Geologia Croatica (Jun 2016)
Application of innovative technologies in landslide research in the area of the City of Zagreb (Croatia, Europe)
Abstract
This paper describes the application of innovative technologies for landslide detection, mapping and monitoring in the City of Zagreb since 2010. Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data are used to visually identify landslides in the Podsljeme Zone over the area of 180 km2 for the purpose of landslide inventory mapping. The total number of landslides in the analyzed area (approx. 1,600 landslides) is estimated based on the average landslide density (9 landslides per square km) from the most reliable geomorphological historical inventory, which was produced in 1979. Examples of the visual interpretation of very-high-resolution bare-earth DEMs (Digital Elevation Model) are given to show the potential of these innovative techniques to identify the landslide contours of the very small, small and moderately small landslides that are characteristic of the study area, which is composed of engineering soils and/or soft rocks (marls). In the framework of the described landslide research, the biggest landslide in the Podsljeme Zone, the Kostanjek landslide (landslide area of 1 km2), was also equipped with an automated near-real time monitoring system that encompassed approximately 40 sensors to monitor landslide movement and landslide causal factors. Monitoring of this deep and large landslide during multiple extreme hydro-meteorological events from January 2013 to January 2015 enabled collection of data for the analysis of landslide movement on the surface and in the underground and as well as analysis of the relationship between landslide reactivations and its triggers, i.e., changes in groundwater level and precipitation. The final aim of the described scientific research in terms of landslide mapping and monitoring is its practical application in land-use planning and civil protection systems in the City of Zagreb. Namely, the conclusions propose reliable and efficient methods for landslide identification and monitoring, which are necessary to provide data and solutions for hazard and risk reduction to local authorities that are managed by the City.
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