Peer Reviews

This paper is very well written and supplies clear and concise analysis on the issue of landslides along Riverside Avenue. The paper goes in depth on the natural causes, such as the hydrological patterns of the area, glacial history, and landuse change, and how each of these things makes it more likely for a slide to occur. They also provide great information on the history of human development of the road and surrounding areas, as well as how these changes got us to where we are now. The use of historical photographs assists the reader with the significance of the issue and the damage caused by some of the landslides along Riverside Avenue. The group also looks into specific storms and how these large influxes of water often cause issues in the area. The figures are useful, however some of the maps used could be tweaked in order to make sure the reader can truly understand what is being displayed. Some of the photographs can use in-text citations, specifically photos taken from the UVM Landscape Change Program. The conclusion is informative and shares a bit on how the slide issue can be addressed, however I think it could go a bit more in detail on how these things can be achieved and how they work.

The paper identifies the issues that Riverside Avenue and the City of Burlington face very well. The layout is easy to follow and guides the reader through the study well. The conclusion is especially valuable as it lays out the ways in which the problem can be solved, as well as providing the reader with added context and possible solutions. I really liked the 2019 slide case study, as it gives the reader an idea of how these things can happen, and how they have happened recently. However, I think a little less time can be spent going through historical slides in the area. While these events are important for the study, they are not the focal point and they should not take up as much space in the paper as they do. Instead of going in depth into historic events, more time could be spent discussing the mechanisms and current state of things on Riverside Ave that contribute to these slides and possible future slides. Less importantly, I think some of the figures could be tweaked to provide a little more information for the reader (figure 1).

The paper is clear, concise, easy to read, and answers each question well. The abstract was very clear, and did a great job of explaining the scope and purpose of the paper, while still being short and to the point. The group did a good job of explaining the human and natural causes of the lanslides we see along Riverside Avenue, and did a good job of going into each of these factors. I think they could have added a little more in spots, and could add historical photos for added context. The final question does a good job of explaining stradegies for remediation of the slopes and prevention of future slides. The paper also does a good job of going in depth on the history of landslides along riverside avenue. While this is an important section it could definitely be shortened and trimmed, as it is not vital to the central point of the paper. The paper is also over the word limit a fair amount, so this could be a section to help get a bit closer to the word limit. Less importantly, I think it would be very beneficial to the reader and for the flow of the paper to include the figures within the text, rather than at the very end.

This paper delivers what is promised in the abstract and fulfills the purpose of the experiment. They do a good job of being very concise in their explanations of the natural and anthropogenic causes of these landslides, as well as doing a good job of setting the scene and area of study. While the length is good, i think they could go into a bit more detail in this section, as it is vital to the purpose of the paper. I especially like how they led with their glacial history section, as this gives the reader an idea of the landscape and topology that should be expected along riverside ave, before they get into the thick of it. I think they could benefit from adding a map or figure to supplement their area of study figure, just to give the reader a more broad idea of the location. The conclusion does a good job of explaining the possible solutions for the issue, and I like the seciton about education of the public and government officials. Less importantly, they could work to make their paper look slightly more professional, such as having a title page and centering figures, as well as maybe adding some historical photos to provide more historical context.

This paper does a great job of providing in depth answers to the questions being asked, as well as answering the questions and purpose brought up in their abstract. The paper flows well, is written well, and is set up and divided nicely. The group does a good job of providing context and explaining the area of study, as well as going into the history of the are early. The processes of landslides are explained in depth, both in terms of the physical processes and movement, as well as the human influences on these physical interactions. Their mitigation section is incredibly informative, but much too detailed. The paper itself is well over the word limit and careful consideration should be taken to shorten areas that go beyond the purpose and intent of the study. This section in particular, while informative, is very long, and could get the same information across to the reader in fewer words. Other than that, the paper is set up really well and contains a lot of great information.