MAST: An Earthquake-Triggered Landslides Extraction Method Combining Morphological Analysis Edge Recognition With Swin-Transformer Deep Learning Model

Abstract

Earthquake-triggered landslides (ETLs) are characterized by their extensive occurrences, having wide distributions. The conventional human–computer interaction extraction method is often time-consuming and labor-intensive, failing to meet the demands of disaster emergency response. There is a pressing need for a swift detection of ETLs. In this study, we introduce an ETLs extraction method (MAST) combining morphological analysis edge recognition with a Swin-Transformer (SWT) deep learning model, which is specifically designed for landslide extraction. The MAST model adopts a hierarchical construction approach akin to convolution neural networks, aiding in tasks such as target detection and semantic segmentation. To enhance the accuracy of landslide edge extraction, we incorporate an edge recognition algorithm based on the morphological analysis into the MAST model. This algorithm leverages morphological operations to extract the features of landslide boundaries. It effectively addresses issues such as discretization and irregularization of the extracted landslide boundaries, leading to more precise delineation of landslide boundaries. Drawing on UAV data collected from Wan Dong Village, De Tou Town, Sichuan Luding, China, during the 2022 Ms 6.8 Luding Earthquake, we conducted automated extraction of ETLs utilizing the MAST model. Experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of the MAST model compared to the traditional full convolution neural network (FCN) model and normal SWT model. The MAST model exhibits enhanced value in landslide extraction. Notably, it demonstrates a significant advantage in boundary extraction. Employing the Boundary IoU metric to evaluate the accuracy of ETLs extraction, the MAST model outperforms the SWT and FCN models at various distances.

Keywords

• Deep learning
• earthquake-triggered landslides (ETLs)
• edge recognition
• morphological analysis
• transformer