Enhanced Landslide Susceptibility Mapping in Southwest Cyprus Using InSAR Technology
How InSAR Technology is Revolutionising Landslide Susceptibility Mapping
Highlights
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Traditional landslide maps are often outdated and miss dynamic envirnmental changes.
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InSAR technology, combined with topographical and hydrogeological assessments, creates a seasonally updated landslide susceptibility map.
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This methodology enhances safety by enabling quicker response times and better resource allocation.
Southwest Cyprus, with its complex geology and rugged topography, faces a significant landslide, experiencing over 2,500 incidents each year. However, until recently, the region lacked precise, up-to-date tools to assess this ongoing geohazard effectively. Traditional geomorphological surveys, often relying on ground-based methods, required significant time and resources, and the results quickly became outdated, especially considering rapid environmental changes.
How InSAR Technology is Revolutionising Landslide Susceptibility Mapping
Historically, landslide susceptibility maps were generated using static models and conventional survey methods. While effective at a basic level, these maps required substantial time and labour to update, making it nearly impossible to reflect sudden shifts in environmental conditions. This delay is especially problematic in today’s era of climate change, where factors like extreme rainfall, soil erosion, and temperature fluctuations have made landslide activity increasingly unpredictable. Consequently, traditional maps often miss critical, time-sensitive information, posing a risk to communities and infrastructure
Limitations of Traditional Landslide Susceptibility Maps
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Real-Time Monitoring: InSAR provides ongoing data that reveals shifts in the earth’s surface, making it possible to capture changes in landslide susceptibility as they happen.
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Seasonal Updates: The map can be updated every season, integrating new data to reflect the current environmental conditions, providing a more accurate depiction of landslide risks.
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Enhanced Safety and Resource Management: With this advanced mapping, authorities can allocate resources more effectively, prioritise high-risk areas, and implement timely mitigation measures, significantly improving
Key Benefits of an InSAR-Based Landslide Susceptibility Map:
InSAR’s ability to detect surface deformations as small as a few millimetres is a game-changer for landslide mapping. When these subtle changes are layered with data on soil moisture, slope angle, and geology, analysts can generate a susceptibility map that not only highlights existing landslide risks but also predicts emerging ones. This predictive power is crucial for regions like Cyprus, where mountainous terrain and coastal cliffs amplify the risk.
Why InSAR Matters for Landslide Susceptibility
The methodology developed for southwest Cyprus combines InSAR with the following data sources:
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Hydrogeological Assessments: These provide insights into soil moisture levels, a key factor influencing landslide risks.
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Topographical Data: High-resolution elevation data ensures accurate slope analysis, a critical component in landslide risk assessment.
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Geotechnical Knowledge: Integrating knowledge from geotechnical engineers allows for better interpretation of InSAR and other data sources, resulting in a more robust landslide susceptibility model.
Together, these data sources allow for a holistic view of landslide risks across the region. The resulting map is flexible, adapting to seasonal variations in rainfall, soil movement, and ground stability.
How Does a Dynamic Landslide Susceptibility Map Work
