Risk Assessment of Slope Movement in Watauga County, North Carolina

Watauga County is located on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, within the Appalachian Mountains. Due to its steep terrain, geology, and other inherent factors, the area is prone to frequent slope movement. This is especially exacerbated by triggering factors, such as rainfall intensity, that are common in the study area. This slope movement can greatly endanger the residents of Watauga County. This study will identify areas of human risk from slope movement by determining the inherent factors that influence slope movement within the study area and creating a susceptibility map from these factors. It will then determine the triggering factors of slope movement and demonstrate their influence on the inherent factors by creating a hazard map. Data for these two maps will be collected using satellite imagery, field analysis, and historical and modern databases. Then, the study will determine the areas influenced and used by humans, create a mathematical risk assessment model of these areas, and plot the areas considered “at risk” by the model on a risk assessment map. These maps can then be used to identify current areas of human influence at risk of potential slope movements and identify safe and unsafe areas for future human development