Which data for quantitative landslide susceptibility mapping at operational scale? Case study of the Pays d'Auge plateau hillslopes (Normandy, France)

Abstract

This paper aims at assessing the impact of the data set quality for landslide susceptibility mapping using multivariate statistical modelling methods at detailed scale. This research is conducted on the Pays d'Auge plateau (Normandy, France) with a scale objective of 1 / 10 000, in order to fit the French guidelines on risk assessment. Five sets of data of increasing quality (considering accuracy, scale fitting, and geomorphological significance) and cost of acquisition are used to map the landslide susceptibility using logistic regression. The best maps obtained with each set of data are compared on the basis of different statistical accuracy indicators (ROC curves and relative error calculation), linear cross correlation and expert opinion. The results highlight that only high-quality sets of data supplied with detailed geomorphological variables (i.e. field inventory and surficial formation maps) can predict a satisfying proportion of landslides in the study area.