A spatiotemporal probabilistic modelling of storm‐induced shallow landsliding using aerial photographs and logistic regression

Landslides constitute one of the major natural hazards that could cause significant losses of life and property. Mapping or delineating areas prone to landsliding is therefore essential for land‐use activities and management decision making in hilly or mountainous regions. A landslide hazard map can be constructed by a qualitative combination of maps of site conditions, including geology, topography and geomorphology, by statistical methods through correlating landslide occurrence with geologic and geomorphic factors, or by using safety factors from stability analysis. A landslide hazard map should provide information on both the spatial and temporal probabilities of landsliding in a certain area. However, most previous studies have focused on susceptibility mapping, rather than on hazard mapping in a spatiotemporal context. This study aims at developing a predictive model, based on both quasi‐static and dynamic variables, to determine the probability of landsliding in terms of space and time. The study area selected is about 13 km² in North Lantau, Hong Kong. The source areas of the landslides caused by the rainstorms of 18 July 1992 and 4–5 November 1993 were interpreted from multi‐temporal aerial photographs. Landslide data, lithology, digital elevation model data, land cover, and rainfall data were digitized into a geographic information system database. A logistic regression model was developed using lithology, slope gradient, slope aspect, elevation, slope shape, land cover, and rolling 24 h rainfall as independent variables, since the dependent variable could be expressed in a dichotomous way. This model achieved an overall accuracy of 87·2%, with 89·5% of landslide grid cells correctly classified and found to be performing satisfactorily. The model was then applied to rainfalls of a variety of periods of return, to predict the probability of landsliding on natural slopes in space and time. It is observed that the modelling techniques described here are useful for predicting the spatiotemporal probability of landsliding and can be used by land‐use planners to develop effective management strategies. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long‐term modelling of landslides for different forest management practices

Long‐term effects of different forest management practices on landslide initiation and volume were analysed using a physically based slope stability model. The watershed‐based model calculates the effects of multiple harvesting entries on slope stability by accounting for the cumulative impacts of a prior vegetation removal on a more recent removal related to vegetation root strength and tree surcharge. Four sequential clearcuts and partial cuts with variable rotation lengths were simulated with or without leave areas and with or without understorey vegetation in a subwatershed of Carnation Creek, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The combined in?nite slope and distributed hydrologic models used to calculate safety factor revealed that most of the simulated landslides were clustered within a 5 to 17 year period after initial harvesting in cases where suf?cient time (c. 50 years) lapsed prior to the next harvesting cycle. Partial cutting produced fewer landslides and reduced landslide volume by 1·4‐ to 1·6‐fold compared to clearcutting. Approximately the same total landslide volume was produced when 100 per cent of the site was initially clearcut compared to harvesting 20 per cent of the area in successive 10 year intervals; a similar ?nding was obtained for partial cutting. Vegetation leave areas were effective in reducing landsliding by 2‐ to 3‐fold. Retaining vigorous understorey vegetation also reduced landslide volume by 3·8‐ to 4·8‐fold. The combined management strategies of partial cutting, increasing rotation length, provision of leave areas, and retention of viable understorey vegetation offer the best alternative for minimizing landslide occurrence in managed forests. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Error in polygon overlay processing of geomorphic data

Predictive models for calculating sediment yield and discharge require accurate areal data. Such models may be unrealistic when using digitized data given the potential error involved in compiling and digitizing thematic polygon maps. The estimation of boundary variability for digitized polygon maps of a 0·34 km² area of badlands in Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta shows the effects of positional errors introduced during mapping and digitizing processes. Polygon overlay of maps of surface features and slopes produced high frequencies of very small polygons and some unlikely combinations of slopes and surface features, and decreased reliability in areal measurements in the composite map. At an epsilon band width of 0·7 m, a reasonable estimate of boundary variability, 31·7 per cent of the resultant overlaid map can be considered unreliable.     

The potential of digital filtering of generic topographic data for geomorphological research

High resolution terrain models generated from widely available Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) and digital photogrammetry are an exciting resource for geomorphological research. However, these data contain error, necessitating pre‐processing to improve their quality. We evaluate the ability of digital filters to improve topographic representation, using: (1) a Gaussian noise removal filter; (2) the proprietary filters commonly applied to these datasets; and (3) a terrain sensitive filter, similar to those applied to laser altimetry data. Topographic representation is assessed in terms of both absolute accuracy measured with reference to independent check data and derived geomorphological variables (slope, upslope contributing area, topographic index and landslide failure probability) from a steepland catchment in northern England. Results suggest that proprietary filters often degrade or fail to improve precision. A combination of terrain sensitive and Gaussian filters performs best for both IfSAR and digital photogrammetry datasets, improving the precision of photogrammetry digital elevation models (DEMs) by more than 50 per cent relative to the unfiltered data. High‐frequency noise and high‐magnitude gross errors corrupt geomorphological variables derived from unfiltered photogrammetry DEMs. However, a terrain sensitive filter effectively removes gross errors and noise is minimized using a Gaussian filter. These improvements propagate through derived variables in a landslide prediction model, to reduce the area of predicted instability by up to 29 per cent of the study area. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar is susceptible to removal of topographic detail by oversmoothing and its errors are less sensitive to filtering (maximum improvement in precision of 5 per cent relative to the raw data). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.     

Slope control on the frequency distribution of shallow landslides and associated soil properties,North Island,New Zealand

The extrapolation of results from field trials to larger areas of land for purposes of regional impact assessment is an important issue in geomorphology, particularly for landform properties that show high stochastic variability in space and time, such as shallow landslide erosion. It is shown in this study, that by identifying the main driver for spatial variability in shallow landslide erosion at field scales, namely slope angle, it is possible to develop a set of generic functions for assessing the impact of landslides on selected soil properties at larger spatial scales and over longer time periods. Research was conducted within an area of pastoral soft‐rock Tertiary hill country in the North Island of New Zealand that is subject to infrequent high intensity rainfall events, producing numerous landslides, most of which are smaller than several hundred square metres in size and remove soil to shallow depths. All landslides were mapped within a 0·6 km² area and registered to a high resolution (2 m) slope map to show that few landslides occur on slopes < 20° and 95% were on slopes > 24°. The areal density of landslides from all historical events showed an approximately linear increase with slope above 24°. Integrating landslide densities with soil recovery data demonstrates that the average value of a soil property fluctuates in a ‘saw‐tooth’ fashion through time with the overall shape of the curve controlled by the frequency of landslide inducing storm events and recovery rate of the soil property between events. Despite such fluctuations, there are gradual declines of 7·5% in average total carbon content of topsoil and 9·5% in average soil depth to bedrock, since the time of forest clearance. Results have application to large‐scale sediment budget and water quality models and to the New Zealand Soil Carbon Monitoring System (CMS). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Runoff generative process and runoff yield from arid talus mantled slopes

Previous works dealing with the influence of a stone cover on runoff yield showed that runoff, attributed to the sealing effect of the topsoil by raindrops impact, was negatively related to the per cent of stone cover and stone size. These works were conducted on gentle slopes (3–11·5 degree) with a per cent of stone cover generally lower than 50 per cent, and composed of gravels. The present study deals with the runoff yield of steep talus slopes (26–36 degree) whose per cent of stone cover is very high (90–100 per cent), composed of cobbles and boulders. Three stimulated rainstorms were performed at various rainfall. intensities and durations on each one of six plots representative of the North eastern sector of Sinai. Although the contiguous stony cover prevented surface sealing by raindrops impact, runoff developed quite quickly on most slopes, and reached at peak discharge, after approximately ten minutes, up to 56 per cent of the rainfall. Differences between plots, in time lag, peak discharge and other hydrological variables, could be attributed mainly to the properties of the upper stony layer, with stone size as the most influential factor. Contrary to previous works, a positive relationship, was obtained between stone size to runoff yield. The result is explained by the process of water concentration. Each cobble and boulder behaves, on a smaller scale, like a bare rocky surface and yields per unit area water amounts beyond the infiltration rate of the limited uncovered areas. For a given stony cover the effect of water concentration is quicker with the big blocks than with gravels. A series of graphs trying to relate theoretically the relative importance of sealing and water concentration processes in runoff generation, at various conditions of stone cover and stone size, is proposed. The graphs enable to reconcile the results of the present study with those of previous works.     

Landslide incidence zonation in the Rio Mendoza valley,Mendoza Province,Argentina

This paper presents a landslide incidence zonation map showing the percentage of underlying material involved in mass‐movement processes in the Rio Mendoza valley, Argentina. The landslide incidence zonation map was derived from an inventory map of landslides and reveals that many areas of the Rio Mendoza valley are implicated in this kind of process. A correlation has been found between the occurrence of landslides, earthquakes, and rainfall. The relation between lithology and landslides is clear: areas covered by friable sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Choiyoi Group are prone to debris ?ows and complex landslides. The slope map has been ranked and a general relation between slope and type of event is shown. Falls commonly develop in high‐angle slopes. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of LIDAR‐derived images for mapping old landslides under forest

Large, deep‐seated landslides are common features in the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium). As most of these old (>100 years) landslides are located under forest in this hilly region, aerial photograph interpretation is not an appropriate landslide mapping method. This study tested the potential of LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) images for mapping old landslides under forest. Landslide inventory maps were created for a 125 km² area by applying the expert knowledge of seven geomorphologists to LIDAR‐derived hillshade, slope and contour line maps in a GIS environment. Each of the seven LIDAR‐based landslide inventories was compared (i) with the other six, (ii) with a detailed field survey‐based inventory, and (iii) with a comparable study in which topographic data were extracted from a topographical map. The combination of the percentage of field landslides indicated by an expert and the percentage of positional discrepancies (expressed in terms of positional mismatch) were used to evaluate the quality of the LIDAR‐based inventory maps. High‐quality LIDAR‐derived landslide inventory maps contain more than 70 per cent of the landslides mapped during the field survey, and have positional discrepancies smaller than 70 per cent when compared with the field survey‐based inventory map. Four experts and the combination map of all experts satisfied these criteria. Together the seven experts indicated all landslides mapped in the field. Importantly, LIDAR enabled the experts to find ten new landslides and to correct the boundaries of eleven (of the 77) landslides mapped during the field survey. Hence, this study showed that large‐scale LIDAR‐derived maps analysed by experienced geomorphologists can significantly improve field survey‐based inventories of landslides with a subdued morphology in hilly regions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantifying the effect of a freeze–thaw cycle on soil erosion: laboratory experiments

In this paper we quantitatively test the hypothesis that soil freeze–thaw (FT) processes significantly increase the potential for upland hillslope erosion during run‐off events that follow thaw. We selected a highly frost‐susceptible silt to obtain an upper bound on FT effects, and completed three series of six experiments each to quantify differences in soil erosion and rill development in a bare soil following a single FT cycle. Each series represented a specific soil moisture range: 16–18 per cent, 27–30 per cent and 37–40 per cent by volume, with nominal flow rates of 0·4, 1·2 and 2·4 L/min and slopes of 8° and 15°. Each experiment used two identical soil bins: one a control (C) that remained unfrozen, and another that was frozen and thawed once. Standard soil characterization tests did not detect significant differences between the FT and C bins. We measured cross‐sectional geometry of an imposed straight rectangular rill before each experiment, sediment load during and rill cross‐sections after. Changes in cross section provided detailed measures of erosion at specific locations, while sediment load from time series run‐off samples integrated the rill erosion. Several parameters, including average maximum rill width, average maximum rill depth, rill cross‐section depth measures and sediment load, all followed similar trends. Each was greater in the FT than in the C, with values that generally increased with slope and flow. However, soil moisture was the only parameter that affected the FT/C ratios. Average sediment load grouped by soil moisture provided FT/C ratios of 2·4, 3·0 and 5·0 for low, mid and high moisture, respectively. In contrast, a ‘dry’ experiment at 4–5 per cent soil moisture had FT/C of 1·02 for sediment load. These results show a dramatic increase with soil moisture in the rate and quantity of bare soil eroded due to the FT cycle. As both FT and C results were highly sensitive to initial conditions, minimum differences in soil weight, bulk density and soil moisture through each series of experiments were required to achieve consistent results, indicating that rill erosion may be chaotic. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measurement and prediction of sediment production from unpaved roads,St John,US Virgin Islands

Excess delivery of land‐based sediments is an important control on the overall condition of nearshore coral reef ecosystems. Unpaved roads have been identified as a dominant sediment source on St John in the US Virgin Islands. An improved understanding of road sediment production rates is needed to guide future development and erosion control efforts. The main objectives of this study were to: (1) measure sediment production rates at the road segment scale; (2) evaluate the importance of precipitation, slope, contributing area, traffic, and grading on road sediment production; (3) develop an empirical road erosion predictive model; and (4) compare our measured erosion rates to other published data. Sediment production from 21 road segments was monitored with sediment traps from July 1998 to November 2001. The selected road segments had varying slopes, contributing areas, and traffic loads. Precipitation was measured by four recording rain gauges. Sediment production was related to total precipitation and road segment slope. After normalizing by precipitation and slope, the mean sediment production rate for roads that had been graded within the last two years was 0·96 kg m^?2 cm^?1 m m^?1 or approximately 11 kg m^?2 a^?1 for a typical road with a 10 per cent slope and an annual rainfall of 115 cm a^?1. The mean erosion rate for ungraded roads was 42 per cent lower, or 0·56 kg m^?2 cm^?1 m m^?1. The normalized mean sediment production rate for road segments that had been abandoned for over fifteen years was only about 10 per cent of the mean value for ungraded roads. Sediment production was not related to traffic loads. Multiple regression analysis led to the development of an empirical model based on precipitation, slope to the 1·5 power, and a categorical grading variable. The measured and predicted erosion rates indicate that roads are capable of increasing hillslope‐scale sediment production rates by up to four orders of magnitude relative to undisturbed conditions. The values from St John are at the high end of reported road erosion rates, a finding that is consistent with the high rainfall erosivities and steep slopes of many of the unpaved roads on St John. Other than paving, the most practical methods to reduce current erosion rates are to minimize the frequency of grading and improve road drainage. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of spatial relationships among geomorphic,petrographic and structural characteristics of the dartmoor tors

The granite tors of Dartmoor are characterized by using the regional spatial patterns of 21 geomorphic, petrographic, and structural variables. The data were derived from topographic maps, field measurement, and laboratory analysis of rock samples collected in the field. Identification of spatial patterns and comparison of patterns between variables were made on contour maps generated from the data using ARC/INFO. Three tor types—summit tors, valleyside tors, and spur tors—are semiquantitatively characterized using these data and procedures. The three types of tors are distinguished with respect to variations in relative relief, joint spacing and joint type, rock texture, grain size, and composition. Summit tors have the highest relative relief (mean: 125·7 m), contain the most potassium feldspar (>30 per cent), and have the most widely-spaced primary vertical (>300 cm) and secondary horizontal joints (> 10 cm). The rocks are the most megacrystic (> 15 per cent) and the coarsest grained. Plagioclase is also abundant in summit tors. Valleyside tors have the lowest relative relief (mean: 72·9 m) and the most widely-spaced horizontal joints (primary, 60-200 cm; secondary, > 10 cm). Grain size, vertical joint spacing, and quartz and potassium feldspar abundances are intermediate. The shapes of valleyside tors are controlled by horizontal joints and the rocks are either very feebly magcrystic or equigranular in texture. Spur tors have intermediate relative relief (mean: 115·4 m), the narrowest joint spacing (vertical joints, < 200 cm, 50-75 cm; horizontal joints <60 cm, < 10 cm) and the finest grain. In addition, the rocks are feebly magacrystic.     

Local‐scale and watershed‐scale determinants of summertime urban stream temperatures

The influence of urbanization on the temperature of small streams is widely recognized, but these effects are confounded by the great natural variety of their contributing watersheds. To evaluate the relative importance of local‐scale and watershed‐scale factors on summer temperatures in urban streams, hundreds of near‐instantaneous temperature measurements throughout the central Puget Lowland, western Washington State, were collected during a single 2‐h period in August in each of the years 1998–2001. Stream temperatures ranged from 8.9 to 27.5 °C, averaging 15.4 °C. Pairwise correlation coefficients between stream temperature and four watershed variables (total watershed area and the watershed percentages of urban development, upstream lakes, and permeable glacial outwash soils as an indicator of groundwater exchange) were uniformly very low. Akaike's information criterion was applied to determine the best‐supported sets of watershed‐scale predictor variables for explaining the variability of stream temperatures. For the full four‐year dataset, the only well‐supported model was the global model (using all watershed variables); for the most voluminous single‐year (1999) data, Akaike's information criterion showed greatest support for per cent outwash (Akaike weight of 0.44), followed closely by per cent urban development + per cent outwash, per cent lake area only, and the global model. Upstream lakes resulted in downstream warming of up to 3 °C; variability in riparian shading imposed a similar temperature range. Watershed urbanization itself is not the most important determining factor for summer temperatures in this region; even the long‐recognized effects of riparian shading can be no more influential than those imposed by other local‐scale and watershed‐scale factors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scale effects of Hortonian overland flow and rainfall‐runoff dynamics: laboratory validation of a process‐based model

Hortonian runoff was measured in the laboratory from uniform slopes of lengths of 1·5, 3·0, and 6·0 m for steady, high‐intensity rainstorms with durations of 1·0 to 7·5 min. A clear reduction in runoff per unit slope length was found as slope lengths were increased. This effect becomes more pronounced with decreasing storm duration. The runoff data were used to validate a simple process‐based model that combines the Philip‐two‐term infiltration equation with the kinematic wave overland flow principle. The predicted and experimental results agreed well. Laboratory findings were extrapolated with the aid of the model to slopes and rainfall durations similar to those found under West African conditions. The calculated reduction of runoff per unit length is similar to reported observations. Thus, this process‐based model can largely explain the phenomenon of runoff reduction with increasing slope length. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new soil freeze/thaw discriminant algorithm using AMSR‐E passive microwave imagery

The soil freeze–thaw controls the hydrological and carbon cycling and thus affects water and energy exchanges at land surface. This article reported a newly developed algorithm for distinguishing the freeze/thaw status of surface soil. The algorithm was based on information from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer Enhanced (AMSR‐E) which records brightness temperature (Tb) in the afternoon and after midnight. The criteria and discriminant functions were obtained from both radiometer observations and model simulations. First of all, the microwave radiation from freeze–thaw soil was examined by carrying out experimental measurements at 18·7 and 36·5 GHz using a Truck‐mounted Multi‐frequency Microwave Radiometer (TMMR) in the Heihe River of China. The experimental results showed that the soil moisture is a key component that differentiates the microwave radiation behaviours during the freeze–thaw process, and the differences in soil temperature and emissivity between frozen and thawed soils were found to be the most important criteria. Secondly, a combined model was developed to consider the impacts of complex ground surface conditions on the discrimination. The model simulations quite followed the trend of in situ observations with an overall relation coefficient (R) of approximately 0·88. Finally, the ratio of Tb18·7H (horizontally polarized Tb at 18·7 GHz) to Tb36·5V was considered primarily as the quasi‐emissivity, which is more reasonable and explicit in measuring the microwave radiation changes in soil freezing and thawing than the spectral gradient. By combining Tb36·5V to indicate the soil temperature variety, a Fisher linear discrimination analysis was used to establish the discriminant functions. After being corrected by TMMR measurements, the new discriminant algorithm had an overall accuracy of 86% when validated by 4‐cm soil temperature. The multi‐year discriminant results also provided a good agreement with the classification map of frozen ground in China. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil erosion by surface water flow on a stony,semiarid hillslope

Soil erosion on hillslopes occurs by processes of soil splash from raindrop impacts and sediment entrainment by surface water flows. This study investigates the process of soil erosion by surface water flow on a stony soil in a semiarid environment. A field experimental method was developed whereby erosion by concentrated flow could be measured in predefined flow areas without disturbing the soil surface. The method allowed for measurements in this study of flow erosion at a much wider range of slopes (2·6 to 30·1 per cent) and unit discharge rates (0·0007 to 0·007 m2 s−1) than have been previously feasible. Flow velocities were correlated to discharge and hydraulic radius, but not to slope. The lack of correlation between velocity and slope might have been due to the greater rock cover on the steeper slopes which caused the surface to be hydraulically rougher and thus counteract the expected effect of slope on flow velocity. The detachment data illustrated limitations in applying a linear hydraulic shear stress model over the entire range of the data collected. Flow detachment rates were better correlated to a power function of either shear stress (r2 = 0·51) or stream power (r2 = 0·59). Published in 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantifying rainfall controls on catchment‐scale landslide erosion in Taiwan

Landslide erosion is a dominant hillslope process and the main source of stream sediment in tropical, tectonically active mountain belts. In this study, we quantified landslide erosion triggered by 24 rainfall events from 2001 to 2009 in three mountainous watersheds in Taiwan and investigated relationships between landslide erosion and rainfall variables. The results show positive power‐law relations between landslide erosion and rainfall intensity and cumulative rainfall, with scaling exponents ranging from 2·94 to 5·03. Additionally, landslide erosion caused by Typhoon Morakot is of comparable magnitude to landslide erosion caused by the Chi‐Chi Earthquake (M_W = 7·6) or 22–24 years of basin‐averaged erosion. Comparison of the three watersheds indicates that deeper landslides that mobilize soil and bedrock are triggered by long‐duration rainfall, whereas shallow landslides are triggered by short‐duration rainfall. These results suggest that rainfall intensity and watershed characteristics are important controls on rainfall‐triggered landslide erosion and that severe typhoons, like high‐magnitude earthquakes, can generate high rates of landslide erosion in Taiwan. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Runoff‐induced sediment yield over dune slopes in the Negev Desert. 2: Texture,carbonate and organic matter

Runoff‐induced sediments were collected in the Hallamish dune field for four years (1990–1994). Runoff and consequently water‐transported sediments were generated on the dunes owing to the presence of a thin microbiotic crust. These sediments were analysed for their particle‐size distribution and carbonate content. In addition, the organic matter content was calculated by measuring the chlorophyll content within the runoff. The results were compared to the slope parent material, i.e. the crust and the underlying sand, as well as to playa sediments, which are scattered within the Hallamish interdunal areas, and which were previously hypothesized to originate from runoff‐induced sediments. Higher amounts of fines (silt and clay) and carbonate characterize the footslopes in comparison to the midslopes. Intermediate contents of fines (17 per cent) and carbonate (8 per cent) characterized the sediments in comparison to the fines (27 per cent) and carbonate (15 per cent) of the crust and to the fines (4 per cent) and carbonate (4 per cent) of the underlying sand. The runoff‐induced fines and carbonate contents were significantly different from those of the playas, suggesting that the playa flats do not originate from runoff‐induced sediments. The sediments were enriched with organic matter. Organic matter which originates from the crust amounted to 0·3–0·4 per cent as compared to ≤0·1 per cent in the bare sand. Nevertheless, the crust was found to be relatively resilient to water flow. Only 0·1–0·5 per cent of the crust was annually eroded off the slope by water, with south‐facing crusts showing higher resilience than north‐facing crusts. The data may thus assist in the evaluation of the crust's residence time. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The topographic data source of digital terrain models as a key element in the accuracy of hydraulic flood modelling

The effects of the topographic data source and resolution on the hydraulic modelling of floods were analysed. Seven digital terrain models (DTMs) were generated from three different altimetric sources: a global positioning system (GPS) survey and bathymetry; high‐resolution laser altimetry data LiDAR (light detection and ranging); and vectorial cartography (1:5000). Hydraulic results were obtained, using the HEC‐RAS one‐dimensional model, for all seven DTMs. The importance of the DTM's accuracy on the hydraulic modelling results was analysed within three different hydraulic contexts: (1) the discharge and water surface elevation results from the hydraulic model; (2) the delineation of the flooded area; and (3) the relative sensitivity of the hydraulic model to changes in the Manning's n roughness coefficient. The contour‐based DTM was the least accurate with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 4·5 m in the determination of the water level and a variation of up to 50 per cent in the estimation of the inundated area of the floodplain. The GPS‐based DTM produced more realistic water surface elevation results and variations of up to 8 per cent in terms of the flooded area. The laser‐based model's RMSE for water level was 0·3 m, with the flooded area varying by less than 1 per cent. The LiDAR data also showed the greatest sensitivity to changes in the Manning's roughness coefficient. An analysis of the effect of mesh resolution indicated an influence on the delineation of the flooded area with variations of up to 7·3 per cent. In addition to determining the accuracy of the hydraulic modelling results produced from each DTM, an analysis of the time–cost ratio of each topographic data source illustrates that airborne laser scanning is a cost‐effective means of developing a DTM of sufficient accuracy, especially over large areas. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ten year remeasurement of chemical denudation on a magnesian limestone hillslope

Results from the measurement of microweight loss of Magnesian Limestone rock tablets placed at the soil–bedrock interface on a hillslope over 10 years (1982–1992) gave the same relative pattern of upslope increase in weight loss as did short-term measurements (1979–1981), but the absolute values were an order of magnitude lower (0·01–0·03 per cent per year long term and 0·1–0·6 per cent per year short term). Microweighed rock tablets may therefore give unreliable absolute rates and can only be used to indicate relative spatial differences rather than to give reliable data on temporal changes.     

Landslide Amplification by Liquefaction of Runout‐Path Material after the 2008 Wenchuan (M 8·0) Earthquake,China

Here, we propose that an earthquake can trigger the failure of a landslide mass while simultaneously triggering liquefaction of runout‐path materials before the arrival of the landslide mass, thus greatly increasing the size and mobility of an overriding landslide. During the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, about 60 000 landslides were triggered, directly resulting in about 20 000 casualties. While these landslides mainly originated from steep slopes, some landslides with high mobility formed in colluvial valley deposits. Among these, the most catastrophic was the Xiejiadian landslide in Pengzhou city, which traveled hundreds of meters before coming to rest. Through field investigation and laboratory testing, we conclude that this landslide primarily formed from colluvial deposits in the valley and secondarily from failure of slopes in granitic rock located uphill. Much of the granitic slope failure was deposited in the upper part of the travel path (near the slide head); the remainder was dispersed throughout the main landslide deposit. Superposition of deposits at the landslide toe indicates that landslide debris derived from colluvial soil was deposited first. The deposits at the landslide toe displayed flow characteristics, such as fine materials comprising basal layers and large boulders covering the deposit surface. We hypothesize that the main part of the landslide resulted from seismogenic liquefaction of valley colluvium, rather than from liquefaction potentially caused by undrained loading from the granitic slope failures impacting the colluvium. To examine the likelihood that seismogenic liquefaction occurred, we took samples from different areas of the landslide deposit and performed undrained cyclic shear tests on them in the laboratory. The results showed that the sandy soils that comprise most of the deposit are highly liquefiable under seismic loading. Therefore, we conclude that liquefaction of the colluvium in the valley during the earthquake was the main reason for this rapid (~46 m/s) long‐runout (1·7 km) landslide. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.