Cliff Stability Assessment Using Electrical Resistivity Tomography at the Historic WWII D-Day Invasion Site, Pointe du Hoc, France Conference Paper uri icon

abstract

  • The D-Day invasion site at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, France is an important WWII battlefield and cultural resource but is at risk from chalk cliff collapse. The American Battle Monuments Commission seeks to evaluate the geohazard to the observation post and other cliff-side buildings. Geophysical multi-electrode resistivity profiling is used to study cliff stability and the condition of the observation-post foundations. Preliminary 2-D geological interpretations are provided of individual profiles. The copious steel, concrete and void spaces at the site renders hydrogeological interpretation challenging but tractable. The cliff face appears to be relatively intact and well-drained. Several routes taken by groundwater into fractures within the chalk were identified mainly on the western side of the site. The observation post may be moving with the soil and not securely anchored to bedrock. Resistivity tomography is an appropriate geophysical technique to study geological stability of the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc. Copyright ASCE 2007.

name of conference

  • Innovative Applications of Geophysics in Civil Engineering

published proceedings

  • Innovative Applications of Geophysics in Civil Engineering

author list (cited authors)

  • Everett, M. E., Pierce, C. J., Warden, R. R., Udphuay, S., Soule, D. C., Briaud, J., & Burt, R. A.

citation count

  • 0

complete list of authors

  • Everett, Mark E||Pierce, Carl J||Warden, Robert R||Udphuay, Suwimon||Soule, Dax C||Briaud, Jean-Louis||Burt, Richard A

publication date

  • January 2007