Abstract
Modern methods to characterise rock masses and monitor rockfalls and rock slope stability are evolving incredibly fast during the last decade. The rapid increase in new techniques, miniaturization, affordability, computational power, or remote sensing data availability allows deployment in more areas in higher amounts with higher frequency and accuracy of acquisition. The current rapid development of monitoring methods is also induced by engineering challenges when new infrastruc- tures are being constructed in more complicated geological conditions, like moun- tainous areas or deep gorges with steep slopes. This chapter brings an overview of modern methods used for rock mass characterisation and rockfall monitoring and shows the basic needs for complex monitoring systems and data processing.
Finally, it describes the main groups of monitoring methods based on cluster anal- ysis and principal trends in research papers related to modern methods in rock mass characterisation and rockfall monitoring.