scholarly journals Rainfall-induced shallow landslides and soil wetness: comparison of physically-based and probabilistic predictions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Leonarduzzi ◽  
Brian W. McArdell ◽  
Peter Molnar
Keyword(s):  
Hydrological Model ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Probabilistic Approach ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Infinite Slope ◽  
Coarse Resolution ◽  
Infinite Slope Stability Model ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Soil Wetness ◽  
Parameter Constraints

Abstract. Landslides are an impacting natural hazard in alpine regions, calling for effective forecasting and warning systems. Here we compare two methods (physically-based and probabilistic) for the prediction of shallow rainfall-induced landslides in an application to Switzerland, with a specific focus on the value of antecedent soil wetness. First, we show that landslide susceptibility predicted by the factor of safety in the infinite slope model is strongly dependent on soil data inputs, limiting the hydrologically active range where landslides can occur to only ~20 % of the area with typical soil parameters and soil depth models. Second, the physically-based approach with a coarse resolution model setup (TerrSysMP) 12.5 km × 12.5 km downscaled to 25 m × 25 m with the TopographicWetness Index to provide water table simulations for the infinite slope stability model did not succeed in predicting local scale landsliding satisfactorily, despite spatial downscaling. We argue that this is due to inadequacies of the infinite slope model, soil parameter uncertainty, and the coarse resolution of the hydrological model. Third, soil saturation estimates provided by a higher resolution 500 m × 500 m conceptual hydrological model (PREVAH) provided added value to rainfall threshold curves for landslide prediction in the probabilistic approach, with potential to reduce false alarms and misses. We conclude that although combined physically-based hydrological-geotechnical modelling is the desired goal, we still need to overcome problems of model resolution, parameter constraints, and landslide validation for successful prediction at regional scales.

scholarly journals Rainfall-induced shallow landslides and soil wetness: comparison of physically based and probabilistic predictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 5937-5950
Author(s):  
Elena Leonarduzzi ◽  
Brian W. McArdell ◽  
Peter Molnar
Keyword(s):  
Soil Depth ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Landslide Prediction ◽  
Infinite Slope ◽  
Antecedent Conditions ◽  
Alpine Regions ◽  
Soil Saturation ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Soil Wetness

Abstract. Landslides are an impacting natural hazard in alpine regions, calling for effective forecasting and warning systems. Here we compare two methods (physically based and probabilistic) for the prediction of shallow rainfall-induced landslides in an application to Switzerland, with a specific focus on the value of antecedent soil wetness. First, we show that landslide susceptibility predicted by the factor of safety in the infinite slope model is strongly dependent on soil data inputs, limiting the hydrologically active range where landslides can occur to only ∼20 % of the country with typical soil parameters and soil depth models, not accounting for uncertainty. Second, we find the soil saturation estimate provided by a conceptual hydrological model (PREVAH) to be more informative for landslide prediction than that estimated by the physically based coarse-resolution model (TerrSysMP), which we attribute to the lack of temporal variability and coarse spatial resolution in the latter. Nevertheless, combining the soil water state estimates in TerrSysMP with the infinite slope approach improves the separation between landslide triggering and non-triggering rainfall events. Third, we demonstrate the added value of antecedent soil saturation in combination with rainfall thresholds. We propose a sequential threshold approach, where events are first split into dry and wet antecedent conditions by an N d (day) antecedent soil saturation threshold, and then two different total rainfall–duration threshold curves are estimated. This, among all different approaches explored, is found to be the most successful for landslide prediction.

scholarly journals Sensitivity and Performance Analyses of the Distributed Hydrology–Soil–Vegetation Model Using Geomorphons for Landform Mapping

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2032
Author(s):  
Pâmela A. Melo ◽  
Lívia A. Alvarenga ◽  
Javier Tomasella ◽  
Carlos R. Mello ◽  
Minella A. Martins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Terrain ◽  
Overland Flow ◽  
Hydrological Model ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Vegetation Model ◽  
Landform Classification ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Streamflow Simulation

Landform classification is important for representing soil physical properties varying continuously across the landscape and for understanding many hydrological processes in watersheds. Considering it, this study aims to use a geomorphology map (Geomorphons) as an input to a physically based hydrological model (Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM)) in a mountainous headwater watershed. A sensitivity analysis of five soil parameters was evaluated for streamflow simulation in each Geomorphons feature. As infiltration and saturation excess overland flow are important mechanisms for streamflow generation in complex terrain watersheds, the model’s input soil parameters were most sensitive in the “slope”, “hollow”, and “valley” features. Thus, the simulated streamflow was compared with observed data for calibration and validation. The model performance was satisfactory and equivalent to previous simulations in the same watershed using pedological survey and moisture zone maps. Therefore, the results from this study indicate that a geomorphologically based map is applicable and representative for spatially distributing hydrological parameters in the DHSVM.

scholarly journals Shallow Landslides Physically Based Susceptibility Assessment Improvement Using InSAR. Case Study: Carpathian and Subcarpathian Prahova Valley, Romania

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2385
Author(s):  
Iuliana Armaș ◽  
Mihaela Gheorghe ◽  
George Cătălin Silvaș
Keyword(s):  
Slope Failure ◽  
Surface Displacement ◽  
Unit Weight ◽  
Susceptibility Map ◽  
Case Scenario ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Infinite Slope ◽  
Actual Surface ◽  
Infinite Slope Stability Model ◽  
Physically Based

A multi-temporal satellite radar interferometry technique is used for deriving the actual surface displacement patterns in a slope environment in Romania, in order to validate and improve a landslide susceptibility map. The probability the occurrence of future events is established using a deterministic approach based on a classical one-dimension infinite slope stability model. The most important geotechnical parameters for slope failure in the proposed study area are cohesion, unit weight and friction angle, and the triggering factor is a rapid rise in groundwater table under wetting conditions. Employing a susceptibility analysis using the physically based model under completely saturated conditions proved to be the most suitable scenario for identifying unstable areas. The kinematic characteristics are assessed by the Small BAseline Subsets (SBAS) interferometry technique applied to C-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Sentinel-1 imagery. The analysis was carried out mainly for inhabited areas which present a better backscatter return. The validation revealed that more than 22% of the active landslides identified by InSAR were predicted as unstable areas by the infinite slope model. We propose a refinement of the susceptibility map using the InSAR results for unravelling the danger of the worst-case scenario.

scholarly journals Probabilistic landslide susceptibility analysis in tropical mountainous terrain using the physically based r.slope.stability model

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnnatan Palacio Cordoba ◽  
Martin Mergili ◽  
Edier Aristizábal
Keyword(s):  
Slope Stability ◽  
Landslide Susceptibility ◽  
Confusion Matrix ◽  
Hazard Mapping ◽  
Infinite Slope ◽  
Susceptibility Analysis ◽  
Colombian Andes ◽  
Infinite Slope Stability Model ◽  
Stability Model ◽  
Physically Based

Abstract. Landslides triggered by rainfall are very common phenomena in complex tropical environments such as the Colombian Andes, one of the regions most affected by landslides every year. Currently in Colombia, physically based methods for landslide hazard mapping are mandatory for land use planning in urban areas. In this work, we perform probabilistic analyses with r.slope.stability, a spatially distributed, physically based model for landslide susceptibility analysis, available as an open-source tool coupled to GRASS GIS. This model considers alternatively the infinite slope stability model or the 2.5D geometry of shallow planar and deep-seated landslides with ellipsoidal or truncated failure surfaces. We test the model in the La Arenosa catchment, northern Colombian Andes. The results are compared to those yielded with the corresponding deterministic analyses and with other physically based models applied in the same catchment. Finally, the model results are evaluated against a landslide inventory using a confusion matrix and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. The model performs reasonably well, the infinite slope stability model showing a better performance. The outcomes are, however, rather conservative, pointing to possible challenges with regard to the geotechnical and geo-hydraulic parameterization. The results also highlight the importance to perform probabilistic instead of – or in addition to – deterministic slope stability analyses.

scholarly journals A hydroclimatological approach to predicting regional landslide probability using Landlab

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronda Strauch ◽  
Erkan Istanbulluoglu ◽  
Sai Siddhartha Nudurupati ◽  
Christina Bandaragoda ◽  
Nicole M. Gasparini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Depth ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Probability Model ◽  
Subsurface Flow ◽  
Bimodal Distribution ◽  
Shallow Landslide ◽  
Hydrologic Model ◽  
Infinite Slope Stability Model ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Temporal Dimensions

Abstract. We develop a hydroclimatological approach to the modeling of regional shallow landslide initiation that integrates spatial and temporal dimensions of parameter uncertainty to estimate an annual probability of landslide initiation based on Monte Carlo simulations. The physically based model couples the infinite-slope stability model with a steady-state subsurface flow representation and operates in a digital elevation model. Spatially distributed gridded data for soil properties and vegetation classification are used for parameter estimation of probability distributions that characterize model input uncertainty. Hydrologic forcing to the model is through annual maximum daily recharge to subsurface flow obtained from a macroscale hydrologic model. We demonstrate the model in a steep mountainous region in northern Washington, USA, over 2700 km2. The influence of soil depth on the probability of landslide initiation is investigated through comparisons among model output produced using three different soil depth scenarios reflecting the uncertainty of soil depth and its potential long-term variability. We found elevation-dependent patterns in probability of landslide initiation that showed the stabilizing effects of forests at low elevations, an increased landslide probability with forest decline at mid-elevations (1400 to 2400 m), and soil limitation and steep topographic controls at high alpine elevations and in post-glacial landscapes. These dominant controls manifest themselves in a bimodal distribution of spatial annual landslide probability. Model testing with limited observations revealed similarly moderate model confidence for the three hazard maps, suggesting suitable use as relative hazard products. The model is available as a component in Landlab, an open-source, Python-based landscape earth systems modeling environment, and is designed to be easily reproduced utilizing HydroShare cyberinfrastructure.

scholarly journals Modelling shallow landslide susceptibility by means of a subsurface flow path connectivity index and estimates of soil depth spatial distribution

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. 3959-3971 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Lanni ◽  
M. Borga ◽  
R. Rigon ◽  
P. Tarolli
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Hydrological Model ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
Lateral Flow ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Hydrological Connectivity ◽  
Topographic Index ◽  
Infinite Slope Stability Model

Abstract. Topographic index-based hydrological models have gained wide use to describe the hydrological control on the triggering of rainfall-induced shallow landslides at the catchment scale. A common assumption in these models is that a spatially continuous water table occurs simultaneously across the catchment. However, during a rainfall event isolated patches of subsurface saturation form above an impeding layer and their hydrological connectivity is a necessary condition for lateral flow initiation at a point on the hillslope. Here, a new hydrological model is presented, which allows us to account for the concept of hydrological connectivity while keeping the simplicity of the topographic index approach. A dynamic topographic index is used to describe the transient lateral flow that is established at a hillslope element when the rainfall amount exceeds a threshold value allowing for (a) development of a perched water table above an impeding layer, and (b) hydrological connectivity between the hillslope element and its own upslope contributing area. A spatially variable soil depth is the main control of hydrological connectivity in the model. The hydrological model is coupled with the infinite slope stability model and with a scaling model for the rainfall frequency–duration relationship to determine the return period of the critical rainfall needed to cause instability on three catchments located in the Italian Alps, where a survey of soil depth spatial distribution is available. The model is compared with a quasi-dynamic model in which the dynamic nature of the hydrological connectivity is neglected. The results show a better performance of the new model in predicting observed shallow landslides, implying that soil depth spatial variability and connectivity bear a significant control on shallow landsliding.

scholarly journals Probabilistic landslide susceptibility analysis in tropical mountainous terrain using the physically based r.slope.stability model

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 815-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnnatan Palacio Cordoba ◽  
Martin Mergili ◽  
Edier Aristizábal
Keyword(s):  
Slope Stability ◽  
Landslide Susceptibility ◽  
Confusion Matrix ◽  
Hazard Mapping ◽  
Infinite Slope ◽  
Susceptibility Analysis ◽  
Colombian Andes ◽  
Infinite Slope Stability Model ◽  
Stability Model ◽  
Physically Based

Abstract. Landslides triggered by rainfall are very common phenomena in complex tropical environments such as the Colombian Andes, one of the regions of South America most affected by landslides every year. Currently in Colombia, physically based methods for landslide hazard mapping are mandatory for land use planning in urban areas. In this work, we perform probabilistic analyses with r.slope.stability, a spatially distributed, physically based model for landslide susceptibility analysis, available as an open-source tool coupled to GRASS GIS. This model considers alternatively the infinite slope stability model or the 2.5-D geometry of shallow planar and deep-seated landslides with ellipsoidal or truncated failure surfaces. We test the model in the La Arenosa catchment, northern Colombian Andes. The results are compared to those yielded with the corresponding deterministic analyses and with other physically based models applied in the same catchment. Finally, the model results are evaluated against a landslide inventory using a confusion matrix and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The model performs reasonably well, the infinite slope stability model showing a better performance. The outcomes are, however, rather conservative, pointing to possible challenges with regard to the geotechnical and geo-hydraulic parameterization. The results also highlight the importance to perform probabilistic instead of – or in addition to – deterministic slope stability analyses.

scholarly journals A new approach to mapping landslide hazards: a probabilistic integration of empirical and physically based models in the North Cascades of Washington, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 2477-2495
Author(s):  
Ronda Strauch ◽  
Erkan Istanbulluoglu ◽  
Jon Riedel
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Approach ◽  
Joint Probability ◽  
North Cascades ◽  
Physically Based Model ◽  
New Approach ◽  
The North ◽  
Debris Avalanches ◽  
Landslide Hazards ◽  
Infinite Slope Stability Model ◽  
Physically Based

Abstract. We developed a new approach for mapping landslide hazards by combining probabilities of landslide impacts derived from a data-driven statistical approach and a physically based model of shallow landsliding. Our statistical approach integrates the influence of seven site attributes (SAs) on observed landslides using a frequency ratio (FR) method. Influential attributes and resulting susceptibility maps depend on the observations of landslides considered: all types of landslides, debris avalanches only, or source areas of debris avalanches. These observational datasets reflect the detection of different landslide processes or components, which relate to different landslide-inducing factors. For each landslide dataset, a stability index (SI) is calculated as a multiplicative result of the frequency ratios for all attributes and is mapped across our study domain in the North Cascades National Park Complex (NOCA), Washington, USA. A continuous function is developed to relate local SI values to landslide probability based on a ratio of landslide and non-landslide grid cells. The empirical model probability derived from the debris avalanche source area dataset is combined probabilistically with a previously developed physically based probabilistic model. A two-dimensional binning method employs empirical and physically based probabilities as indices and calculates a joint probability of landsliding at the intersections of probability bins. A ratio of the joint probability and the physically based model bin probability is used as a weight to adjust the original physically based probability at each grid cell given empirical evidence. The resulting integrated probability of landslide initiation hazard includes mechanisms not captured by the infinite-slope stability model alone. Improvements in distinguishing potentially unstable areas with the proposed integrated model are statistically quantified. We provide multiple landslide hazard maps that land managers can use for planning and decision-making, as well as for educating the public about hazards from landslides in this remote high-relief terrain.

scholarly journals Inverse distributed hydrological modelling of Alpine catchments

2006 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kunstmann ◽  
J. Krause ◽  
S. Mayr
Keyword(s):  
Parameter Estimation ◽  
Hydrological Model ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Nonlinear Parameter ◽  
Model Complexity ◽  
Distributed Hydrological Model ◽  
Nonlinear Parameter Estimation ◽  
Estimated Parameters ◽  
Physically Based

Abstract. Even in physically based distributed hydrological models, various remaining parameters must be estimated for each sub-catchment. This can involve tremendous effort, especially when the number of sub-catchments is large and the applied hydrological model is computationally expensive. Automatic parameter estimation tools can significantly facilitate the calibration process. Hence, we combined the nonlinear parameter estimation tool PEST with the distributed hydrological model WaSiM. PEST is based on the Gauss-Marquardt-Levenberg method, a gradient-based nonlinear parameter estimation algorithm. WaSiM is a fully distributed hydrological model using physically based algorithms for most of the process descriptions. WaSiM was applied to the alpine/prealpine Ammer River catchment (southern Germany, 710 km2 in a 100×100 m2 horizontal resolution. The catchment is heterogeneous in terms of geology, pedology and land use and shows a complex orography (the difference of elevation is around 1600 m). Using the developed PEST-WaSiM interface, the hydrological model was calibrated by comparing simulated and observed runoff at eight gauges for the hydrologic year 1997 and validated for the hydrologic year 1993. For each sub-catchment four parameters had to be calibrated: the recession constants of direct runoff and interflow, the drainage density, and the hydraulic conductivity of the uppermost aquifer. Additionally, five snowmelt specific parameters were adjusted for the entire catchment. Altogether, 37 parameters had to be calibrated. Additional a priori information (e.g. from flood hydrograph analysis) narrowed the parameter space of the solutions and improved the non-uniqueness of the fitted values. A reasonable quality of fit was achieved. Discrepancies between modelled and observed runoff were also due to the small number of meteorological stations and corresponding interpolation artefacts in the orographically complex terrain. Application of a 2-dimensional numerical groundwater model partly yielded a slight decrease of overall model performance when compared to a simple conceptual groundwater approach. Increased model complexity therefore did not yield in general increased model performance. A detailed covariance analysis was performed allowing to derive confidence bounds for all estimated parameters. The correlation between the estimated parameters was in most cases negligible, showing that parameters were estimated independently from each other.

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