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The Tazones Lighthouse slope shows different active mass movements affecting an area of 70.000 m2 of the Cantabrian Coast (N Spain), characterized by almost vertical rocky cliffs developed on Jurassic rocks: alternating marl, sandstone and limestone with three main stratigraphic and structural discontinuity families. Between June 2018 and May 2020, 22 monthly monitoring campaigns have been carried out to measure the displacement of 38 control points, located between 95-110 masl. The total station monitoring has been complemented by ortophoto analysis and detailed digital terrain models (DTM) from two drone flights. Since the beginning of the 3D monitoring, about the 50 % of the markers moved more than 1 m, one of them exceeding 15 m. Detailed DTM has shown that the increased activity is controlled by the discontinuities. There is an extraordinary correlation between displacement acceleration and precipitation and soil moisture: the largest displacements have occurred after 2 periods of intense rain (January and October-November 2019, with a maximum 24-hour precipitation of 64.5 mm and 82.1 mm, respectively, and soil moisture values higher than 90 %). This represents an exceptional opportunity to analyse in real time the Jurassic cliffs retreat of the Cantabrian Coast, a question that remained not quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given its geological and climatic conditions and its rugged orography, Asturias is one of the most landslide prone areas in the North of Spain. Most of the landslides occur during intense rainfall episodes. Thus, precipitation is considered the main triggering factor in the study area, reaching average annual values of 960 mm. Two main precipitation patterns are frequent: (i) long-lasting periods of moderate rainfall during autumn and winter and (ii) heavy short rainfall episodes during spring and early summer. In the present work, soil moisture conditions in the locations of 84 landslides are analysed during two rainfall episodes, which represent the most common precipitation patterns: October–November 2008 and June 2010. Empirical data allowed the definition of available water capacity percentages of 99–100% as critical soil moisture conditions for the landslide triggering. Intensity-duration rainfall thresholds were calculated for each episode, considering the periods with sustained high soil moisture levels before the occurrence of each analysed landslide event. For this purpose, data from daily water balance models and weather stations were used. An inverse relationship between the duration of the precipitation and its intensity, consistent with published intensity-duration thresholds, was observed, showing relevant seasonal differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]