Combined effects of climate and geology caused 2024 Wayanad landslide: study

What happened (study claim about the Wayanad landslide)

A peer-reviewed study published in the journal Landslides argues that the 2024 landslide in Kerala’s Wayanad was not attributable to extreme rainfall alone. The study proposes that climate acted as an immediate trigger through monsoon rainfall, while geological, geomorphological, and structural factors likely determined where the landslide began, how it travelled, and why it became among the most destructive landslides recorded in the Western Ghats.

Background and earlier position (single-trigger explanations vs multi-cause reasoning)

In many public discussions on landslides, the focus tends to fall on rainfall intensity because rain quickly raises pore water pressure and destabilises slopes. The study’s central point is that rainfall may explain initiation timing, but slope failure and destructive movement also depend on the pre-existing geological framework—rock type, landform history (geomorphology), and structural features such as weak planes and slope geometry.

What changed now (new evidence and methods)

The study is based on extensive field investigations carried out across the affected valley in April 2025. The researchers report three main evidence steps: Geological mapping across sections of the affected area.Laboratory analysis of rock samples.Use of drone-mounted LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) plus high-resolution aerial imagery to investigate the crown area because direct access remained unsafe.They attribute the findings to researchers Y. Anilkumar and K. S. Sajinkumar from the University of Kerala (Department of Geology).