Analysing the spatio-temporal evolution of an active debris slide in Eastern Himalaya,India

Landslide is one of the prominent geohazards in the Himalayas where loss of lives and property are common. Owing to the complicated geomorphic and tectono-stratigraphic setting of this active Fold-thrust belt (FTB), landsliding of all possible types and spatial scales observed exhibit conspicuous spatio-temporal signatures and evolution. This evolution of landslides is commonly studied by regional assessment and by examining the multi-temporal landslide inventories of a particular area. The success of creating such multi-temporal landslide inventory depends on (i) the availability of relevant past source data (e.g., images, post event maps, air photos etc.) of suitable resolution, scale and quality, (ii) time of generation of source data with respect to the time of landsliding event, (iii) skill of the investigators in interpreting the old images, air photos etc. However, this method is of restricted use in studying the spatio-temporal evolution of a single landslide which is perennially active in the Himalayan terrain, where rapid changes in land use and land cover patterns readily obliterate the signatures of past landsliding. Moreover because of scale constraints, subtle and frequent changes in the spatial dimensions of these individual landslides, and their temporal activity become difficult to identify in such regional assessment carried out over a larger area. In this study therefore, a different approach is adopted whereby the spatio-temporal activity and style of Lanta Khola landslide, a perennially active and large (0.25 km²) debris flow in the Eastern Himalayas, has been studied in detail through detailed scale (1:1000) site-specific geological mapping in phases during the last 28 years (1983–2011). Such site-specific geological observations coupled with numerical slope stability analysis utilising the limit equilibrium method facilitate in detailed understanding of the temporal and spatial evolution and inherent mechanism of this perennial landslide.