1. Home
  2. Applications
  3. Landslides
Photograph of a landslide on a mountain.

Landslides

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Landslides are one of the most pervasive hazards in the world, resulting in more fatalities and economic damage than is generally recognized. Every year they block roads, damage infrastructure, and cause thousands of fatalities. Intense and prolonged rainfall is the most frequent landslide trigger around the world, but earthquakes and human influence can also cause significant and widespread landsliding. Using satellite data, we can identify the conditions under which landslides typically occur, helping to improve monitoring and modeling of these hazards

Sections

Rainfall Triggered Landslides

Researchers need accurate and timely rainfall information to better understand and model where and when severe floods, frequent landslides and devastating droughts may occur. GPM's global rainfall data will help to better prepare and respond to a wide range of natural disasters.

This video is public domain and can be downloaded at: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/goto?11091 

Read More

Modeling and Reporting Landslides

The global Landslide Hazard Assessment for Situational Awareness (LHASA) model was developed to provide situational awareness of landslide hazards for a wide range of users. The model combines TRMM and GPM near real-time precipitation data with a global landslide susceptibility map to generate estimates of where and when rainfall-triggered landslides are likely to occur around the world. Information on landslide reports is available on the Cooperative Open Online Landslide Repository (COOLR), which combines data from NASA's Global Landslide Catalog, other landslide inventories and contributions from citizen scientists via the Landslide Reporter Application.

For more information on global landslide inventories and NASA’s landslide modeling activities please visit https://landslides.nasa.gov

Further reading on the model structure and evaluation is available at: https://landslides.nasa.gov/resources.html

Please cite the following publications when using this information:

For the susceptibility map:

Stanley, T., and D. B. Kirschbaum (2017), A heuristic approach to global landslide susceptibility mapping, Nat. Hazards, 1–20, doi:10.1007/s11069-017-2757-y

For the global model:

Kirschbaum, D. and Stanley, T. (2018), Satellite‐Based Assessment of Rainfall‐Triggered Landslide Hazard for Situational Awareness. Earth's Future. . doi:10.1002/2017EF000715

Related Articles

Mapping Landslide Hazards in Central America

Landslide Risk in Central America
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
On November 3, 2020, Hurricane Eta made landfall as one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit Central America in years. The category 4 storm destroyed hundreds of homes, killed more than 100 people, and brought torrential rains that triggered large and numerous landslides in Guatemala and Honduras. Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Iota—an even more powerful category 4 storm—nearly retraced Eta’s path. Within hours of Eta’s landfall and flooding rains, researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center worked to predict landslides and map the storm’s aftermath. One team assessed potential
Read More

Hurricane Eta Drenches Central America

Hurricane Eta IMERG Screenshot
Friday, November 6, 2020
The extremely active 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, aided by the ongoing La Niña, continues on. After Hurricane Zeta made landfall along the northern part of the Gulf Coast, yet another hurricane has arisen - Hurricane Eta, the strongest of the season. Like Zeta, Eta also formed in the Caribbean, where sea surface temperatures are still running quite warm at around 29° C, almost a full degree above average and well above the typical 26° C needed for tropical cyclone development. But while Zeta turned north into the Gulf of Mexico, Eta moved westward where it delivered powerful winds and
Read More

Climate Change and Landslide Risk in Asia

Landslide Risk in High Mountain Asia
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
More frequent and intense rainfall events due to climate change could cause more landslides in the High Mountain Asia region of China, Tibet and Nepal, according to the first quantitative study of the link between precipitation and landslides in the region. The model shows landslide risk for High Mountain Asia increasing in the summer months in the years 2061-2100, thanks to increasingly frequent and intense rainfall events. Summer monsoon rains can destabilize steep mountainsides, triggering landslides. Credits: NASA's Earth Observatory/Joshua Stevens High Mountain Asia stores more fresh...
Read More

GPM Data Tracks Landslides in Bangladesh

GPM Data Mitigates Landslide Risks in Bangladesh
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Camp managers and other local officials overseeing Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh are now incorporating NASA satellite observations into their decision making in order to reduce the risk to refugees from landslides and other natural hazards. Information like daily rain totals can help inform how to lay out refugee camps and store supplies. More than 740,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since August 2017. Many of them have sought shelter in camps located in the hilly countryside, where landslide risk may be the greatest. Increasing this danger is Bangladesh’s intense monsoon season. Approximately 80 percent of Bangladesh's yearly rain falls in just five months, from June to October, bringing with it an increased risk of flash flooding and landslides.
Read More

Help Create the Largest Landslide Database

Help NASA Create the Largest Landslide Database
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Landslides cause thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in property damage each year. Surprisingly, very few centralized global landslide databases exist, especially those that are publicly available. Now NASA scientists are working to fill the gap—and they want your help collecting information.
Read More

Hide Date