A simple method to help determine landslide susceptibility from spaceborne InSAR data: the Montescaglioso case study

On December 3, 2013, a large complex landslide was triggered SW of the town of Montescaglioso (Southern Italy), causing the destruction of roads, commercial buildings and private dwellings, as well as several direct and indirect economic losses. A set of interferometric ground measurements acquired by the Cosmo-SkyMed satellite constellation and processed by means of the SqueeSAR algorithm was used to study the pre-event slope displacements in the entire Montescaglioso municipal area. Data span from January 30, 2012, to December 2, 2013, and show average line-of-sight velocities of 1–10 mm/year in the slope sector ultimately affected by the collapse. In retrospect, a time series analysis of the radar targets was performed in order to identify and characterize all the slope instabilities in proximity of the town. This was based on the setup of characteristic thresholds of displacement. The procedure permitted to locate several areas which recurrently exceeded these previously established thresholds, in consistency with the amount of precipitation. In particular, the major source of potential hazard in the area was indeed found where the December 3, 2013, landslide eventually occurred. The results of this quick data processing technique were validated through comparison with two independently developed landslide maps. This simple method, which is not supposed to diminish the importance of geomorphologic field surveys, could improve both the accuracy and the update rate of landslide susceptibility maps. Not relying on arbitrary or empirically derived approaches, it has the advantage of computing statistically based thresholds specific for each time series. By indicating the slope sectors in higher need of deeper in situ investigation, more support could be provided to administrative bodies for the processes of risk assessment and management.     

Accuracy assessment of InSAR derived input maps for landslide susceptibility analysis: a case study from the Swiss Alps

In recent years SAR interferometry has become a widely used technique for measuring altitude and displacement of the surface of the earth. Both these capabilities are highly relevant for landslide susceptibility studies. Although there are many problems that make the use of SAR interferometry less suitable for landslide inventory mapping, it’s use in landslide monitoring and in the generation of input maps for landslide susceptibility assessment looks very promising. The present work attempts to evaluate the usefulness and limitations of this technique based on a case study in the Swiss Alps. Input maps were generated from ERS repeat pass data using SAR interferometry. A land cover map has been generated by image classification of multi-temporal SAR intensity images. An InSAR DEM was generated and a number of maps were derived from it, such as slope-, aspect, altitude- and slope form classes. These maps were used to generate landslide and rockfall susceptibility maps, which give fairly well acceptable results. However, a comparison of the InSAR DEM with the conventional Swisstopo DEM, indicated significant errors in the absolute height and slope angles derived from InSAR, especially along the ridges and in the valleys. These errors are caused by low coherence mostly due to layover and shadow effects. Visual comparison of stereo images created from hillshading maps and corresponding DEMs demonstrate that a considerable amount of topographic details have been lost in the InSAR-derived DEM. It is concluded that InSAR derived input maps are not ideal for landslide susceptibility assessment, but could be used if more accurate data is lacking.     

Deformation responses of landslides to seasonal rainfall based on InSAR and wavelet analysis

Landslides - Rainfall-induced landslides are an important type of dangerous natural disaster worldwide and have always been the focus of research. Yet, the impact of seasonal rainfall on landslides...     

应用时间序列InSAR技术监测上海磁悬浮列车专线形变

新代高分辨军、短重访周期SAR卫星的发射运行,使得InSAR技术不仅能满足大范围地表沉降监测的数据需求,还可以监测到大型人工线状地物的形变,使得对短周期微小形变的监测和预警成为可能。本文以上海市在运营的磁悬浮列车专线为研究对象,利用时间序列分析方法对20112~F9月～2012年10月期间的15景TenaSAR-X数据进行了处理和分析,实验结果表明高分辨军SAR数据可以用于公共交通设施微小形变的监测,在公共安全领域具有广阔的应用前景。     

The chaotic characteristics of landslide evolution: a case study of Xintan landslide

A new method based on the chaos theory is used to assess the evolution process of a slope system. The method is applied to the Xintan landslide and the results show: (1) the slope movement is a complex process of the slope going in and out of the stable and chaotic state; (2) the method reveals the evolution process of the slope pointing to the slope failure while the observed movement shows a simple monotonic increase with time; (3) the method is not sufficiently mature to precisely predict the time of failure but it has potential for improvement with further research and more field data for analysis.     

Displacement patterns of a landslide affected by human activities: insights from ground-based InSAR monitoring

Landslides interacting with large infrastructures represent a major problem for the economy, society as a whole, and the safety of workers. Continuous monitoring for 23 months using an integrated platform with a ground-based SAR interferometer (GB-InSAR), a weather station, and an automatic camera gave us the opportunity to analyze the response of an unstable slope to the different phases of work. The deformational behavior of both the natural slope and the man-made structures was recorded and interpreted in relation to the working stages and the rainfall conditions during the whole monitoring period. A typical pattern of displacement was identified for shallow landslides, debris produced by the excavation and gabions, metallic walls, and anchored bulkheads. Furthermore, insights into the dynamics and behavior of the slope and the man-made structures that interact with the landslide were obtained. Extreme rainfall is the main trigger of shallow landslides and gabion deformations, while anchored bulkheads are less influenced by rainfalls. Movement of debris that is produced by excavations and temporary metallic barrier deformation are closely related to each other. The herein proposed monitoring platform is very efficient in monitoring unstable slopes that are affected by human activities. Moreover, the recorded patterns of displacement in the slope and the man-made structures can be used as reference data for similar studies and engineering designs.     

Modelling seasonal variations of natural radioactivity in soils: A case study in southern Italy

The activity of natural radionuclides in soil has become an environmental concern for local public and national authorities because of the harmful effects of radiation exposure on human health. In this context, modelling and mapping the activity of natural radionuclides in soil is an important research topic. The study was aimed to model, in a spatial sense, the soil radioactivity in an urban and peri-urban soils area in southern Italy to analyse the seasonal influence on soil radioactivity. Measures of gamma radiation naturally emitted through the decay of radioactive isotopes (potassium, uranium and thorium) were analysed using a geostatistical approach to map the spatial distribution of soil radioactivity. The activity of three radionuclides was measured at 181 locations using a high-resolution ?-ray spectrometry. To take into account the influence of season, the measurements were carried out in summer and in winter. Activity data were analysed by using a geostatistical approach and zones of relatively high or low radioactivity were delineated. Among the main processes which influence natural radioactivity such as geology, geochemical, pedological, and ecological processes, results of this study showed a prominent control of radio-emission measurements by seasonal changes. Low natural radioactivity levels were measured in December associated with winter weather and moist soil conditions (due to high rainfall and low temperature), and higher activity values in July, when the soil was dry and no precipitations occurred.     

Using ichnofossils to characterize chert tools: A preliminary study from Southern Iberia

Characterizing raw material of stone tools used by Late Neolithic and Copper Age communities is important for interpreting access to available sources and establishing regional routes of distribution. Ichnological analysis may be used to help characterize lithic material and determine the source of artifacts. Here we report for the first time the existence of trace fossils in artifacts from the Late Neolithic and Copper Age of southern Spain. Ichnological analysis indicates a trace fossil assemblage consisting of relatively scarce small‐sized Chondrites and abundant Phycosiphon. A regional survey of natural outcrops and chert quarries indicates the presence of discrete trace fossils only in the samples from geological formations that are part of the Campo de Gibraltar Complex. Ichnological composition in these samples is similar to that discerned in the artifacts and suggests that this was the probable source of the chert used in tool manufacture. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Implication of subsurface flow on rainfall-induced landslide: a case study

Post-failure field investigation, instrumentation, monitoring, and numerical simulation were performed to give insights into the failure mechanism of a 13-h-delayed rainfall-induced landslide. A conceptual hydrological model was postulated based on the findings obtained from the investigation works. The results showed that subsurface flow was recharged by intense and prolonged rainfall through outcrops of fissured bedrock. The recharged water was mounded in the moderately weathered granite layer and caused an increase in hydraulic head. The groundwater seeped gradually upward into the overlying fill layer even after the rain has ceased, and eventually triggered the landslide when the water table was raised to a critical state. As most of the existing hydrologic-slope stability models were developed on the basis of soil-impermeable bedrock model, this could result in great discrepancies between the simulated results and the real hydrological responses of the slope. The findings from the present study highlighted the importance of considering subsurface flow and hydro-geological features in assessing the mechanism of rainfall-induced landslide.     

藏东冻土区滑坡形变时序InSAR监测分析

受气候暖湿化和冻融作用的影响,近年来西藏东部地区的山体滑坡多发频发,对人民生命财产安全造成严重威胁,制约了当地经济社会发展,因此,迫切需要利用有效手段对滑坡灾害隐患开展大范围调查与早期识别。以藏东317国道矮拉山地区为例,利用小基线集时序InSAR（Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar）技术,分别对2017年3月—2019年7月期间Sentinel-1A SAR升、降轨数据集进行地表形变监测分析,获取了该地区滑坡体隐患的分布情况,并讨论了滑坡历史形变演化特征及成因。结果表明：大部分区域较为稳定,滑坡隐患主要集中在山谷两侧,升降轨InSAR提高了滑坡监测识别的准确性和覆盖度;冻融滑坡形变过程与降雨型滑坡存在差异,呈现平稳期和失稳期交替出现的季节性变化特征;形变过程主要受冻融和降雨影响,两者共同作用加速坡体变形。实验结果验证了InSAR技术能够有效弥补传统监测手段的不足,可在高山冻土区滑坡隐患早期识别与监测防治中发挥重要作用。     

Exploring a landslide inventory created by automated web data mining: the case of Italy

Landslides - Nowadays, several systems to set up landslide inventories exist although they rarely rely on automated or real-time updates. Mass media can provide reliable info about natural hazard...     

Prediction on landslide displacement using a new combination model: a case study of Qinglong landslide in China

Prediction on landslide displacement plays an important role in landslide early warning. Many models have been proposed for this purpose. However, the accuracy of the prediction results by these models often varies under different conditions. Rational evaluation and comprehensive consideration of these results still remain a scientific challenge. A new comprehensive combination model is proposed to predict the landslides displacement. The elementary displacement prediction is made by the support vector machine model, the exponential smoothing model, and the gray model (GM)(1,1). The results of the models are comprehensively evaluated by combining the results and introducing the accuracy matrix. The optimal weight in the evaluation work is obtained. A rational prediction result can be attained based on the so-called combination model. The proposed method has been tested by the application of Qinglong landslides in Guizhou Province, China. The comparison between the prediction results and in situ measurement shows that the prediction precision of the proposed model is satisfactory. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the combination model can be reduced to 1.4316 (monitoring site JCK2), 1.2623 (monitoring site JCK4), 2.3758 (monitoring site JCK6), 2.2704 (monitoring site JCK8), 1.4247 (monitoring site JCK11), and 0.9449 (monitoring site JCK12), which is much lower than the RMSE of the individual models.

     

复合型滑坡固液耦合过程数值模拟分析——以无山坪滑坡为例

固液耦合作用是碎屑流向泥石流转化形成复合型滑坡灾害的关键因素, 会导致成灾范围和规模放大, 是防灾减灾领域研究中的热点和难点问题之一。文中采用自主研发的滑坡后破坏数值模拟平台(LPF3D, Landslides post failure 3D), 以2014年9月强降雨诱发的重庆奉节无山坪滑坡为例, 探讨了滑坡在水动力作用下远程成灾的动力过程, 揭示了固液耦合影响机制。研究结果显示: 水动力作用在滑坡运动过程中主要体现为液化和拖曳两种, 两种力学作用的增程效应明显, 往往使得碎屑流转化为泥石流, 导致远程成灾; 基于光滑粒子流体动力学(SPH)方法的两相耦合计算模型, 考虑流体状态方程、固体黏塑性本构方程和相间作用力的共同影响, 基本还原了强降雨条件下重庆奉节无山坪滑坡两相运动过程; 数值计算结果显示无山坪滑坡最大运动速度为34 m/s, 最大堆积厚度为21.5 m, 堆积面积为0.12 km2, 最远运动距离为1300 m, 模拟结果同实际滑坡的堆积形态基本一致。综上认为, 在高位远程滑坡风险调查与预测过程中, 需充分考虑强降雨工况下孔隙水压力和固液相间作用, 基于LPF3D方法的数值模拟为高位远程滑坡的风险定量评估提供了依据。     

Evaluation of the consistency of landslide susceptibility mapping: a case study from the Kankai watershed in east Nepal

GIS-based landslide susceptibility maps for the Kankai watershed in east Nepal are developed using the frequency ratio method and the multiple linear regression technique. The maps are derived from comparing observed landslides with possible causative factors: slope angle, slope aspect, slope curvature, relative relief, distance from drainage, land use, geology, distance from faults and mean annual rainfall. The consistency of the maps is evaluated using landslide density analysis, success rate analysis and spatially agreed area approach. The first two analyses produce almost identical quantitative results, whereas the last approach is able to reveal spatial differences between the maps and also to improve predictions in the agreed high landslide-susceptible area.     

Ten years of landslide development after the Wenchuan earthquake: a case study from Miansi town,China

Natural Hazards - The earthquake outbreak on 12 May 2008, in Wenchuan County caused long-term instability and frequent geological hazards on the mountain slopes in the earthquake area. Considering...     

结构复杂滑坡活动对库水位变化的响应特征——以三峡库区柴湾滑坡为例

柴湾滑坡是三峡库区结构复杂的大型老滑坡之一,三峡水库蓄水后,该滑坡出现明显复活迹象。本文基于滑坡结构和2007-2015年监测数据,分析了该滑坡活动对库水位变化的响应特征;采用数值模拟手段分析了库水位变化时滑体内渗流场及孔隙水压力变化特征。研究发现,该滑坡在平、剖面上分别呈现牵引式分块与浅、中层分层的缓慢活动特征;当库水位降速>0 8 m/d时,滑坡活动呈现滞后的台阶式加剧趋势;越接近地表,滑坡活动对库水位变化愈敏感。柴湾滑坡活动特征受其复杂结构控制,滑坡中前部地下水与库水密切的水力联系以及中层、深层滑体良好的渗透性决定了滑坡的分块和分层活动特征。库水位上升时透水性较强滑体内的扬压力和库水位下降时透水性较弱滑体内的动水压力是造成滑坡分块分层活动的内在动力。