Susceptibility mapping of shallow landslides inducing debris flows: a comparison of physics-based approaches

Abstract

The assessment of timing and potential locations of rainfallinduced shallow landslides through mathematical models represents a challenge for the assessment of landslide hazard, especially in cases with limited or not available data. In fact, modeling slope hydrological response and stability requires accurate estimates of unsaturated/saturated hydraulic and geotechnical properties of materials involved in landsliding, as well as climate and topography. Such aspect is relevant for the prediction of location and timing of landslide events, which is greatly needed to reduce their catastrophic effects in terms of economic losses and casualties. To such a scope, we present the comparison of results of two physics-based models applied to the assessment of susceptibility to shallow rainfall-induced landslides in Valtellina region (northern Italy). The analyses were carried out considering effects of availability, resolution and type of data concerning spatial distribution, thickness and properties of soils coverings. For such a scope, the Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-Based Regional Slope-Stability (TRIGRS) and the Climatic Rainfall Hydrogeological Modeling Experiment (CHRyME) models were considered. The study emphasizes issues in performing distributed numerical slope stability modeling depending on the availability of spatially distributed soil properties which hamper the quality of physic-based models. Further analyses aimed at the probabilistic assessment of landslide spatial distribution, related to a specific value of rainfall threshold, can be considered as potentially applicable to multi-scale landslide hazard mapping and extendable to other similar mountainous frameworks.