Latest news with #clay
CBC
23-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Quebec's clay-rich soil raises landslide risk — even with no significant slope
A landslide that swallowed a home and left a 300-metre crater in the middle of a rural road in central Quebec on Wednesday has left many wondering how it could have happened. Usually when people think of landslides, they think of a slope with rocks and debris rushing down and not a seemingly flat expanse of land appearing to collapse in on itself. As it happens, however, the type of landslide that hit Sainte-Monique, Que., on Wednesday is quite common in southern Quebec, due to the province's topography and its soil. Simon Legault, a science communicator with Ouranos — Quebec's climatology and climate change innovation hub — explained that most of the St. Lawrence Valley is covered in clay. "So what we mostly see in southern Quebec is just like a muddy slide or just soil that loses consistency or becomes a little bit more liquefied and just slowly drifts into the lower land around," he said. According to data on the Quebec government website, around 100 landslides and incidents of unstable ground are reported to municipal authorities each year and are more frequent in the spring and fall, or during extreme meteorological events. Extreme weather makes land less stable For Philippe Gachon, a professor at Université du Québec à Montreal's geography department, what stands out in Wednesday's event is the landslide's magnitude which "has rarely been seen in recent years in Quebec." In a phone interview with The Canadian Press, Gachon pointed to clay as being a landslide risk and added the land has become less stable due to more extreme weather conditions. Clay can become unstable due to excessive rain or extreme dryness, he explained — and Quebec has seen both in recent years. "Clay doesn't like when there's too much water, and it doesn't like it either when there isn't enough water because it has a tendency to fracture," he said. As extreme weather becomes more common, he says it's vital to better understand the entirety of the water cycle in the province, which he said is vulnerable to hydrological "whiplash" due to alternating periods of extreme wet and dryness. "It's clear that with climate change, we're going to face events we've never experienced before, certain phenomena we've never seen before in history," he said. Climate change increases risk, expert says Legault also believes climate change is likely to increase the risk of landslides in the future. Over the next decades, he says the province is expected to see more rain, and an earlier onset of the spring thaw, allowing more water to penetrate into the ground. "Water is a factor that can contribute to ground movement or landslide because you need to have more water, or an excess of water inside the ground that causes that liquefaction," he said. The higher risk of landslides, however, doesn't necessarily mean increased frequency, he said, "depending on how we adapt the terrain." Currently, estimates show that 40 per cent of reported landslides are linked to "poor practices associated with human activities that affect slope stability," according to Ouranos' website. "We have natural landslides, but we sometimes have populations that are just modifying slopes," Legault said. Things like building a structure on top of a hill, excavating at the bottom of a slope, building something that would direct more water toward a slope or cutting trees, are all examples of activities that could contribute to increasing the risk of landslides. Legault said municipal and provincial authorities are working to better understand the lay of the land to know where risks are highest. This work must continue, he said, and it's important that the population knows the risks as well.
Asharq Al-Awsat
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Fognini Says This Italian Open Will Be His Last
Former world number nine Fabio Fognini said this year's Italian Open in Rome will be his last appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The 37-year-old Italian will face Briton Jacob Fearnley in the first round on Thursday, marking his 18th main draw appearance at the tournament, having reached the quarter-finals in 2018. "I think it's a good time to say goodbye in this beautiful city, special city," Fognini, who first played at the Italian Open in 2006, told the Tennis Channel on Wednesday. "Since I was a kid I was coming here to say, 'Oh let's see, let's hope to play one day'. And now I'm in the opposite (end of my career). "But I'm here with a smile on my face because I know that I had a really difficult time during my, I don't know, 20 years in Rome and I would like to enjoy the last lap." Fognini has won eight of his nine ATP singles titles on clay, including the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters. He said one of his fondest memories in Rome was beating then world number one Andy Murray in straight sets in 2017.
CNA
08-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Fognini says this Italian Open will be his last
Former world number nine Fabio Fognini said this year's Italian Open in Rome will be his last appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The 37-year-old Italian will face Briton Jacob Fearnley in the first round on Thursday, marking his 18th main draw appearance at the tournament, having reached the quarter-finals in 2018. "I think it's a good time to say goodbye in this beautiful city, special city," Fognini, who first played at the Italian Open in 2006, told the Tennis Channel on Wednesday. "Since I was a kid I was coming here to say, 'Oh let's see, let's hope to play one day'. And now I'm in the opposite (end of my career). "But I'm here with a smile on my face because I know that I had a really difficult time during my, I don't know, 20 years in Rome and I would like to enjoy the last lap." Fognini has won eight of his nine ATP singles titles on clay, including the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters. He said one of his fondest memories in Rome was beating then world number one Andy Murray in straight sets in 2017.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Naomi Osaka Takes a Bite Out of Rafael Nadal's Iconic Ritual
Naomi Osaka has had an exhausting week on clay, but she found a way to be her jovial self with a light-hearted tribute to Rafael Nadal following her recent title win in Saint-Malo, France. The four-time Grand Slam champion took to her TikTok account to share a playful video of herself taking a bite out of her trophy — a nod to Nadal's iconic and long-standing victory ritual. 'I'm so hungry I could eat this – Saint Malo trophy,' says Naomi Osaka before taking a bite out of the big silverware. Taking a symbolic chomp out of his trophies has been one of Nadal's signature moves throughout his illustrious career. Fans were quick to catch the reference, especially since Osaka's win in Saint-Malo marked a personal milestone: her first-ever title on clay. Rafael Nadal (ESP) bites the trophy after winning the men s singles final against Casper Ruud (NOR)© Susan Mullane-Imagn Images What made the moment even more amusing — and meaningful — was the irony that Osaka was imitating Nadal's ritual on the very surface he dominates. Known more for her prowess on hard courts, Osaka's clay-court success has been a work in progress, making this win and her humorous celebration even more special. Advertisement The video quickly made the rounds online, with fans appreciating Osaka's self-aware humor and the clever homage to one of the sport's greatest. Many fans commented on how this video was 'as much Naomi as it gets', calling her adorable and funny at the same time. Osaka will look to shift her attention now to Rome where she is all set to face home favorite Sara Errani in what should be an enticing encounter.
