2024 BGA Medal Winning Paper announced
The British Geotechnical Association (BGA) is pleased to announce that the 2024 BGA Medal has been awarded to Jim Whiteley leading a team of 16 authors including Arnaud Watlet, Paul Wilkinson, Adrian White, Sebastian Uhlemann, Russell Swift, Susanne Ouellet, Chris Minto, Philip Meldrum, Lee Jones, David Gunn, Alastair Godfrey, Ben Dashwood, Roger Crickmore, Paul Clarkson, James Boyd, and Jonathan Chambers, for their paper “High-resolution geophysical monitoring of moisture accumulation preceding slope movement—a path to improved early warning” published in Environmental Research Letters in 2024.
The paper can be accessed online HERE.
Five entries were received for the award this year, all of which of a very high standard, leaving the judging panel with a very challenging task in selecting the winner.
The judges agreed that the winning paper presents an engaging and innovative approach to assessing slope stability at a large scale, integrating techniques such as electrical resistivity tomography and low frequency distributed acoustic sensing, to enhance early warning systems and improve understanding of slope movement. Tested in an instrumented field, the study provides compelling observations offering crucial insights on landslide mechanisms. The collaboration of a large, multidisciplinary team demonstrates the importance of developing a common language to tackle complex geotechnical challenges—a commendable aspect that underscores the strength of this work.
The BGA Medal is awarded annually (each calendar year) by the BGA to a paper substantially authored by a BGA member or BGA members published in an international journal or from BGA, ISSMGE and ISRM conferences, and submitted for consideration of the award.