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Precursors to large rockslides visible on optical remote-sensing images and their implications for landslide early detection

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Abstract

Early detection of rockslides at high-elevation and well-vegetated slopes remains challenging. This study used satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) optical remote-sensing (ORS) images to track evidence of slope deformation and examine potential geomorphological precursors of five large rockslides in China. The multi-temporal image interpretation results were combined with available pre-sliding slope displacement data derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) or field monitoring to study the temporal changes in geomorphological precursors accompanying slope deformation. All the surveyed landslides had cracks or scarps and rockfalls within the landslide source area before the onset of rapid sliding. These precursors can be identified in ORS images taken several years or decades before the rapid slope failure, which provides sufficient time for the landslide early detection in practice. Local topography affects the spatial locations of cracks or scarps. Rockfalls within the landslide source area tend to locate at “key blocks” where slope mass provides forces resisting sliding. The rockfall area ratio, defined as the accumulated area of rockfalls over the landslide source area, ranged from 0.33 to 0.92 before rapid slope failure. The landslides developed on anti-dip and igneous rock slopes show a more significant rise of rockfall area ratio before the slope failure than the landslides on dip slopes. Given the broad availability of ORS data, this study could shed light on the ORS-based landslide early detection and landslide kinematics study.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the editor and three anonymous reviewers for providing constructive comments that improved the quality of this article. The corresponding author would like to thank Professor C. Hsein Juang for giving valuable advice on writing.

Funding

This research is supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2021YFC3000401), the National Key Research and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41941019), and the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (STEP) (Grant No. 2019QZKK0201).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, China

    Weile Li, Weiwei Zhan, Huiyan Lu, Qiang Xu, Xiangjun Pei & Runqiu Huang

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA

    Weiwei Zhan

  3. China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co. Ltd., Chengdu, 610031, China

    Dong Wang

  4. China Aero Geophysical Survey & Remote Sensing, Center for Land and Resources (AGRS), Beijing, 100083, China

    Daqing Ge

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  1. Weile Li
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Correspondence to Weiwei Zhan.

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Li, W., Zhan, W., Lu, H. et al. Precursors to large rockslides visible on optical remote-sensing images and their implications for landslide early detection. Landslides 20, 1–12 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-022-01960-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-022-01960-1

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