Landslide susceptibility mapping using image satellite and GIS technology

Abstract

Landslides are among the great destructive factors which cause lots of fatalities and financial losses all over the world every year. The aim of the research was landslide susceptibility mapping by remote sensing data processing and GIS spatial analysis. The area study in research is central Zab basin in west Azerbaijan province, Iran. In this research, through geological maps and field studies,we primarily prepared a map for landslide distributions in Zab basin. Then, applying other information sources such as the existing thematic maps, we studied and defined the 8 factors such as, lithology, slope, slope aspect, annual rainfall, land use, distance to waterway, distance to the fault, and distance to road. That affect occurrence of the landslides. To get more precision,speed and facility in our analysis all descriptive and spatial information was entered into GIS system. After preparation of the needed information layers by influential parameters on landslides, we drew the zoning maps of landslide hazard via information coming from satellite image classification (Quickbird, Ikonos), and then evaluated and compared them. According to the obtained index, and the comparison of landslide distribution map and zoning map of landslide hazard prepared by each of the methods in GIS environment. This model gives also indications about the relevant factors influencing slope instability.