1. Effect of the antecedent precipitation on the occurrence of landslides: Examples from the Central Uplands in Germany
- Author
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Rupp, Stefan
- Abstract
Precipitation is considered one of the most important triggering factors of landslides. In addition to precipitation as the actual triggering event, the antecedent precipitation may be of great importance, as this can lead to an increase of the soil water content and the pore water pressure and, thus, to a decisive slope instability. In the present study, 236 landslide events and daily precipitation records of 55 precipitation stations in the Central Uplands in Germany are used to analyze the relationship between the occurrence of landslides and the antecedent precipitation for the first time. In addition, the precipitation on the day of the landslide event was used to determine the degree of influence of the two parameters on the occurrence. To ensure a good representation, the nearest station was assigned to each landslide. The analyses show that the antecedent precipitation is generally of great importance for the occurrence of landslides all year round. Especially in the winter months, the antecedent precipitation, as the predisposing factor, has a major impact on the occurrence of landslides which is expressed by the decrease of the slope stability by an increasing soil water content. This influence of the antecedent precipitation is also of great importance in the summer months in order to create the conditions for the possible occurrence of landslides. The precipitation on the day of the landslide, i.e. short-term heavy precipitation events, is not so decisive for the triggering in winter, which is why the antecedent precipitation is also regarded as the trigger here. In summer, on the other hand, the precipitation on the day of the landslide is necessary as a trigger to an increasing degree. The results of this study could be useful for further interdisciplinary analyses in the future, taking into account the specific geological, geomorphological and climatological conditions of the landslide sites, in order to investigate the complex relationship between landslide occurrences and influencing and triggering factors even more comprehensively.
- Published
- 2022
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