Bingham Canyon mine landslide - GIF

[RetiredFAE]

Happened on 10 April 2013. from The Earth Matters Website at: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/bl...2%80%99s%20pit.


The total volume of rock that fell during the slide was 52 million cubic meters, they report, enough to cover Central Park with 50 feet of rock and dirt. The slide occurred in two main phases, but researchers used infrasound recordings and seismic data to discover 11 additional landslides that occurred between the two main events. Modeling and further seismic analysis revealed the average speeds at which the hillsides fell: 81 miles per hour for the first main slide and 92 mph for the second, with peak speeds well over 150 mph.

Well, a lot of rock and it was moving right along! The mine has since reopened both to tourists and mining operations.