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A modified frequency ratio method for landslide susceptibility assessment

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Abstract

The frequency ratio method is one of the most widely adopted methods for landslide susceptibility assessment. However, due to the obligatory classifications of landslide-related factors with continuous factor values, the conventional frequency ratio method is complicated by a discontinuity problem of the frequency ratio values and a subjectivity problem. This paper has modified the conventional frequency ratio method and developed a handy geographical information system extension that implements the modified method. Through calculating the frequency ratios for every “identical normalized factor value” instead of for every “factor class,” the modified method radically increased the continuity of frequency ratio values and reduced the subjectivity accompanied by the classifications of factors. An automatic and quick assessment of landslide susceptibility becomes possible because the calculations of frequency ratios for different factors in the modified method are constrained by only two uniform parameters (precision and bin width). Two case studies were adopted to inspect the performances of the modified method. From a quantitative point of view, the modified method derives landslide susceptibility models having slightly larger AUC values than the conventional method. From a qualitative point of view, the modified method gives much more detailed variations of frequency ratio with factor value and, as a result, can reveal characteristic fluctuations of frequency ratio and can smoothen the spatial discontinuity of the landslide susceptibility map derived by the conventional method. In practice, this modified frequency ratio method is expected to benefit the landslide susceptibility assessment and get further evaluations in the meantime.

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Acknowledgments

This study is supported by the National Science Foundation of China (NO. 41525010, 41421001, 41272354 and 41402321) the China Geological Survey Project (NO. 12120113038000) and Research Foundation for Youth Scholars of IGSNRR, CAS. The CNIC, CAS, is appreciated for providing the SRTM data. The LP DAAC is appreciated for providing the MOD13Q1 data. Dr. Zhao N and Prof. Yue TX are appreciated for providing the grid precipitation data. The Fujian Geological Environment Monitoring Center is appreciated for providing the SPOT images and the DEM of the Caiyuan Basin. Mr. Wang ZW is particularly appreciated for helping to prepare the landslide dataset of the Caiyuan Basin. The comments of two anonymous reviewers were very helpful in improving the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 11A, Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China

    Langping Li, Hengxing Lan, Quanwen Li & Yuming Wu

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada

    Hengxing Lan

  3. Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    Changbao Guo & Yongshuang Zhang

  4. Key Laboratory of Neotectonic Movement and Geohazard, Ministry of Land and Resources, Beijing, 100081, China

    Changbao Guo & Yongshuang Zhang

  5. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Quanwen Li

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  1. Langping Li
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Correspondence to Hengxing Lan.

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Li, L., Lan, H., Guo, C. et al. A modified frequency ratio method for landslide susceptibility assessment. Landslides 14, 727–741 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-016-0771-x

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