Studying the geology of landslides

Greenville News Photo/Mykal McEldowney

Mountaintops across the Upstate are at risk from landslides, and local geologists warn that if a landslide occurred in certain high-risk spots, it could wipe out mountain homes and endanger lives. Several professors in Furman’s Earth and Environmental Science Department talked about the risks in a front-page article in The Greenville News.  The professors in the department have mapped the geological makeup of the Blue Ridge Escarpment for decades, and Bill Ranson recently took his class to Jones Gap State Park for a closer look at an area that is prone to landslides.