The preparation of landslide map by Landslide Numerical Risk Factor (LNRF) model and Geographic Information System (GIS)

AbstractOne of the risks to threaten mountainous areas is that hillslope instability caused damage to lands. One of the most dangerous instabilities is mass movement and much movement occurs due to slip. The aim of this study is zonation of landslide hazards in a basin of the Ardebil province, the eastern slopes of Sabalan, Iran. Geological and geomorphologic conditions, climate and type of land use have caused susceptibility of this watershed to landslides. Firstly, maps of the main factors affecting landslide occurrence including slope, distance from faults, lithology, elevation and precipitation were prepared and digitized. Then, by using interpretation of aerial photos and satellite images and field views, the ground truth map of landslides was prepared. Each basic layer (factor) and landslide map were integrated to compute the numeric value of each factor with the help of a Landslide Numerical Risk Factor (LNRF) model and landslide occurrence percent obtained in different units from each of the maps. Finally, with overlapping different data layers, a landslide hazard zonation map was prepared. Results showed that 67.85% of the basin has high instability, 7.76% moderate instability and 24.39% low instability