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On February 22, 2023, a devastating landslide occurred on the mining slope of an open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia, China, leading to the mining area being buried and 53 fatalities. The source area of the landslide measured approximately 500 m in both length and width, with an estimated volume of the deposited material reaching approximately 5 million cubic metres. Based on the severe impact of this incident, our study conducted preliminary research using a combination of methodologies, including particle image analysis, synthetic aperture radar interferometry, interpretation of optical remote sensing data, and post-event news reports analysis. The results indicated that the landslide lasted 23 s from initiation to cessation of movement. The historical deformation indicated that prior to the resumption of the mining activities, only localized deformation was observed at the rear edge of the landslide. However, when mining activities resumed in April 2021 and extended to the vicinity of the north slope, the deformation range and rate in the source area of the landslide rapidly increased. The investigation deduced that the soft foundation at the slope bottom and mining activities are the primary causative factors of this event. Mining activities, which stripped coal seams within the slope and surface rock masses, led to the expansion of tension cracks within the landslide body, weakening resisting forces at the leading edge and thus playing a significant role in destabilizing the landslide body. The evolution of the landslide from incubation to instability could be divided into four stages: early microcrack development, slow creep, accelerated deformation after resumption of mining, and ultimate instability. Therefore, it is of great significance to advance real-time deformation monitoring and early warning systems specifically those designed for mining slope areas by comprehensive measures. Furthermore, enhancing the high-frequency monitoring capabilities of synthetic aperture radar satellites is crucial to reducing the occurrence of these catastrophic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recurrence of large-scale ancient landslides often manifests as catastrophic events, so it is important to assess their stability by monitoring the deformation process. In this study, the Da'ao ancient landslide along the Jinsha River in China was investigated and analyzed. Field investigation showed that the landslide body is being experienced deforming with many new failures. Three sliding events can be identified according to different main scarps. The Permanent Scatterer Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (PS-InSAR) data further revealed that the most obvious deforming area is in the middle and toe part of the sliding body with the largest cumulative displacement of 55 mm during 2017 to 2021. Additionally, the relatively stable zone and the accelerating deforming zone are divided by displacement rate. This indicates that the Da'ao landslide is becoming unstable. At the same time, the Particle Flow Code (PFC) simulation verified that the risk of landslide recurrence is likely when subjected to strong earthquakes or heavy rainfall, and the resulting sidings could dam the Jinsha River. In addition, the analysis results suggested that the displacement rates were approximately 5 mm/year and 13.3 mm/year before and after the Ms 5.2 earthquake, respectively, which occurred on 04/21/2019. The deformation changed with seasonal variation during 2017–2021 and lagged behind precipitation, while the earthquake can increase the amount and rate of displacement. The results presented here can help us to understand how landslides recur over time and their deformation and failure mechanisms, which is useful for disaster prevention and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnitude (spatial location, area, and volume) of landslides is a crucial parameter for estimating the quantitative risk and preventing landslide hazards. This study proposes a novel approach to forecast the volume of potential landslides in alpine-canyon terrain by combining the empirical relationship linking landslide volume (V) to characteristics and synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) technology in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. First, a historical landslide inventory with detailed characteristics was established by reviewing literature and field investigation. Then, the relationship between volume and characteristics of landslides was analyzed based on the least-squares linear regression of the logarithmic transformation. Finally, the relationships of the colluvial landslides (V = 0.170 × L 0.982 × W 1.589 × H 0.471) and loess landslides (V = 0.170 × L 0.796 × W 2.151 × H 0.048) were obtained after verifying several landslides. The ground deformation rate was generated, and 217 potential landslides were detected using 47 descending Sentinel-1A images acquired from January 11, 2020, to July 16, 2021, and 40 ascending Sentinel-1A images acquired from January 11, 2020, to April 23, 2021. Through the established relationships, the total volumes of all potential colluvial and loess landslides were estimated to be 8.77 × 108 m3 and 5.74 × 108 m3, respectively. This study provides an improved empirical relationship to better forecast the volume of potential landslides in alpine-canyon terrain. Furthermore, the study helps in understanding the future dynamic evolution of potential landslides using InSAR technology, which provides scientific understanding to assess and prevents potential landslide hazards and risks in the Bailong River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On January 18, 2021, a moderate earthquake (Mw 6.5) occurred ~ 45 km southwest of San Juan, a city in Central-Western Argentina, at a relatively shallow depth of ~ 20 km. The earthquake caused damage to the environment and infrastructure in the affected area, which is home to ~ 600,000 residents. To assess ground deformation, identify the seismogenic source, and evaluate the extent of secondary effects, we utilized Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) techniques in combination with Sentinel-2 visible and infrared imagery, as well as field data. DInSAR results suggested centimeter-scale ground deformation around the epicenter, off-fault deformation linked to regional structures, and site effects, such as liquefaction and landslides. By combining the values extracted from a 3-year-long PSI and SBAS time series, we estimated a vertical displacement of approximately 4.5 cm near the epicenter. Off-fault deformation involves some degree of ground settling on top of a blind or buried section of the Papagallos fault system, the reactivation of a section of the Rinconada fault system, and liquefaction and ground settling processes in the Tulum Valley. Rockfalls were distributed throughout a geologically diverse terrain and along a NW swath, with their occurrence controlled by the shaking intensity. The total area affected by secondary effects was ~ 3800 km2. Based on the available focal mechanism solutions and the distribution of environmental damage, we propose a left-lateral strike-slip displacement in a blind NW-striking fault, although different interpretations are discussed. Finally, we estimated the epicentral depth from SBAS time series Bayesian Inversion and from differential travel times pP-P, obtaining a depth of 20–25 km. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition of landslide hazard is a step-like procedure that encompasses the quantification of its spatial and temporal attributes, i.e., a reliable definition of landslide susceptibility and a detailed analysis of landslide recurrence. However, available information is often incomplete, fragmented and unsuitable for reliable quantitative analysis. Nevertheless, landslide hazard evaluation has a key role in the implementation of risk mitigation policies and an effort should be done to retrieve information and make it useful for this purpose. In this research, we go through this topic of optimising the information available in catalogues, starting from landslide inventory review and constitution of a boosted training dataset, propaedeutic for susceptibility analysis based on machine learning methods. The temporal recurrence of landslide events has been approached here either through the definitions of large-scale quantitative hazard descriptors or by analysis of historical rainfall (i.e., the main triggering factor for the considered shallow earth slope failures) databases through the definition of rainfall probability curves. Spatial and temporal attributes were integrated, selecting potential landslide source areas ranked in terms of hazard. Data integration was also pursued through persistent scatterer interferometry analysis which pointed out areas of interest within potential landslide source areas featured by ongoing ground movement. The consequential approach led to the definition of the first hazard product of the city of Rome at a local scale functional for advisory purposes or the statutory level, representing a thematic layer able to orient the risk managers and infrastructure stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An updated and complete landslide inventory is the starting point for an appropriate hazard assessment. This paper presents an improvement for landslide mapping by integrating data from two well-consolidated techniques: Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) and Landscape Analysis through the normalised channel steepness index (ksn). The southwestern sector of the Sierra Nevada mountain range (Southern Spain) was selected as the case study. We first propose the double normalised steepness (ksnn) index, derived from the ksn index, to remove the active tectonics signal. The obtained ksnn anomalies (or knickzones) along rivers and the unstable ground areas from the DInSAR analysis rapidly highlighted the slopes of interest. Thus, we provided a new inventory of 28 landslides that implies an increase in the area affected by landslides compared with the previous mapping: 33.5% in the present study vs. 14.5% in the Spanish Land Movements Database. The two main typologies of identified landslides are Deep-Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations (DGSDs) and rockslides, with the prevalence of large DGSDs in Sierra Nevada being first revealed in this work. We also demonstrate that the combination of DInSAR and Landscape Analysis could overcome the limitations of each method for landslide detection. They also supported us in dealing with difficulties in recognising this type of landslides due to their poorly defined boundaries, a homogeneous lithology and the imprint of glacial and periglacial processes. Finally, a preliminary hazard perspective of these landslides was outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spaceborne interferometric synthetic aperture radar has been proven to be able to monitor slow deforming landslides with mm-precision. Continental- and nationwide-scale Sentinel-1 PSI (persistent scatterer interferometry) datasets with millions of deformation time series are publicly available, e.g., via the European Ground Motion Service or the Ground Motion Service Germany. This creates the possibility for an increased routine use of PSI for landslide applications. However, the use of PSI datasets is often done by visual inspection. The huge amount of measurements makes visual inspection, subjective, time-consuming, and error prone due to outliers. This study demonstrates how spatial and temporal patterns of the PSI velocity and time series can be detected in a semi-automatic way to improve objective information extraction. Therefore, two landslides, namely, Trittenheim and Piesport landslides, in Germany are analyzed using Sentinel-1 PSI datasets from the Ground Motion Service Germany. The post-processing technique semi-automatically detects spatial clusters of deforming PS with a maximum LoS velocity of 18 and 7 mm/a in Trittenheim and Piesport landslides, respectively. Furthermore, a correlation and time-lag between the surface deformation and a potential triggering factor is found. Results show that an increase in climatic water balance accelerates landslide deformation at the investigated locations. Results are verified by a second independent Sentinel-1 PSI dataset from the Ground Motion Service Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow-moving landslides move downslope at velocities that range from mm year−1 to m year−1. Such deformations can be measured using satellite-based synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR). We developed a new method to systematically detect and quantify accelerations and decelerations of slowly deforming areas using InSAR displacement time series. The displacement time series are filtered using an outlier detector and subsequently piecewise linear functions are fitted to identify changes in the displacement rate (i.e., accelerations or decelerations). Grouped accelerations and decelerations are inventoried as indicators of potential unstable areas. We tested and refined our new method using a high-quality dataset from the Mud Creek landslide, CA, USA. Our method detects accelerations and decelerations that coincide with those previously detected by manual examination. Second, we tested our method in the region around the Mazar dam and reservoir in Southeast Ecuador, where the time series data were of considerably lower quality. We detected accelerations and decelerations occurring during the entire study period near and upslope of the reservoir. Application of our method results in a wealth of information on the dynamics of the surface displacement of hillslopes and provides an objective way to identify changes in displacement rates. The displacement rates, their spatial variation, and the timing of accelerations and decelerations can be used to study the physical behavior of a slow-moving slope or for regional hazard assessment by linking the timing of changes in displacement rates to landslide causal and triggering factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed an extensive analysis of C-band SAR datasets provided by the European Space Agency (ESA) satellites ERS-1/2, Envisat ASAR, and Sentinel-1 in the period 1992–2020 aiming at reconstructing the multi-decadal spatial and temporal evolution of the surface displacements at the Brienz/Brinzauls landslide complex, located in canton Graubünden (Switzerland). To this end, we analyzed about 1000 SAR images by applying differential interferometry (InSAR), multitemporal stacking, and persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) approaches. Moreover, we jointly considered digital image correlation (DIC) on high-resolution multi-temporal digital terrain models (DTM) generated from airborne surveys and InSAR results to compute 3-D surface deformation fields. The extensive network of GNSS stations across the Brienz landslide complex allowed us to extensively validate the deformation results obtained in our remote sensing analyses. Here, we illustrate the limitations occurring when relying on InSAR and/or PSI measurements for the analysis and interpretation of complex landslide scenarios, especially in cases of relevant spatial and temporal heterogeneities of the deformation field. The joint use of InSAR and DIC can deliver a better picture of the evolution of the deformation field, however, not for all displacement components. Since InSAR, PSI and DIC measurements are nowadays routinely used in the framework of local investigations, as well as in regional, national, and/or continental monitoring programs, our results are of major importance for users aiming at a comprehensive understanding of these datasets in landslide scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zongling landslides are the typical karst landslides located in the southwest of China, which have severely threatened the lives of local people. It is of great significance to monitor the real surface deformation of the unstable slopes for the hazard prevention by using the InSAR technology owing to its high precision and frequent revisit. However, the decorrelation effect and atmospheric delay caused by dense vegetation and alpine terrain result in less effective targets to monitor the full deformation of karst landslides. Besides, the derived deformation along one line-of-sight (LOS) direction can result in the misunderstanding of the real kinematics landslide process. In this study, we combine the multi-temporal distributed scatterer InSAR technology (DS-InSAR) and the multi-platform SAR measurements to derive the multi-dimension deformation time series of Zongling landslides. First, both ALOS/PALSAR-2 datasets and Sentinel-1A images from ascending and descending orbits are employed to acquire the deformation along the LOS direction using the DS-InSAR method, where dense effective targets can be achieved, and the deformation patterns can be revealed. Then, the multi-dimensional small baseline subset (MSBAS) method is used to retrieve the horizontal and vertical deformation of Zongling landslides, which further improve the temporal sampling of the deformation time series. Finally, the comprehensive analyses of driving factors and failure mode are conducted according to the spatial–temporal deformation characteristics, and field investigation. The results indicate that this technical route can not only retrieve the landslide deformation with high spatial–temporal sampling density, but also provide new insight into the driven effect of natural factors and mining activities on karst landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different forms of hazard can affect structures throughout their existence. The occurrence of a seismic event in areas exposed to different risks or already affected by other phenomena is highly likely, especially in countries characterized by high seismicity and equally high hydrogeological risk, as Italy. Nevertheless, the seismic safety assessment of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is commonly carried out considering the seismic action only, generally applied to an analytical model, neglecting the stress–strain state induced by previous ongoing phenomena. The aim of this work is to highlight the importance of the seismic safety assessment in a multi-hazard analysis, cumulating the action coming from two different hazards: landslide and earthquake. An existing RC building, located in an area affected by an intermittent landslide phenomenon with slow kinematics, that may also be subjected to strong earthquakes, is used as case study. The Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) approach is used to monitor the evolution in time of the landslide. DInSAR deformation data are used to detect surface ground movements applied to building foundations. A non-linear static analysis procedure is implemented for the code-based seismic safety assessment, in two different scenarios. The seismic assessment of the case-study building is implemented in a condition of structure deformed only for gravity loads, and, then, in a state of known landslide-induced deformed configuration. A comparison is proposed between the building seismic safety assessment performed in both cases, with or without the consideration of the landslide-induced displacements, showing the importance of a multi-hazard evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On August 16th, 2018, a Mw 5.1 earthquake struck the Molise region (central Italy), inducing 84 earthquake-triggered landslides that predominantly involved soil covers of clayey materials and flysch on gently dipping slopes. To quantify the spatiotemporal landslide activity in the months immediately after the earthquake, a differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) analysis was performed for a time span from 2 years before to one year after the earthquake, recognising both first-time and reactivated landslides. The results showed a clear increase in landslide activity following the low-magnitude earthquake with respect to the activities recorded in the same months of the previous years. Several coherent landslides (earth slides and earth flows) were observed following seasonally recurrent rainfall events. Such increases were observed for both reactivated and first-time landslides, showing decreases in inactive periods and activity over longer periods. Furthermore, the spatial density distribution of the landslides was investigated in the postseismic time interval along transects perpendicular and parallel to the direction of the tectonic element responsible for the seismic event. An asymmetrical distribution was deduced parallel to the fault strike with a higher number of landslides located inside the compressional sector according to a strike-slip faulting mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results from the Bureya landslide study by the method of persistent scatterers using multi-temporal synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data for the years of 2019–2020 are presented. The analysis of coherence of the Sentinel-1B and ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 data at various sensing geometry and different polarizations has shown that temporal decorrelation of radar backscattering takes place over most of the surface of rupture. The difference in the dynamics of deformations for the western and eastern above-water parts of the landslide in the river has been found. A chaotic change in the surface structure due to rockfalls and small landslides, as well as a displacement of about 10 mm in the lower northeastern part of the surface of rupture have been revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When an active landslide is first identified in an artificial reservoir, a comprehensive study has to be quickly conducted to analyse the possible hazard that it may represent to such a critical infrastructure. This paper presents the case of the El Arrecife Landslide, located in a slope of the Rules Reservoir (Southern Spain), as an example of geological and motion data integration for elaborating a preliminary hazard assessment. For this purpose, a field survey was carried out to define the kinematics of the landslide: translational in favour of a specific foliation set, and rotational at the foot of the landslide. A possible failure surface has been proposed, as well as an estimation of the volume of the landslide: 14.7 million m3. At the same time, remote sensing and geophysical techniques were applied to obtain historical displacement rates. A mean subsidence rate of the landslide around 2 cm/year was obtained by means of synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data, during the last 5 and 22 years, respectively. The structure-from-motion (SfM) technique provided a rate up to 26 cm/year during the last 14 years of a slag heap located within the foot of the landslide, due to compaction of the anthropical deposits. All of this collected information will be valuable to optimise the planning of future monitoring surveys (i.e. differential global positioning systems, inclinometers, ground drilling, and InSAR) that should be applied in order to prevent further damage on the reservoir and related infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The region of Tajikistan where the Rogun Hydropower Project is currently under construction has experienced large and catastrophic slope failures in the past, often triggered by earthquakes. Co-seismic slope failures are thus common and pose a high hazard potential; however, to date, no specific analysis of slope activity in this area has been presented in international journals. Here, we present an inventory of active landslides identified through satellite imagery analysis and in particular by exploiting space-borne differential radar interferometry. Surface displacements provide the basis for the detection of active slope instabilities, which are then further classified by using geomorphological indicators visible in optical satellite imagery. Additionally, the proximity of active landslides to tectonic lineaments, as well as regional seismicity, is analysed to investigate potential relationships and to provide an integrated river damming hazard potential. The results show that approximately 31% of all detected landslides would have a high damming hazard potential upon catastrophic failure, highlighting the importance of such phenomena for efficient long-term land use planning and management of hydropower plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhouqu County in Gansu Province, Northwest China, is typically highly prone to landslides. On July 12, 2018, a landslide blocked the Bailong River near Zhouqu County, posing a serious threat to the life and property of local residents and the safety of infrastructure. Small baseline subset interferometry synthetic aperture radar technology (SBAS-InSAR) was adopted to identify the potential active landslides in the surrounding area of Zhouqu County, using ascending and descending orbit Sentinel-1 satellite images taken from October 2017 to December 2018. The surface deformation areas detected by SBAS-InSAR were verified by optical remote sensing image interpretation and field investigation, and a total of 23 active landslides were identified finally. The deformation characteristics of four typical landslides are analysed in detail using deformation velocity and rainfall data. It is found that the deformation velocity of landslides in this area is mainly affected by rainfall and there is a lag effect. The results can provide a reference for the prevention and control of landslide risk in Zhouqu County. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow-moving landslides, often with nearly imperceptible creeping motion, are an important landscape shaper and a dangerous natural hazard across the globe, yet their spatial distribution and geologic controls are still poorly known owing to a paucity of detailed, large-area observations. Here, we use interferometry of L-band satellite radar images to reveal 617 spatially large (4 × 104–13 × 106 m2) and presently active (2007–2019) slow-moving landslides near the populous US West Coast (only 4.6% of these slides were previously known) and provide evidence for their fundamental controls by bedrock lithology and vertical land motion. We found that slow-moving landslides are generally larger and more spatially frequent in homogeneous bedrock with low rock strength, and they are preferentially located on hillslopes with geologically recent uplift. Notably, landslide size and spatial density in the relatively weak metamorphic rocks and mélange (due to pervasive tectonically sheared discontinuities, foliation, and abundant clay minerals) were two times larger than those in sedimentary and igneous rocks, and the hillslopes with landslides were found to be uplifting approximately three times faster than the average for the whole region. These results suggest that slow-moving landslides can be effectively uncovered by satellite radar imagery and their occurrence and character may be anticipated from vertical land uplift and bedrock lithology. Hence, our study provides understanding critical for reducing landslide hazards and quantifying landslide impacts on landscape change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SAR Interferometry (InSAR) has been proven to be effective for measuring landslides deformation. However, the InSAR application of landslide mapping is limited by the blind observation areas caused by SAR geometric distortion or vegetation decorrelation. We proposed an approach of landslide detection and mapping with a priori assessment of InSAR applicability, which can not only guide the selection of SAR data, but also prejudge the observable areas. Meanwhile, it can assist to analyze the reliability of landslide detection and help to reveal the reason of detection failure of occurred landslides. We employed this approach to evaluate the InSAR applicability over the whole Guizhou Province at first. Then, we took Shuicheng County as an example to conduct time-series InSAR landslide detection combined with a priori applicability. Six large active landslides were identified from the results of three SAR data stacks (ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 and ascending/descending Sentinel-1 from April 2017 to July 2019). The reliabilities of landslide detection results were analyzed and the possible reasons for the detection failure of Jicangzhen landslide were revealed. We inferred that the Jichangzhen landslide suddenly happened induced by short-term heavy rainfalls and presented no precursors, which cannot be captured by SAR satellites with intermittent observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslides, as a representative geohazard in fault zones, threaten the safety of buildings and infrastructure. Landslide movements are often subject to multiple loads in urbanized hillslopes from both natural and human activity. Synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) has been used to measure landslide movements. Used independently, InSAR can measure only surface deformation, and the points are sparse. Numerical modeling can simulate the full-scale movements, but it requires a prior knowledge of soil properties that are often not available in practice. To address these limitations, we proposed to couple InSAR and numerical modeling for characterizing landslide movements under multiple loads. We used 60 ascending and 56 descending Sentinel-1 images to measure surface movements in urbanized Daguan County Town. Of 31 landslides in the inventory map, 24 were successfully identified. The InSAR results assisted in determining the optimal soil properties through back-analysis. We used geological, geotechnical, and meteorological data to set three boundary conditions, that is, body loads, precipitation-induced hydraulic conditions, and construction-induced forces. Landslide mobility was demonstrated more distinctly using the coupled analysis. The numerical results revealed that body loads dominated the cumulative downslope movements by squeezing water and air from voids, and precipitation caused seasonal movements with the direction perpendicular to the slope surface. Construction works caused permanent changes (accelerating and decelerating) in time-series trends. Coupling InSAR and numerical modeling can facilitate analysis of the effects of complex loads and potentially predict future deformation. The method developed can be extended to study other urbanized landslide areas for early warning and risk mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 6th nuclear test of North Korea on September 3, 2017 produced an mb 6.1 artificial earthquake and significant surface deformations detectable from satellite observations. Wang et al. (2018) have reported the surface displacement of the Mt. Mantap caused by the explosion by applying offset-tracking method to TerraSAR-X SAR images. Based on the assumption of elastic behaviour of the mountain body, they have modelled the rise and collapse of the mountain and suggested the location, depth and energy of the explosion. However, we suspect that the surface displacement might be caused by landslide in which case the elastic modelling would be misleading. In this paper, we use both SAR interferometry and offset-tracking method to quantify the elastic and random deformation caused by the explosion. The 3-D displacement vectors around the rim of the explosion, where the inter-ferometric coherence is maintained, were obtained by using three ALOS-2 interferograms acquired in different orbits. Only east-west component of the displacement vector was valid due to orbital characteristics, which indicates the explosive tendency of the bedrock of up to 25 cm in the rim of the mountain. Deformation on the ruptured zone, where the interferometric coherence is lost, was detected through visual inspection and offset tracking by using two pairs of high-resolution ALOS-2 and TerraSAR-X images. It showed up to 3.5 m displacement on the mountain slope towards the direction of gravity, which is similar to the results of Wang et al. (2018). However, we have visually identified many stable points and features that have not moved at all in the mountain flank surrounded by active surface deformation, which is believed to be stable bedrocks and outcrops. This implies that the displacements observed by the offset method in the mountain flank of the ruptured zone were mostly of landslides caused by the topsoil and boulder stones. It is suggested that elastic behaviour of the mountain body due to the 6th nuclear test of North Korea is unidentifiable and the subsequent modelling might be invalid in the mountain flank of the ruptured zone where surface motion from landslides is dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On September 14, 2019, a reactivated landslide with a volume of 1.3 × 107 m3 occurred in Changhe Town, Tongwei County, Gansu Province, China. As a result, a provincial highway, brickfield, and bridge were destroyed. Based on field investigation, interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) as well as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry, high-resolution remote sensing imagery, and digital elevation model, we addressed the surface displacement, travel distance, topographic changes, and causative factors of the Changhe landslide. The result shows the combination of ascending and descending orbit datasets can not only be used to monitor the landslide surface displacement but also to verify the deformation results. This landslide is a typical retrogressive landslide where large pre-failure deformation exists in the lower part of the landslide body. We detected the surface travel distance of the landslide and found spatial differences exist in the surface travel distance of the landslide. The deposit volume slightly exceeds erosion volume due to decompaction during the landslide. The frequency distribution of the basic topographic factors before and after the landslide is different, which indicates that the landslide event significantly changed the local topography and geomorphology. This study provides an insight into the spatiotemporal evolution of the landslide and has practical importance for early warning of landslides and risk mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidisciplinary approaches for the characterization of deep-seated landslides (DSLs) are useful in comprehending the internal and external dynamics of the phenomena. This paper examines and characterizes the active Cañón de Yerbabuena DSL (in Ahualulco, San Luis Potosi, Mexico), for which there are over 30 years of damage records to Federal Highway 63. Hence, the integrated study carried out includes lithological and structural characterization, geomorphological mapping, Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) analysis, and electrical geophysical surveys. The slope deformation extends over the highly weathered and fractured volcanic rocks of the Ahualulco Volcanic Complex in an area comprising 741,000 m2 and mobilizes an estimated rock volume of 6,950,459 m3. Geomorphological features within the DSL include a counter-scarp, minor scarps, tension cracks, small landslides, avalanche breccias, toppling, and colluvial deposits. Furthermore, the velocity rate in the upper section of the slope reaches up to 10 mm/year with a linear behavior that changes to a faster non-linear deformation (up to 30 mm/year) in the middle-lower part of the DSL. This change is the result of a multiple-complex dynamic linked to the presence of two normal faults fragmenting the middle section of the slope and an interbedded volcaniclastic clayey-siltstone layer acting as a possible sliding plane; the latter being defined by a resistivity survey. The acceleration of the velocity rates at the foot of the DSL are linked to torrential rains in the area and cause the most severe damage to the highway. Furthermore, the general slow deformation within the DSL is triggered by severe erosion from the seasonal river at the foot and the run-off on both flanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results are presented from monitoring the current state of the area of the landslide on the Bureya River in 2018–2019 using images from synthetic aperture radars and optical sensors of the Sentinel multisatellite system. Differential radar interferometry shows the stability of the landslide's surface in the first four months after the landslide and since the end of July 2019. The small-scale dynamics of the surface are revealed within the landslide circus. It is shown that interferometry cannot be used to observe large modifications of the shoreline, in contrast to optical images, where the effects of the collapse of shoreline fragments and shoreline flooding were clearly observed. Ongoing landslide activity within the landslide circus and area of shoreline collapse is detected using satellite images. Continuous monitoring of this and other dangerous landslide zones on the Bureya River is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The possibilities of interferometric surveying using L-band PALSAR-1 and PALSAR-2 space radars on the ALOS-1 and ALOS-2 satellites for studying landslide processes are analyzed using the example of a catastrophic caving of ~18.5 million m3 on the Bureya River in December 2018. The motions of the landslide surface are revealed and their integral amplitude is estimated at time intervals of up to 2 years. It is found that summer images are less informative due to a dramatic loss of coherence due to heavy rainfall; almost all winter pairs of images taken at low negative temperatures have high coherence due to the stability of the dielectric properties of wood vegetation and underlying soils. Based on the analysis of the dynamics of the development of the landslide process over a 10-year time interval, it is shown that soil displacements along the slope were small in 2006–2010 (1.6–1.9 cm/month); in 2015–2016, the displacements increased significantly (4.7–4.9 cm/month), and the maximum measured velocity of displacements was reached in the summer of 2016 (10.7 cm/month). It has been suggested that intensification of the landslide process occurred at the time the filling of the reservoir basin was completed in 2006–2009; the process was triggered by both the initial rise and seasonal fluctuations in water levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main active tectonic structure in the western part of Central Sulawesi (Indonesia) is the left-lateral Palu-Koro strike-slip fault. Its offshore section was thought not to have broken during the Mw 7.5 Palu Earthquake on 28 September 2018, challenging the established knowledge of the tectonic setting at this location. Here, we use Sentinel-1 SAR interferometry to produce a map of the ground velocities in the area of the Mw 7.5 earthquake for the seven months following the 2018 earthquake. We show evidence of surface deformation along the western coast of the Palu bay, indicating that the Palu Koro offshore fault section might have contribute to or been affected by the earthquake. As the possibility of multi-segment ruptures is a high concern in the area because of the high seismic and tsunami hazard, we present here, a fault model that includes the offshore section of the Palu-Koro fault. Thanks to four independents space-based geodetics measurements of the co-seismic displacement (Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 correlograms) we constrain the 3D co-seismic ground displacements. The modeling of these displacements allows us to estimate the co-seismic fault slip amplitude and geometry at depth. At the end, we consider the multi-segment faulting scenario, including the offshore section of the Palu-Koro fault, as a plausible model to explain the submarine landslides and the tsunamis. This study also gives the opportunity to observe a super-shear earthquake in the context of a complex fault network and implies an increase in the probability of submarine landslides within the bay in the forthcoming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use multitemporal analyses based on Synthetic Aperture Radar differential interferometry (DInSAR) to study the slope adjacent to the large Punatsangchhu-I hydropower plant, a concrete gravity dam under construction in Bhutan since 2009. Several slope failures affected the site since 2013, probably as a consequence of toe undercutting of a previously unrecognised active landslide. Our results indicate that downslope displacement, likely related to the natural instability, was already visible in 2007 on various sectors of the entire valley flank. Moreover, the area with active displacements impinging on the dam site has continuously increased in size since 2007 and into 2018, even though stabilization measures have been implemented since 2013. Stabilisation measures currently only focus on a small portion of the slope, however, the unstable area is larger than previously evaluated. Highly damaged rock is present across many areas of the entire valley flank, indicating that the volumes involved may be orders of magnitude higher than the area on which stabilisation efforts have been concentrated after the 2013 failure. The results highlight that satellite-based DInSAR could be systematically used to support decision making processes in the different phases of a complex hydropower project, from the feasibility study, to the dam site selection and construction phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New radar satellites provide global coverage and the possibility of long-term, regular frequency (days-weeks) surface displacement measurements through the application of high precision multi-temporal InSAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry) techniques. This represents an excellent opportunity to investigate and improve our understanding of the behavior of extremely slow landslides, as well as of the long- to short-term controls of their activity. In urban settings, such landslides deserve special attention, as their cumulative movements can cause significant socio-economic damage. Here, we re-examine the case of a long-lived, deep-seated landslide in the Apennine Mountains (Italy) which was urbanized between the late 1970s and early 2000s. The case provides a rare opportunity to highlight the benefits of the integrated analysis of long-term (several years) borehole inclinometer measurements with 15 years of multi-temporal InSAR displacement data. We present evidence of the landslide composite nature and asymmetry, and draw attention to the recent period of accelerated movement that coincided with the foot failure event. This helps constraining the interpretation of the borehole and InSAR data and demonstrating the predominantly rotational landslide mechanism. We show how a detailed analysis of sparse inclinometer and more spatially continuous InSAR measurements, when combined with local rainfall records, can reveal long- to short-term patterns of temporal variability in landslide motions and allow anticipating the consequences of future landslide activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a comparison of data acquisition, processing and interpretation between passive seismic interferometry (SI) and active multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) methods, both using surface waves for estimation S-wave velocity field. Measurements have been taken in the same geological engineering conditions on Just-Tegoborze landslide on the south of Poland. This comparison study has an important meaning from landslide hazard evaluation point of view. The landslide is located in Magura Nappe in Outer (Flysch) Carpathians. SI was based on registration of local seismic noise generated by high traffic on the state road which intersects the landslide. The main processing step was cross-correlation of seismic noise between every pair of receivers. It led to obtain series of empirical Green's functions for Rayleigh surface wave. However, in MASW method, seismic energy was released by an impact of 5 kg sledgehammer in a metal plate. Both methods included analysis of dispersion curves of Rayleigh surface wave. The inversion of picked fundamental modes was applied using genetic algorithm and resulted in 1D S-wave velocity models. The last step of interpretation included model visualization as the 2D S-wave velocity sections for studied profiles. Both MASW and SI methods allowed to estimate S-wave velocity field in Just-Tegoborze landslide subsurface. Dispersion images obtained from both methods provided similar phase velocity and frequency ranges. On S-wave velocity sections, the greater depth range was observed for SI method; however, lateral resolution was better for MASW. Slip surfaces in colluvial layer were not observed on either SI or MASW S-wave velocity sections. Only results obtained from SI allowed to distinguish probable slip surface located deeper, i.e. on the contact with less weathered flysch bedrock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the continuous monitoring of ground deformation throughout the Tuscany region using radar images acquired by the Sentinel-1 satellite constellation of the European Space Agency (ESA) are presented here. This new monitoring approach, based on systematic imagery processing and analysis of deformation time series, is discussed at regional (for the entire Tuscany) and at local scale in the context of a case study of the Carpineta landslide, which is a large, active earth slide in the Northern Apennines (Pistoia province). The landslide registered an acceleration during the winter and spring of 2018 as a direct consequence of rainfall and snow melt. The increase in the deformation rate of the landslide, which led to the damage of several buildings, was promptly detected and monitored due to the enhanced temporal repetitiveness offered by the Sentinel-1 constellation. The results demonstrate that advances in satellite sensors, increases in computing capacity and the refinement of processing approaches and data screening tools can contribute to the development of new paradigms in satellite-based monitoring systems. Sentinel-1 data, which are systematically acquired with short revisiting times and then promptly processed, can now be used as a tool for the systematic tracking of ground deformation at the regional scale and for the continuous monitoring of slow and very slow landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely and effective post-disaster assessment is of significance for the design of rescue plan, taking disaster mitigation measures and disaster analysis. Field investigation and remote sensing methods are the common ways to perform post-disaster assessment, which are usually limited by dense cloud coverage, potential risk, and tough transportation etc. in the mountainous area. In this paper, we employ the 2017 catastrophic Xinmo landslide (Sichuan, China) to demonstrate the feasibility of using spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to perform timely and effective post-disaster assessment. With C-band Sentinel-1 data, we propose to combine interferometric coherence to recognize the stable area, which helps us successfully identify landslide source area and boundaries in a space-based remote sensing way. Complementarily, X-band TanDEM-X SAR data allow us to generate a precise pre-failure high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM), which provides us the ability to accurately estimate the depletion volume and accumulation volume of Xinmo landslide. The results prove that spaceborne SAR can provide a quick, valuable, and unique assistance for post-disaster assessment of landslides from a space remote sensing way. At some conditions (bad weather, clouds, etc.), it can provide reliable alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurement of the small pre-failure deformation plays a crucial role in landslide early warning systems. Recently, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has been applied to detect the small pre-failure deformation, while the processing of TLS point clouds is still a non-trivial issue, especially for long-range TLS. Therefore, we propose an efficient method to detect the small pre-failure deformation of slow-moving landslides by the use of long-range TLS. To precisely align the point clouds of different epochs, a hybrid-weighted iterative closest point (HWICP) algorithm is proposed after the coarse registration, where the influences of several factors (i.e., deformed areas, point density variations, and observation errors) on the inconsistency of the point correspondence are quantitatively estimated. An adaptive local cloud-to-mesh method (ALC2M) is then proposed for the deformation calculation in the complex topography by defining a local reference frame and removing poor matches between ground points of the two epochs. To validate the performance of the proposed method, the Dashu landslide of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region was selected as a case study. The TLS-derived deformation showed that the landslide was stable in most areas over the study period, except for two abnormal deformation zones with maximum deformations of ~ 6 cm and ~ 3 cm, which agreed well with the ground-based synthetic aperture radar interferometry (GB-InSAR) measurements. A statistical analysis of the stable areas around the landslide illustrated a low uncertainty for the TLS-derived deformation of 6.3 mm. Therefore, the use of the long-range TLS was an efficient way to monitor slow-moving landslides. Moreover, extensive comparative experiments about the co-registration and deformation calculation were conducted, and the results showed that HWICP and ALC2M achieved superior performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an example of integration of persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) and in situ measurements over a landslide in the Bovino hilltop town, in Southern Italy. First, a wide-area analysis of PSI data, derived from legacy ERS and ENVISAT SAR image time series, highlighted the presence of ongoing surface displacements over the known limits of the Pianello landslide, located at the outskirts of the Bovino municipality, in the periods 1995-1999 and 2003-2008, respectively. This prompted local authorities to install borehole inclinometers on suitable locations. Ground data collected by these sensors during the following years were then compared and integrated with more recent PSI data from a series of Sentinel-1 images, acquired from March 2014 to October 2016. The integration allows sketching a consistent qualitative model of the landslide spatial and subsurface structure, leading to a coherent interpretation of remotely sensed and ground measurements. The results were possible thanks to the synergistic operation of local authorities and remote sensing specialists, and could represent an example for best practices in environmental management and protection at the regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we describe the application of differential radar interferometry for monitoring landslide slopes in the Sochi region under conditions of strong temporal decorrelation of the reflected signals from the underlying surface in images of the TerraSAR-X synthetic aperture radar. Measurements of the movement of the landslide surface became possible due to the use of steadily reflecting objects, e.g., specially designed trihedral corner reflectors with square plates having cut-off external corners. Radiophysical properties of the corners and the criteria for choosing their size and geometry are described in detail. The sensitivity of the position of the phase center of the signal scattered by a corner reflector to undesirable atmospheric phenomena (precipitation occurring inside the corner) is mentioned and substantiated. Based on an analysis of the results of processing four TerraSAR-X images, we show the possibility of measurements with millimeter accuracy in the X-band of the surface displacements of the observed landslide slope with the corner reflectors installed on its surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil creep is characterised by slow displacement, with depths of a few meters and loosely defined limits. Buildings and infrastructure located on slopes affected by such landslides may suffer significant damages if their foundations are poorly dimensioned. The presence of soil creep in urban areas makes it necessary to develop landslide activity maps, derive hazard maps, and implement risk management plans. Even though both geological and geomorphological analyses can provide basic information, it is often necessary to use additional techniques to obtain information about ground displacements. This paper proposes a method to derive a soil creep activity map using a multi-approach analysis based on geological, geomorphological, and persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) data. PSI is a satellite-based technique to estimate land displacement velocity. The work described in this paper was carried out in the town of El Papiol, in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain). This is an urban area that has been heavily affected by soil creep over the past decades. The results achieved show that PSI data substantially improve the information provided by the geological and geomorphological analyses and make it possible to accurately define the landslide area and estimate its activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large landslides and deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSD) represent an important geo-hazard in relation to the deformation of large structures and infrastructures and to the associated secondary landslides. DSGSD movements, although slow (from a few millimetres to several centimetres per year), can continue for very long periods, producing large cumulative displacements and undergoing partial or complete reactivation. Therefore, it is important to map the activity of such phenomena at a regional scale. Ground surface displacements at DSGSD typically range close to the detection limit of monitoring equipment but are suitable for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry. In this paper, permanent scatterers (PSInSAR™) and SqueeSAR™ techniques are used to analyse the activity of 133 DSGSD, in the Central Italian Alps. Statistical indicators for assigning a degree of activity to slope movements from displacement rates are discussed together with methods for analysing the movement and activity distribution within each landslide. In order to assess if a landslide is active or not, with a certain degree of reliability, three indicators are considered as optimal: the mean displacement rate, the activity index (ratio of active PS, displacement rate larger than standard deviation, overall PS) and the nearest neighbor ratio, which allows to describe the degree of clustering of the PS data. According to these criteria, 66% of the phenomena are classified as active in the monitored period 1992-2009. Finally, a new methodology for the use of SAR interferometry data to attain a classification of landslide kinematic behaviour is presented. This methodology is based on the interpretation of longitudinal ground surface displacement rate profiles in the light of numerical simulations of simplified failure geometries. The most common kinematic behaviour is rotational, amounting to 41 DSGSDs, corresponding to the 62.1% of the active phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extremely slow landslides, those with a displacement rate <16 mm/year, may be imperceptible without proper instrumentation. These landslides can cause infrastructure damage on a long-term timescale. The objective is to identify these landslides through the combination of information from the California landslide inventory (CLI) and ground displacement rates using results from persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI), an interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) stacking technique, across the Palos Verdes Peninsula in California. A total of 34 ENVISAT radar images (acquired between 2005 and 2010) and 40 COSMO-SkyMed radar images (acquired between 2012 and 2014) were processed. An InSAR landslide inventory (ILI) is created using four criteria: minimum PS count, average measured ground velocity, slope angle, and slope aspect. The ILI is divided into four categories: long-term slides (LTSs), potentially active slides (PASs), relatively stable slopes (RSSs), and unmapped extremely slow slides (UESSs). These categories are based on whether landslides were previously mapped on that slope (in the CLI), if persistent scatterers (PSs) are present, and whether PSs are unstable or stable. The final inventory includes 263 mapped landslides across the peninsula, of them 67 landslides were identified as UESS. Although UESS exhibit low velocity and are relatively small (average area of 8865 m2 per slide), their presence in a highly populated area such as the Palos Verdes Peninsula could lead to destruction of infrastructure and property over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the deadly Ms 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake, the Wenjiagou landslide produced steep topography, a narrow gully and abundant loose sediments; these factors have contributed to the high debris flow risk in the Wenjiagou area during subsequent rainy seasons. At least five debris flows have occurred in the Wenjiagou area between September 24, 2008, and September 18, 2010, which resulted in seven casualties and an economic loss of approximately 446 million RMB. To reduce the risk of debris flows and landslides, the Wenjiagou Valley Debris Flow Control Project (WVDFCP), which cost over 2 billion RMB, was carried out and completed in 2011. The control measures of the project effectively reduced the scale and damage of the following debris flows. In this paper, the recent deformation of the giant landslide and its effect on the WVDFCP are evaluated by applying a time-series interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique based on distributed scatterers (DSs) to the Radardat-2 SAR data collected from June 2014 to September 2015. In addition, the experimental results show that most areas of the landslide are stable, with an average deformation rate of less than 5.0 mm/year. The results demonstrate that the control measures of the WVDFCP not only reduced the damage caused by the later debris flows but also contributed to the consolidation of the loose sediments in the Wenjiagou landslide area. The time-series InSAR technique based on the DSs of high-resolution SAR images is an important tool for deformation monitoring of earthquake-induced landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the updating of the landslide inventory of Tuscany region is presented. To achieve this goal, satellite SAR data processed with persistent scatter interferometry (PSI) technique have been used. The updating leads to a consistent reduction of unclassified landslides and to an increasing of active landslides. After the updating, we explored the characteristics of the new inventory, analysing landslide distribution and geomorphological features. Several maps have been elaborated, as sliding index or landslide density map; we also propose a density-area map to highlight areas with different landslide densities and sizes. A frequency-area analysis has been performed, highlighting a classical negative power-law distribution. We also explored landslide frequency for lithology, soil use and several morphological attributes (elevation, slope gradient, slope curvature), considering both all landslides and classified landslide types (flows, falls and slides). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xinmo landslide occurred in the early morning of 24 June 2017 at about 5:38 am local time. This catastrophic event caused enormous casualties and huge economic losses in Xinmo Village, Mao County, Sichuan Province, China. In this study, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) datasets acquired by X-band TerraSAR-X, Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (PALSAR-2) aboard the Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2), and C-band Sentinel-1 over the disaster area were collected and analyzed to characterize this landslide. The high-resolution TerraSAR-X intensity images were used to evaluate the landslide disaster and delineate the sliding area. Afterwards, two ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 image pairs and a stack of 45 Sentinel-1 images were processed to detect precursory movements of the landslide surface, using the conventional differential InSAR (DInSAR) method and advanced time series InSAR analysis. The unstable source area near the ridge was identified from the displacement rate map derived from Sentinel-1 datasets. The maximum displacement rate detected at the source area was −35mm/year along the radar line of sight (LOS) direction. The time series of LOS displacements over 2 years presents an easily discerned seasonal evolution pattern. In particular, a sudden acceleration of the displacement, dozens of days before the collapse was clearly captured by the Sentinel-1 observations, which might suggest that early warning of landslide disasters is possible given the availability of operational SAR data acquired in frequent repeat-pass mode, such as the Sentinel-1 twin-satellite constellation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-event Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) analysis on a stack of 45 C-band SAR images acquired by the ESA Sentinel-1 satellites from 9 October 2014 to 19 June 2017 allowed the identification of a clear precursory deformation signal for the Maoxian landslide (Mao County, Sichuan Province, China). The landslide occurred in the early morning of 24 June 2017 and killed more than 100 people in the village of Xinmo. Sentinel-1 images have been processed through an advanced multi-interferogram analysis capable of maximising the density of measurement points, generating ground deformation maps and displacement time series for an area of 460 km straddling the Minjiang River and the Songping Gully. InSAR data clearly show the precursors of the slope failure in the source area of the Maoxian landslide, with a maximum displacement rate detected of 27 mm/year along the line of sight of the satellite. Deformation time series of measurement points identified within the main scarp of the landslide exhibit an acceleration starting from April 2017. A detailed time series analysis leads to the classification of different deformation behaviours. The Fukuzono method for forecasting the time of failure appear to be applicable to the displacement data exhibiting progressive acceleration. Results suggest that satellite radar data, systematically acquired over large areas with short revisiting time, could be used not only as a tool for mapping unstable areas, but also for landslide monitoring, at least for some typologies of sliding phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of monitoring flysch formation shear wave velocities at varying conditions of water content by seismic interferometry. Studies were conducted on a section of the active Just-Tegoborze landslide in the southern region of Poland. The landslide is intersected by the state road no. 75, which has a high traffic density. Measurements of the seismic interferometry were made on the basis of the registration of a local high-frequency noise generated mostly by passing heavy vehicles. Measurements were carried out in three series on January, March and July in 2015. Seismic noise vibration was registered using Güralp CMG-6TD broadband seismometers. One of the seismic profiles was located along a geological engineering cross-section prepared from research boreholes data. One of the main results of the work was the sections of changes of shear wave velocity. The interpreted seismic boundaries made it possible to correlate them with the lithological ones. The trough-like shape of the bedrock boundary may be an effect of weathering processes developed in the zone consisting of weak hieroglyphic beds. It is also supposed to be one of the slip surfaces. The seismic sections of shear wave velocity allowed to analyse velocity variations between three measurement series and to compare them with expected water content in colluvium deposits. The presented results of the study confirmed the utility of seismic interferometry based on ambient noise registration in evaluating the behaviour of landslides in the Carpathian flysch formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the case of the Cármenes del Mar resort (Granada, Spain) is shown. It can be considered one of the most extreme examples on the Mediterranean coast of severe pathologies associated with urban development on coastal landslides. The resort, with 416 dwellings, was partially built on a deep-seated landslide which affects a soft formation composed of dark graphite schists. In November 2015, the City Council officially declared a state of emergency in the resort and 24 dwellings have already been evacuated. We have used two remote sensing techniques to monitor the landslide with the aim of identifying and measuring a wide range of displacements rates (from mm/year to m/year): (1) PSInSAR, exploiting 25 ENVISAT SAR images acquired from May 2003 to December 2009, and (2) photogrammetry, considering the output from two Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flights made in June 2015 and January 2016 and the outdated photos from a conventional flight in 2008. The relationship between the geology of the site, data from PS deformation measurements, building displacements, rainfall and damage observed and their temporal occurrence allows a better understanding of the landslide kinematics and both the spatial and temporal evolution of the instability. Results indicate building displacements of up to 1.92 m in 8 years, a clear lithological control in the spatial distribution of damage and a close relationship between the most damaging events and water recharge episodes (rainy events and leaks from swimming pools and the water supply network). This work emphasises the need to incorporate geohazards into urban planning, including policies to predict, prepare for and prevent this type of phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in multi-temporal Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Interferometry (DInSAR) have greatly improved our capability to monitor geological processes. Ground motion studies using DInSAR require both the availability of good quality input data and rigorous approaches to exploit the retrieved Time Series (TS) at their full potential. In this work we present a methodology for DInSAR TS analysis, with particular focus on landslides and subsidence phenomena. The proposed methodology consists of three main steps: (1) pre-processing, i.e., assessment of a SAR Dataset Quality Index (SDQI) (2) post-processing, i.e., application of empirical/stochastic methods to improve the TS quality, and (3) trend analysis, i.e., comparative implementation of methodologies for automatic TS analysis. Tests were carried out on TS datasets retrieved from processing of SAR imagery acquired by different radar sensors (i.e., ERS-1/2 SAR, RADARSAT-1, ENVISAT ASAR, ALOS PALSAR, TerraSAR-X, COSMO-SkyMed) using advanced DInSAR techniques (i.e., SqueeSAR™, PSInSAR™, SPN and SBAS). The obtained values of SDQI are discussed against the technical parameters of each data stack (e.g., radar band, number of SAR scenes, temporal coverage, revisiting time), the retrieved coverage of the DInSAR results, and the constraints related to the characterization of the investigated geological processes. Empirical and stochastic approaches were used to demonstrate how the quality of the TS can be improved after the SAR processing, and examples are discussed to mitigate phase unwrapping errors, and remove regional trends, noise and anomalies. Performance assessment of recently developed methods of trend analysis (i.e., PS-Time, Deviation Index and velocity TS) was conducted on two selected study areas in Northern Italy affected by land subsidence and landslides. Results show that the automatic detection of motion trends enhances the interpretation of DInSAR data, since it provides an objective picture of the deformation behaviour recorded through TS and therefore contributes to the understanding of the on-going geological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work provides a multi-temporal and spatial investigation of landslide effects in the San Fratello area (Messina province within the Sicily region, Italy), by means of C-band and X-band Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) data, integrated with in situ field checks and a crack pattern survey. The Sicily region is extensively affected by hydrogeological hazards since several landslides regularly involved local areas across time. In particular, intense and catastrophic landslide phenomena have recently occurred in the San Fratello area; the last event took place in February 2010, causing large economic damage. Thus, the need for an accurate ground motions and impacts mapping and monitoring turns out to be significantly effective, in order to better identify active unstable areas and to help proper risk-mitigation measures planning. The combined use of historical and recent C-band satellites and current X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar sensors of a new generation permits spatially and temporally detection of landslide-induced motions on a local scale and to properly provide a complete multi-temporal evaluation of their effects on the area of interest. PSI ground motion rates are cross-compared with local failures and damage of involved buildings, recently recognized by in situ observations. As a result, the analysis of landslide-induced movements over almost 20 years and the validation of radar data with manufactured crack patterns, permits one to finally achieve a complete and reliable assessment in the San Fratello test site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we analyze 25 RADARSAT-2 images from ascending and descending geometries to study the creep rate on the Hayward fault and landslide motions near Berkeley, CA. We applied a coherence optimization technique from polarimetric synthetic aperture radar interferometry (PolInSAR) to increase the accuracy of the measurements. We resolve 3-5 mm/year of motion along the Hayward fault, in agreement with earlier creep estimates. We identify a potential motion on secondary fault, northeast and parallel to the Hayward fault, which is creeping at a lower rate of ~1.5 mm/year. In addition, we identify a number of landslides along the hills east of the fault that agree with earlier results from advanced interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) analysis and field investigations. We investigate four particular slope instabilities, one of which was marked as moderately active, and three as highly active, by earlier field investigations. The resolved along-hill slope displacement is estimated at ~23 mm/year. Our results demonstrate that PolInSAR is an effective method to increase the interferometric coherence and provide improved resolution of deformation features associated with natural hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Grande da Pipa river basin, north of Lisbon, 64 % of the total number of landslides inventoried is totally or partially included in a lithological unit composed by marl, clay, and sandstone intercalation complex that is present in 58 % of the study area. The Persistent Scatterer synthetic aperture radar interferometry technique is applied to a data set of TerraSAR-X SAR images, from April of 2010 to March of 2011, firstly to the Laje-Salema test site and further exported to the Grande da Pipa river basin. This work's specific objectives are the following: (i) to assess the potential of the Persistent Scatterer displacement maps to the identification of new landslides/unstable areas and in the redefinition of landslide limits, (ii) to update the landslide state of activity, and (iii) to evaluate the capacity of the Persistent Scatterer deformation maps in assessing landslide susceptibility at the regional scale. Based on this approach, it was possible to increment the number of landslides and to redefine the landslide limits in the test site in 3.8 %. For 39 landslides, it was possible to update the landslide state of activity, in particular from dormant to reactivated or dormant-reactivated (23 landslides) or from stabilized to reactivated (5 landslides). Landslide susceptibility map based in Persistent Scatterer deformation rates, independently validated with a deep rotational slide map, obtained the best value of area under the curve (0.668). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) is capable of millimetric measurements of ground deformation phenomena occurring at radar signal reflectors (persistent scatterers, PS) that are phase coherent over a period of time. However, there are also limitations to PSI; significant phase decorrelation can occur between subsequent interferometric radar (InSAR) acquisitions in vegetated and low-density PS areas. Here, artificial amplitude- and phase-stable radar scatterers may have to be introduced. I2GPS was a Galileo project (02/2010-09/2011) that aimed to develop a novel device consisting of a compact active transponder (CAT) with an integrated global positioning system (GPS) antenna to ensure millimetric co-registration and a coherent cross-reference. The advantages are: (1) all advantages of CATs such as small size, light weight, unobtrusiveness and usability with multiple satellites and tracks; (2) absolute calibration for PSI data; (3) high sampling rate of GPS enables detection of abrupt ground motion in 3D; and (4) vertical components of the local velocity field can be derived from single-track InSAR line-of-sight displacements. A field trial was set to test the approach at a potential landslide site in Potoška planina, Slovenia to evaluate the applicability for operational monitoring of natural hazards. Preliminary results from the trial highlight some of the key considerations for operational deployments in the field. Ground motion measurements also allowed an assessment of landslide hazard at the site and demonstrated the synergies between InSAR and GPS measurements for landslide applications. InSAR and GPS measurements were compared to assess the consistency between the methods from the slope mass movement detection aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten small rock slides (with a volume ranging from 10 to 10 m) on a slope affected by working activities were detected, located, and timed using pictures collected by an automatic camera during 40 months of continuous monitoring with terrestrial SAR interferometry (TInSAR). These landslides were analyzed in detail by examining their pre-failure time series of displacement inferred from high-sampling frequency (approximately 5 min) TInSAR monitoring. In most of these cases, a typical creep behavior was observed with the displacement starting 370 to 12 h before the collapse. Additionally, an evident acceleration decrease of the displacement a few hours before the failure was observed in some rock/debris slides, thus suggesting the possibility of a mechanical feature of the slope that differs from the classical creep theory. The efficacy of the linear Fukuzono approach for the prediction of time of failure was tested by back-analyzing the ten landslides. Furthermore, a modified Fukuzono approach named average data Fukuzono (ADF) was implemented and applied to our dataset. Such an approach is able to improve forecasting effectiveness by reducing the error due to anomalies in the time series of displacement, like the acceleration decrease before failure. A prediction with a temporal accuracy of at least 2 h was obtained for all the analyzed rock/debris slides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ancona landslide is a complex, deep-seated landslide displaying composite rotational-translational kinematisms and affecting a large urban area in the Ancona municipality on the Adriatic coast of central Italy. The landslide was reactivated with a large and destructive event on 13 December 1982 following a long period of precipitation and has remained active since. This paper focuses on the estimation of the landslide kinematics (more specifically, the horizontal and vertical components of average yearly velocity) for subsequent estimation of risk for a set of 39 buildings as presented in a companion paper. The study relies both on the processing of inclinometer and radar interferometer monitoring data through statistical procedures. Triggering factors are not investigated. Outputs from the two sets of monitoring data are compared quantitatively and qualitatively. The inherent limitations in available data are discussed. The validity of the quantitative results in the context of the risk estimation effort is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preparation of reliable landslide hazard and risk maps is crucial for hazard mitigation and risk management. In recent years, various approaches have been developed for quantitative assessment of landslide hazard and risk. However, possibly due to the lack of new data, very few of these hazard and risk maps were updated after their first generation. In this study, aiming at an ongoing assessment, a novel approach for updating landslide hazard and risk maps based on Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) is introduced. The study was performed in the Arno River basin (central Italy) where most mass movements are slow-moving landslides which are properly within the detection precision of PSI point targets. In the Arno River basin, the preliminary hazard and risk assessment was performed by Catani et al. (Landslides 2:329-342, 2005) using datasets prior to 2002. In this study, the previous hazard and risk maps were updated using PSI point targets processed from 4 years (2003-2006) of RADARSAT images. Landslide hazard and risk maps for five temporal predictions of 2, 5, 10, 20 and 30 years were updated with the exposure of losses estimated in Euro (€). In particular, the result shows that in 30 years a potential loss of approximate €3.22 billion is expected due to these slow-moving landslides detected by PSI point targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]