Examples of geomorphologic and geological hazards in Algeria

D. Machane (1) , Youcef Bouhadad (1) , G. Cheikhlounis (2) , Jean-Luc Chatelain (1, 3, 4) , E. Oubaiche (1) , K. Abbes (1) , B. Guillier (1, 3, 4) , R. Ben Salem (1)

1 CGS - National Center of Applied Research in Earthquake Engineering = Centre National de Recherche Appliquée en Génie Parasismique
2 USTHB - Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene = University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene [Alger]
3 LGIT - Laboratoire de Géophysique Interne et Tectonophysique
4 IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement

We present three geomorphologic and geological phenomena that have occurred in Algeria in recent years: (i) the Bab El Oued mudflow on 11 November 2001, which claimed several hundred lives, (ii) a soil collapse induced by sand liquefaction triggered by the Boumerdes earthquake (M w = 6.8) on 21 May 2003, and (iii) landslides that are threatening Constantine city, for which a hazard map is presented using a qualitative approach. We briefly describe and analyze these natural disasters, and in the first two cases propose the application of geophysical techniques such as ambient noise recordings and electrical imagery to help evaluate their extent and potential threat. Finally a landslide hazard map of Constantine is proposed.

Mots clés: Mudflow; Soil collapse; Landslide; Earthquake; Liquefaction; Ambient vibrations; H/V; Electrical imagery; Algeria

D. Machane, Youcef Bouhadad, G. Cheikhlounis, Jean-Luc Chatelain, E. Oubaiche, et al.. Examples of geomorphologic and geological hazards in Algeria. Natural Hazards, 2008, 45 (2), pp.295 à 308. ⟨10.1007/s11069-007-9167-5⟩. ⟨insu-00334564⟩