Rock star of the week: Vanessa Bateman

*(Please read my previous post if you have not yet)*

As I am sure many of you have, I have watched the video of the rockslide on U.S. Highway 64 in Tennessee over and over. It is just awesome to watch. I was super excited when I found this link that has a video (different from the one below) telling more details on the slide and how a geologist saved the day!! How awesome is that! A Geologist!! Rock on! And I was even more excited to find out it was not just a geologist, but a chick geologist - Vanessa Bateman! Ms. (Dr.?) Bateman is the Manager of the Geotechnical Section for the Tennessee Department of Transportation's (TDOT) Nashville Office (link, pictured right). She noticed that the slope (reported in the news video to be granite) along the Ocoee Gorge was going to break away (and not surprising, did you see that outcrop!), and was able to warn others to vacate the area. Less than an hours earlier reporters and construction workers with heavy equipment were in the spot where the second slide would occur. It must have been so cool to see (and probably somewhat freaky and scary!). I should add that I am really glad no one was hurt!

So, way to go Vanessa!! Awesome to save lives while also playing with rocks (and showing that there are some awesome chick geologist out there doing cool things)!

Another video link.

And another link.

And one more of the destruction.

And over and over and over here on CNN

And it reminds me of this (sort of, in coolness factor):

Japan(?)

What is your favorite mass wasting event? Someone needs to start a blog of things like this.

(PS - I hate for this post to bump the post below, so please read it if you have not yet!)

© ReBecca K. Hunt-Foster; picture from the Highway Geology Symposium