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Introduction to landslides

Part 3: Use of Remote sensing for


landslide mapping
Cees van Westen
International Institute
for Aerospace Survey and Earth
Sciences
(ITC), Enschede, The Netherlands.
E-mail: westen@itc.nl
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Landslide types and causes

Landslide mapping

Landslides are directly affecting the ground surface, so the


application of remote sensing techniques is very suited to
slope instability studies.

The use of remote sensing images is particular useful when


stereo images are used: typical morphological features of
landslides.

Also the overall terrain conditions, determining the


susceptibility of a site to be subject to sliding, can
profitably be interpreted from remote sensing data.

The term remote sensing is used here in its widest sense,


including aerial photography, as well as imagery obtained
by satellites or any other remote sensing technique.

Landslide types and causes

Landslide mapping
Landslide inventory mapping uses:
aerial photo
satellite interpretation,
ground survey, and/or
a database of historical occurrences of landslides.

The final product gives the spatial distribution of mass


movements, represented either at scale or as points. When
multitemporal airborne or satellite image analysis was
performed, these maps can also show landslide activity.

Landslide types and causes

Short repetition: EM spectrum

NEAR IR

VISIBLE

0.4

Wavelengh (M)
METEOSAT

MEDIUM IR

0.7

THERMAL IR

10

11

12

VIR
VIS

WV

TIR
4&5

NOAA

AVHRR
1

LANDSAT

MSS
4

TM
1 2

SPOT

XS
1

PAN
1

Landslide types and causes

5 7

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Landslide mapping
Current landslide inventory maps are not standardized.
They are published at different scales with various levels of
details.
Attention should be paid to the image specifications
required for an adequate interpretation:
Spatial resolution
Spectral resolution
Temporal resolution

Landslide types and causes

Spatial resolution (1)


The interpretability of landslides from remote sensing
images depends in the first place on the spatial resolution
of the images in relation to the size of the features which
are characterising the slope movement and which can be
recognised or identified.
The following aspects are important for recognizing
landslides from remote sensing images:
Contrast
Size of landslide
Interpretation method (Monoscopic / Stereoscopic)
Professional experience of the interpreter

Landslide types and causes

Minimum size of feature that can be


identified

Minimum sizes ( in m ) needed for a landslide to be identified or


interpreted, depending on the conditions of contrast between the
elements of the slide and the background. The data for aerial
photographs are somewhat flattered, as optimal photographic
conditions and processing are considered.

Landslide types and causes

Contrast
The interpretability is influenced by the existing contrast
between the slope movement and its background.
In image interpretation this contrast may be considered as
the spectral or spatial differences that exist between the
object of interest (landslide) and its surroundings.
In the case of slope failures, the contrast of the feature with
its surroundings depends on:

the period elapsed since the failure, as erosional processes and the
recovery of the vegetation are tending to obscure the cicatrices
which the landslide has left in the surface, and,
the severity with which the morphology, drainage and vegetational
conditions have been affected by the landslide.

Landslide types and causes

Contrast (2)
The before mentioned contrast of the feature against its
background is a variable defining the amount of pixels
needed

Landslide types and causes

Example: contrast
Example 2:
1: High
Low contrast
contrast
A landslide
The
figures scar
showthat
pictures
is in
with
shadow
varying
(low contrast) in
groundresolution
the central upper cells
part of
of the
a
landslide
picture and
in athe
depositional
Spanish
Pyrenees
area of landslide debris in
the central
to lower
The
landslide
scar ispart
nowof
the
picture.
The pictures
artificially
enhanced
and
show
the same
shownhow
in very
high
landslide
contrast. would be
displayed on aerial photos ,
SPOT Pan, SPOT XS, and
LANDSAT TM.

Conclusion
Conclusion??
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Landslide types and causes

Interpretability
For the evaluation of the suitability of remote sensing images for
landslide inventory mapping the size of individual slope failures
in relation to the ground resolution cell is of crucial importance.
For example:
typical area involved in a failure of 42000 m2.
20 x 20 pixels on a SPOT Pan image
10 x 10 pixels on SPOT multispectral images,
sufficient to identify a landslide displaying a high contrast
but insufficient for a proper analysis of the elements
pertaining to the failure to establish characteristics and type
of landslide.

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Landslide types and causes

Interpretability

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Most appropriate photoscale for analysis is 1:15.000.


1:25.000 should be considered as the smallest scale to
analyze slope instability
Using smaller scales a slope failure may be recognised as
such, if size and contrast are sufficiently large.
The amount of analytical information, enabling the
interpreter to make conclusions on type and causes of the
landslide, will be very limited at scales smaller than
1:25.000.
A considerable amount of slope movements may be
overlooked at smaller scales.

Landslide types and causes

Size of the landslide

Relative suitabilities of different scales of aerial photographs for


different elements in slope instability mapping.
0 = less adequate, 1 = limited use, 2 = useful, 3 = very useful.
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Landslide types and causes

Conclusions : spatial resolution

Large photoscales allow for the inventory and analysis of


landslides and the interpretation of the possible causal
factors,

Small scale photographs are enabling the determination of


the spatial distribution of the variables involved in the mass
movement.

Smaller scales are more useful to analyze the overall


geological and geomorphological setting.

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For landslide interpretation you need airphotos

Landslide types and causes

Spectral information

Satellite data is useful, only when features are large.


It can be used when:

spectral information is used in conjunction to other data related to slope


failures,

based on terrain evidences, a direct relationship is known between slope


instability and vegetation or drainage anomalies.

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Spectral information, in the same way as spatial data, can be used


for the delineation of terrain variables (in this case mostly related
to vegetation and drainage conditions), which are correlated or
assumed to be related with slope movements.

In special cases (high contrast and/or large dimensions) the


feature itself may be identified on the basis of spectral
information. Seldomly this type of information alone will be
sufficient for the analysis of the type of failure.

Landslide types and causes

Airphotos
Panchromatic black and white , Colour films
Black and white infrared and false colour infrared
films
Excellent spatial resolution, Normally
stereoscopic
Spectral resolution is bad in comparison to
multispectral data
Organization of a aerial photographic mission is
time consuming
Number of days with good climatic conditions are
very limited
The temporal resolution is bad in comparison to
satellite
imagery.
Landslide types
and causes

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Spectral resolution: types of airphotos


Vertical photography
Oblique photography
Panchromatic
True colour
Colour infrared

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Landslide types and causes

Infrared

Detection vegetation differences.


Optimal differences in the vegetational conditions may be
expected in the early or very late stage of the growing season.

Detection differences in water conditions.


Differential drainage conditions are optimal shortly after the first
rainstorms of the rainy season or in cold and temperate climates
shortly after the snowmelt.

Infrared sensitive film and false colour infrared film, is very useful.
Satellite data is useful, only when features are large.

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Landslide types and causes

Temporal resolution

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Satellite systems give the opportunity to obtain regularly data


from the same areas, allowing for the monitoring of processes in
time.
Images obtained shortly after a period of slope instability will show
high contrasts between the zones affected by slope instability and
the stable surroundings, resulting in clearly detectable spatial and
spectral changes.
The interpretation of sequential images allows for the correlation
of climatic or seismic events with the occurrence and intensity of
slope movements.
For interpretation of landslide activity we dont need a very high
temporal resolution.
Also airphotos from different periods (e.g. each decade) are useful
for landslide activity mapping.
Multitemporal radar images can be used to detect altitude
differences using radar interferometry. However, radar images are
not useful for mapping features themselves.

Landslide types and causes

Temporal resolution

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Landslide types and causes

SPOT

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two sensor systems, each one with a 60 kilometers swath


width.
The sensors have an off-nadir looking capability:
stereoscopy
sidewards looking option: high temporal resolution.
wide panchromatic band (10 meter)
three narrower spectral bands (green, red and infrared, 20
meter).

Landslide types and causes

Mapping landslides using SPOT


Comparison of interpretability of large
complex landslide in the Sant Arcangelo
Basin (Basilicata, Italy) shown on:
stereo SPOT image (scale approx.
1:70,000),
medium scale aerial photographs
(1:33,000) and
large-scale aerial photographs
(1:17,000).

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Landslide types and causes

Mapping landslides using SPOT


SPOT Panchromatic: 10 m pixel size
Landslide at Hachimantai in Akita
Prefecture, Japan (1997.5)
The landslide was about 350m in width
and about 700m in length.
Earth and debris from the landslide
destroyed 16 houses and became a
debris flow.
Flow was stopped by the Sabo Dam
about 2km downstream.

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Landslide types and causes

Mapping landslides using SPOT

Landslide in IZUMI City, Kagoshima Prefecture,Japan(1997.7)


A debris flow occurred on July 10, 1997 causing 34 casualties (21
fatalities) and completely destroying19 houses on the alluvial fan.
The landslide was about 200 m long, 80 m wide, 27 m deep at
maximum, with an incline of 26 degrees.
The volume was about 165000 cubic meters.
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Landslide types and causes

LANDSAT

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6 bands covering the visible and the near and middle


infrared (30 m)
one band in the thermal infrared.
overpass every eighteen days
weather conditions are a serious limiting factor
lack of an adequate stereovision.

Landslide types and causes

Mapping landslides using LANDSAT


Airphoto

LANDSAT

1:50.000

MSS

1963

1978

LANDSAT
TM
1987

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Landslide types and causes

Airphoto
1:50.000
1993

Guanay Landslide
Progression
(Bolivia)
LANDSAT MSS (60 x 80
metres),
LANDSAT TM (30 meters
except for the thermal
infrared band)
spectral resolution with 6
bands covering the whole
visible and the near and
middle infrared part of the
spectrum and with one
band in the thermal
infrared.
weakest point of the
LANDSAT System is the
lack of an adequate
stereovision

Mapping landslides using radar

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Landslide types and causes

European ERS-1
Japanese JERS,
Canadian RADARSAT
all weather capability: cloud
penetrating.
information on surface roughness
and micromorphology.
not been very appropriate for the
application in mountainous
terrain.
radar interferometry is very
promising

RADARSAT 7 Nov. 98

SPOT 16 Nov. 98

Data Processing Chain I

SAR and optical EO processing


SAR data
optical RS data

historical
data

actual
data

(D-)InSAR processing / optical RS data processing

occurence
of landlsides

SARscape EO processing software

Landslide in the area of Nice


- the phase was converted to
movement results in 1-2cm/day
data processing: Polimi

Phase values of Kaunertal


IMG, Innsbruck

Conclusions

The application of presently available satellite remote sensing is


limited.

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spatial resolution too large


often lack of stereo imagery,
only stereo SPOT images may be used for small regional hazard zonation.
satellite images are used for mapping the spatial distribution of landslide
controlling variables

For the inventory mapping and the analytical part of the slope
instability assessment, large scale aerial photography is used.
The potentials of radar imagery for landslide hazard zonation still
need further investigations.

Landslide types and causes

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