Categoria: News from members

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News from members

UNDRR questionnaire on how landslide data is collected in your country

NEWS received from
Cees van Westen (University of Twente, The Netherlands)

As part of the process to strengthen national capabilities in tracking disaster losses and damages, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and its partners encourage the development of data standards and methodological frameworks. These frameworks will enable national actors to coherently record hazardous events and their impacts. This, in turn, will improve the understanding of disaster impacts and support multiple data applications, such as early warning, early action, and risk reduction efforts.

In this regard, the Faculty of Geoinformation Science and Earth Observation of the University of Twente (UT-ITC) will take the lead in conducting a study aimed at improving the cataloguing and impact recording of landslides. This study will provide valuable insights for national organizations responsible for collecting information on hazardous events. The aim is to develop an efficient and feasible reporting framework that can be used to characterize and evaluate landslide databases coherently and consistently across countries.

Ultimately, the findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal, offering recommendations to enhance the processes and methods used in recording landslide events and their impacts.

We seek support from landslide experts from different countries and would like to ask you to contribute by filling out this questionnaire.

Thank you for your assistance!
Cees van Westen, Luigi Lombardo, Hakan Tanyas, Ashok Dahal and David Urueña Ramirez

Categorie
News from members

e-ITALICA, an enhanced catalogue of rainfall-induced landslide in Italy

NEWS received from
Maria Teresa Brunetti, Stefano Luigi Gariano, Massimo Melillo, Mauro Rossi, Silvia Peruccacci (CNR, Italy)

The availability of accurate data on landslide occurrence and the rigorous reconstruction of the rainfall conditions that trigger them are essential to improve landslide forecasting, particularly given the growing usage of data-driven landslide prediction models, also based on artificial intelligence.

In this context, we published e-ITALICA, an improved rainfall-induced landslide catalogue, as a result of meticulous data collection and analysis. e-ITALICA includes accurate spatial and temporal information on thousands of rainfall-induced landslides that occurred in Italy between 1996 and 2021 (which were already included in the ITALICA catalogue, previously published in 2023), the triggering rainfall conditions for these landslides, in terms of cumulative event rainfall E (mm) and rainfall duration D (h), and the topographic and land cover information. The triggering conditions were calculated using hourly rainfall measurements from 4000+ rain gauges and applying the CTRL-T software.

e-ITALICA can be accessed and downloaded free of charge from Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14204473

The open-access data descriptor paper is published in Nature Scientific Data: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-025-04551-6

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News from members WG05 Innovations

WG5 meeting with a webinar on “Using Big Data for Postfire Debris Flow Situational Awareness”

News received from
Ben Mirus (USGS, USA) and Manfred Stähli (WSL, Switzerland)

On Thursday, 9 January, 2025, 3:00 – 4:00 pm CET, within the next WG5 meeting, Francis Rengers from the U.S. Geological Survey, St. Golden, will present his work on “Using Big Data for Postfire Debris Flow Situational Awareness”

Teaser: In semi-arid regions of the United States rainfall intensity thresholds are used to estimate when postfire debris flows may occur. Prior research has shown that postfire debris flows are highly correlated with short-duration rainfall intensity, and that short duration rainfall thresholds (e.g., 15-minute rainfall intensity) can be estimated based on wildfire and terrain attributes. Consequently, it is possible to determine possible debris flow activity in recent burn areas in the western U.S.A. by tracking rainfall rates using publicly available rainfall data. We have developed a software (FlowAlert) and an accompanying map dashboard that monitors when and where rain gages near burn areas cross rainfall intensity thresholds. The software runs continuously on a Linux server, processing more than 2500 rain gages every two hours.

In addition to this presentation (with Q&A) the WG meeting will include the following items:

  1. Pop-ups from the working group members (be prepared to contribute with your info to the group!)
  2. Info about recent and upcoming LandAware events and activities
  3. Outlook WG5

Zoom link to join the meeting: https://wsl.zoom.us/j/65437390123?pwd=uoRJFKWwi3PnF8Wo83PSRc9oEoYKvQ.1

Categorie
News from members

AGU24 session: Landslide Life Cycle: From Hazard Analysis to Risk Assessment

NEWS received from
Ben Mirus (USGS, USA)

Dear colleagues (and apologies for any cross-posting),

We encourage you to submit an abstract to the technical session NH030: “Landslide Life Cycle: From Hazard Analysis to Risk Assessment” for the upcoming AGU Fall Meeting taking place 9-12 December 2024. This session has been running several years in a row and is the only broad session focusing specifically on landslides within the Natural Hazards section. We seek contributions that span the landslide life cycle, from understanding landslide hazards to communicating landslide science to reduce risk.

We have two invited speakers this year with unique and contrasting careers and perspectives on landslide hazards:

Professor Roy Sidle, University of Central Asia

and

Dr. Shelby Ahrendt, U.S. Geological Survey

This year’s meeting will be held both in-person in Washington, D.C., USA for those able to attend, and online with options for interactive participation.  Please share this message with anyone that you might know that would be interested in submitting to this session.  Session information follows, please note abstracts are due by 31 July 2024 at 23:59 Eastern U.S. Daylight Time (EDT). 

Submit your abstract here.

We hope to see you there – either in person or online.  
Warmest wishes,
Conveners
Ben Mirus (U.S. Geological Survey – Geologic Hazards Science Center)
Thom Bogaard (Delft University of Technology)
Luca Piciullo (Norwegian Geotechnical Institute)
Lisa Luna (U.S. Geological Survey – Geologic Hazards Science Center)

———————————

NH030: “Landslide Life Cycle: From Hazard Analysis to Risk Assessment”

Landslide events have adverse and global consequences for human health and safety, infrastructure, economic activity, and natural resources. These hazards can accompany storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and wildfires, and may shift with climate and land-use change. Landslides can also cause their own cascading consequences like tsunami or river dams. New technologies and enhanced data analysis approaches have accelerated landslide mapping, monitoring, modeling, and outreach efforts, enabling improved characterization and communication of landslide processes and their societal impacts. This session brings together contributions that span the landslide life cycle, from understanding landslide hazards to communicating landslide science to reduce risk. We welcome a wide range of contributions on topics such as characterizing, mapping, and modeling recent or historical landslide events; susceptibility and risk modeling and communication; studies of individual hillslopes or regional scale efforts; rock and soil characterization; quantifying seismic, hydroclimatic, or other triggering mechanisms; and ground-based and remote monitoring.

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LandAware network News from members

Landslide session in MedGU24

NEWS received from
Ugur Öztürk (Universtiy of Potsdam, Germany)

Dear colleagues,

this year, there is an exciting conference in Barcelona—the Mediterranean Geosciences Union (MedGU) annual meeting—between 25 and 28 November. It is the largest meeting dedicated to exchanging ideas on addressing critical societal and environmental challenges in the Mediterranean Region from the geoscience perspective.

Among several engaging sessions, we (Tolga Görüm, Olivier Dewitte, Anika Braun. Ugur Öztürk) suggested one dedicated to the landslide theme (Landslides: Processes, Hazard, Vulnerability, and Risk). Among these broad themes, we want to particularly emphasize landslide prediction and early warning. Hence we invite you to submit an abstract to this special session or any other at MedGU24.

Abstract submission deadline is 30th June 2024

Landslide-session-MEDGU-24_Download
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LandAware network News from members

New LEWS article in open discussion

NEWS received from
Ben Mirus (USGS, USA)

We would like to draw your attention to a new NHESS Invited Perspectives, which is now posted online. The paper focuses on lessons learned from our collective experiences with integrating hydrologic information into landslide forecasting models in different parts of the world, as well as ideas for future research needs and opportunities. 

As with all EGUsphere articles, the paper is fully open access and free to read. We hope you will find it interesting and perhaps it can facilitate further discussions within the LandAware community. The preprint is open for discussion through June 24, and we would value your input whether formally or informally. 

Link: https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2024/egusphere-2024-1219/

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LandAware network News from members

New article on regional early warning for slushflows

News received from
Monica Sund (NVE, Norway)

A new article entitled “A regional early warning for slushflow hazard” was recently published in the Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences Journal.

Slushflows are rapid mass movements of water-saturated snow. They release in gently sloping locations (<30°) and are hence not restricted to steep slopes. Slushflows are observed worldwide in areas with seasonal snow cover and pose a significant natural hazard in Norway. Hazard prediction and early warning are therefore crucial to prevent casualties and damage to infrastructure.

A regional early warning for slushflow hazard was established in Norway in 2013–2014 as the first of its kind in the world. It has been operational since then. Four main variables are central in the methodology used: ground conditions, snow properties, air temperature, and water supply to snow. Gridded forecasting model simulations in the decision-making tool Varsom Xgeo, real-time data from automatic stations, and field observations from the field are assessed. Based on data from historical slushflows, a water supply–snow depth by snow type ratio has been developed as an assessment tool. This approach can be implemented in other areas with slushflow hazard where the necessary input data are available.

Reference: Sund, M., Grønsten, H. A., and Seljesæter, S. Å.: A regional early warning for slushflow hazard, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1185–1201, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-1185-2024, 2024.

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News from members WG04 eLearning

A new addition to the “LEWS fact sheets” project: Alerta Rio

NEWS received from
Michele Calvello (University of Salerno, Italy)

The “LEWS fact sheets” is an ongoing project of the eLearning Working Group, aiming to highlight, in a single page, the main characteristics of operational landslide early warning systems. Go to the dedicated web page (https://www.landaware.org/lews-fact-sheets/) to see the fact sheets produced and published so far.

The latest fact sheet produced and uploaded deals with “Alerta Rio” the municipal system operating in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), which has been operational since 1996. Enjoy learning how it works.

Note: Are you a LEWS manager wanting your system to gain visibility by means of “our” fact sheets? Are you a LandAware member wanting to help us in creating new fact sheets? Do not hesitate to contact Michele Calvello or Anne Felsberg.


Categorie
News from members

New article on LEWS and new special issue on landslide research

NEWS received from
Davide Tiranti (Regional Agency for Environmental
Protection of Piemonte, Italy)

A new article entitled “Climate Change Impacts on Shallow Landslide Events and on the Performance of the Regional Shallow Landslide Early Warning System of Piemonte (Northwestern Italy)” was recently published in the GeoHazards journal.

Shallow landslides are responsible for more than 50% of causalities due to landslides in northwestern Italy in the last century. The aim of the research study presented here is focused on understanding if and how climate change influences the occurrence and behavior of this landslide type. A total of 120 widespread shallow landslide events have been analyzed from 1960 to 2019, taking into account the spatial and time distribution in association with related rainfall historical data elaborated by the Optimal Interpolation (OI) model. Results underline that shallow landslide events’ number (aggregated per five-year intervals) is characterized by a weak trend consisting of a slight increase in the Alps and a more pronounced decrease in the hilly and Apennines environments. In addition, the trend of the annual accumulated rainfall average shows a weak drop in the winter season of about 9 mm in ten years. Moreover, the rainy days have generally decreased over the hills and Apennines, while in the Alps, only in the summer season, with a decreasing rate of about 1.5 days every ten years. The rainfall trends are in accordance with those of shallow landslide events, pointing out the close and direct dependence of the shallow landslide events on the rainfall regime variations. The results obtained were also used to validate the robustness of the performance of the Regional Shallow Landslide Early Warning System adopted in Piemonte over the investigated period, confirming the effectiveness of the trigger thresholds used for the entire historical series and for different geographical areas.

Reference: Tiranti D., Ronchi C. (2023) Climate Change Impacts on Shallow Landslide Events and on the Performance of the Regional Shallow Landslide Early Warning System of Piemonte (Northwestern Italy). GeoHazards 2023, 4(4), 475-496;
https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards4040027

A new Special Issue entitled “Landslide Research: State of the Art and Innovations” in the GeoHazards journal is currently open for contributions. The Special Issue is guest-edited by Davide Tiranti.
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/geohazards/special_issues/U728W8F9ZX
The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect and group together quality scientific papers on these research fields and derived practical/operational applications.
The topics related to the Special Issue therefore concern the innovative methodologies to achieve landslides identification, classification, characterization and hazard/risk evaluation through geomorphological field surveys and studies, remote sensing applications, GIS data mapping, processing and representation, the analysis of predisposing and triggering factors, landslide early warning systems implementation and the impact of current and future climate change scenarios on the evolution of these
phenomena.

Categorie
News from members WG08 IoT-based methods and analyses

Lecture: “A fully operational IoT-based real-time slope stability analysis for unsaturated slope”

NEWS received from
Luca Piciullo (NGI, Norway)

The next International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) – TC220 Field Monitoring in Geomechanics series of international lectures will take place on Friday 26th of January 2024 at 11:00 CET. It will be given by Dr. Luca Piciullo, with a lecture on “A fully operational IoT-based real-time slope stability analysis for an unsaturated slope in Norway”. This is the fifth in this very successful series of lectures.

The lecture will be introduced by Dr. Neelima Satyam.

To join the lecture, please use the following link: https://lnkd.in/g8Cn_W2D or scan the QR code.