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Photographic feature: The Southwell Topple – reassessment of a very large coastal toppling failure on the Isle of Portland, UK

View ORCID ProfileAlan P. Dykes and Edward N. Bromhead
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 55, qjegh2020-146, 10 August 2021, https://doi.org/10.1144/qjegh2020-146
Alan P. Dykes
Centre for Earth and Environmental Science Research, School of Engineering and the Environment, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Supporting)], [Writing – original draft (Equal)], [Writing – review & editing (Lead)]
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Edward N. Bromhead
Centre for Earth and Environmental Science Research, School of Engineering and the Environment, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Lead)], [Writing – original draft (Equal)], [Writing – review & editing (Supporting)]
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Abstract

The Southwell Topple is a spectacular example of a toppling failure on the southeastern coastline of the Isle of Portland, on the south coast of England. Types of mass movements, which occur around almost the entire coastline of Portland and include some other much smaller but well-known topples, vary depending on local geological and topographical contexts. The ‘Southwell Landslide’ of 1734 (i.e. the Southwell Topple) differs in most respects from all the others, not least in its size. We examine the historical and geological contexts of the Southwell Topple in order to explain its origins and characteristics. The recently published bathymetric data from the DORIS project reveals the tectonic context for the landslide, particularly the frequent transform faults parallel to the southeastern coastline of Portland and the axis of the Shambles Syncline forming Portland's ‘central depression’. It appears that the Southwell Topple resulted from coast-parallel tectonic discontinuities – probably a single joint and/or transform fault – through the Portland Stone combined with preferential marine erosion of the underlying weaker Portland Sand.

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Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology: 55 (1)
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology
Volume 55, Issue 1
February 2022
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Photographic feature: The Southwell Topple – reassessment of a very large coastal toppling failure on the Isle of Portland, UK

Alan P. Dykes and Edward N. Bromhead
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 55, qjegh2020-146, 10 August 2021, https://doi.org/10.1144/qjegh2020-146
Alan P. Dykes
Centre for Earth and Environmental Science Research, School of Engineering and the Environment, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Supporting)], [Writing – original draft (Equal)], [Writing – review & editing (Lead)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
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  • ORCID record for Alan P. Dykes
  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Edward N. Bromhead
Centre for Earth and Environmental Science Research, School of Engineering and the Environment, Kingston University, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2EE, UK
Roles: [Conceptualization (Lead)], [Writing – original draft (Equal)], [Writing – review & editing (Supporting)]
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site

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Photographic feature: The Southwell Topple – reassessment of a very large coastal toppling failure on the Isle of Portland, UK

Alan P. Dykes and Edward N. Bromhead
Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 55, qjegh2020-146, 10 August 2021, https://doi.org/10.1144/qjegh2020-146
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