating earth slide that buried roads and an estimated 1,000 residents of the tiny village of Tarasin, in the country’s Marrah Mountains region. Only one person from that village survived the event. But not all landslides are created equal. In Banff National Park this past summer, a rockslide thundered down a popular hiking trail, killing two people and injuring several others. Unlike the slower creep of saturated soil, rockslides strike with little warning — fast, loud, and lethal. Parks Canada recently announced that trail would remain closed until at least 2026 to allow staff to assess geotechnical data and ensure the area is safe. These disasters, sudden and brutal, underscore a troubling truth: predicting when and where the ground will give way remains an elusive challenge. Now, researchers are turning to cutting-edge technologies — from satellite imaging to AI-driven terrain modeling — to decode the probabilistic nature of these events and improve forecasting. The goal: save lives by transforming rockslide prediction from reactive guesswork into proactive science.

Innovation Innovation

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Winter 2025/26