Bottomsets from glaciomarine deltas situated stratigraphically below and above the Weichselian maximum glaciation till at Skorgenes, western Norway, were tested for consolidation in an attempt to quantify the ice thickness at the time of deposition of the till. The value of the preconsolidation pressure in the lower unit (15 ± 1 MPa), indicates an ice thickness over the site of some 1350 ± 90 m. This is, however, only considered a minimum because values of preconsolidation pressures normally are lower than actual ice thickness would suggest due to incomplete drainage of the bed during consolidation. The estimated ice thickness indicates an ice surface some 400 m above the lower limit of the block field in the area, suggesting that this limit can not be used as a criterion for reconstructing the upper glacier surface for the Weichselian maximum glaciation in western Norway. Also, the nearest mountain peaks seemingly were completely ice covered, suggesting that no nunataks were present in that area.

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Abstract. Increased intensity of rainfall in later years seems to result in increased frequency of rainfall-induced landslides in natural slopes with glacial Quaternary deposits, which cover large parts of Norway. Many slides hit railway and road infrastructure, and sometimes dwellings. Typically, the soil matrix has a high content of intermediate soils (sand and silt). Natural soil slopes may have inclinations above the effective friction angle of the soils. Slope stability hence must rely on some cohesion, which often is "apparent", i.e. caused by negative pore-water pressure (suction). Dissipation of suction during short-or long-term rainfall hence results in reduced shear strength of the slope, and may lead to slope failure. There is a scarcity of data for Norwegian soils for thorough analysis of landslide triggering based on unsaturated geomechanics. More data may result in improved landslide warning. In this paper, results from unsaturated shear box testing of samples of a silty sand taken from a landslide site in Eastern Norway are presented and discussed.

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