Search Results (104)

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) is crucial for disaster prevention in large, complex regions characterized by high-dimensional data. This study proposes a Feature-Selecting Long Short-Term Memory (FS-LSTM) framework to enhance LSM accuracy by integrating feature selection techniques with sequence-based modeling. The Mean Decrease Impurity (MDI) and Information Gain Ratio (IGR) were used to rank landslide conditioning factors (LCFs), and these rankings structured FS-LSTM inputs to assess the impact of feature ordering on model performance. Feature-ordering experiments demonstrated that structured rankings significantly improve model accuracy compared to randomized inputs. Our model outperformed traditional machine learning algorithms, such as logistic regression and Support Vector Machine, as well as standard deep learning models like CNN and basic LSTM, achieving a score of 0.988. The MDI and IGR rankings consistently identified soil type, elevation, and average annual cumulated rainfall as the most influential LCFs, improving the interpretability of the results. Applied to the Yangtze River Basin, the FS-LSTM framework effectively identified landslide-prone areas, aligning with known geological patterns. These findings highlight the potential of combining feature selection with sequence-sensitive deep learning to enhance the robustness and interpretability of LSM. Future studies could expand this approach to other regions and incorporate real-time monitoring systems for dynamic disaster management. Full article

In the current work, authors reviewed the latest research results in landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) using artificial intelligence (AI) methods. Based on an overall review of collected publications, the review was classified into four sections based on their complexity: single-model approaches, enhanced models with optimization, ensemble models, and hybrid models. Each category offers distinct advantages and is suited to specific geographic and data conditions, enabling the selection of an optimal model type based on the complexity and requirements of the mapping task. Among models, random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), convolutional neural network (CNN), and multilayer perception (MLP) are used as the baseline to compare any new model introduced to develop LSM. Moreover, compared to previous review works, the number of LSM conditioning factors used in AI models are significantly increased, up to 122 factors. Their relation to the AI models is illustrated using Sankey diagram, while a radar chart is used to further visualize the dataset size per reviewed work for comparative purposes. In the main part of the current review work, the main findings are summarized into a table form, where the reader can find the overall relations between landslide conditioning factors, landslide dataset size, applied AI models, and their accuracy on predicting LSM for selected geographical locations. In terms of the regions, Asia is leading in the application of AI models to generate LSM, and in such regions with dense populations falling into higher landslide risk categories, there are more ongoing research activities, using modern AI methods. This trend underscores the increased use of AI in disaster management, with implications for improving practical applications, such as early warning systems and informing policy decisions aimed at risk reduction in vulnerable areas. Full article

Landslides are one of the most widespread and hazardous geologic hazards in the world. Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) is an effective way to identify landslide-prone areas to prevent and reduce landslide hazards. However, the accuracy of LSM is greatly limited by the balance of landslide data. The collection of high-quality landslide inventories is labor-intensive. In this paper, four data enhancement techniques are used to correct the unbalanced landslide dataset based on GIS. The method is applied to LSM in Guangzhou City. And the difference in the accuracy of the enhancement is compared with two assessment models, SVM and RF. The experimental results show that the data enhancement technique helps to improve the accuracy of the evaluated models, and the evaluation results of all models show the best performance by GAN-RF. This study shows that the balance of landslide data greatly affects the accuracy of the assessment model. And the data enhancement technique enhances the robustness of the assessment model and improves the accuracy of the prediction results. Full article

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) is a vital tool for proactive disaster mitigation. Although numerous studies utilize slope units (SUs) for LSM, the limited integration of adjacency information, including spatial autocorrelation, often reduces predictive accuracy. In this study, GRASS GIS was utilized to generate slope units, and a spatial logistic regression (SLR) model was developed to incorporate the adjacency information of the slope units to predict the landslide susceptibility. Then, the spatial stratification heterogeneity patterns of landslide susceptibility were analyzed using GeoDetector. The results showed that the SLR model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89, a notable improvement of 0.26 compared to the traditional logistic regression (LR) model that does not incorporate adjacency information. This indicates that incorporating adjacency information effectively enhances LSM accuracy by mitigating spatial autocorrelation. Furthermore, lithology, PGV, and distance to the epicenter were identified as the primary factors contributing to the formation of the spatial stratification heterogeneity of landslide susceptibility. Among these, the interaction between lithology and PGV exhibits the strongest nonlinear enhancement. By integrating both mapping units and their adjacency information, this study provides a novel approach to improving the predictive accuracy of LSM. Moreover, by analyzing the driving factors of spatial stratification heterogeneity in landslide susceptibility maps, the study advances the practical utility of LSM for disaster management and mitigation. Full article

Landslides cause significant human and financial losses in different regions of the world. A high-accuracy landslide susceptibility map (LSM) is required to reduce the adverse effects of landslides. Machine learning (ML) is a robust tool for LSM creation. ML models require large amounts of data to predict landslides accurately. This study has developed a stacking ensemble technique based on ML and optimization to enhance the accuracy of an LSM while considering small datasets. The Boruta–XGBoost feature selection was used to determine the optimal combination of features. Then, an intelligent and accurate analysis was performed to prepare the LSM using a dynamic and hybrid approach based on the Adaptive Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), Extreme Learning Machine (ELM), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and new optimization algorithms (Ladybug Beetle Optimization [LBO] and Electric Eel Foraging Optimization [EEFO]). After model optimization, a stacking ensemble learning technique was used to weight the models and combine the model outputs to increase the accuracy and reliability of the LSM. The weight combinations of the models were optimized using LBO and EEFO. The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC-ROC) parameters were used to assess the performance of these models. A landslide dataset from Kermanshah province, Iran, and 17 influencing factors were used to evaluate the proposed approach. Landslide inventory was 116 points, and the combined Voronoi and entropy method was applied for non-landslide point sampling. The results showed higher accuracy from the stacking ensemble technique with EEFO and LBO algorithms with AUC-ROC values of 94.81% and 94.84% and RMSE values of 0.3146 and 0.3142, respectively. The proposed approach can help managers and planners prepare accurate and reliable LSMs and, as a result, reduce the human and financial losses associated with landslide events. Full article

Landslide susceptibility measures the probability of landslides occurring under certain geo-environmental conditions and is essential in landslide hazard assessment. Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) using data-driven methods applies statistical models and geospatial data to show the relative propensity of slope failure in a given area. However, due to the rarity of multi-temporal landslide inventory, conventional data-driven LSMs are primarily generated by spatial causative factors, while the temporal factors remain limited. In this study, a spatiotemporal LSM is carried out using machine learning (ML) techniques to assess rainfall-induced landslide susceptibility. To achieve this, two landslide inventories are collected for southwestern Pennsylvania: a spatial inventory and a multi-temporal inventory, with 4543 and 223 historical landslide samples, respectively. The spatial inventory lacks the information to describe landslide temporal distribution; there are insufficient samples in the temporal inventory to represent landslide spatial distribution. A novel paradigm of data augmentation through non-landslide sampling based on domain knowledge is applied to leverage both spatial and temporal information for ML modeling. The results show that the spatiotemporal ML model using the proposed data augmentation predicts well rainfall-induced landslides in space and time across the study area, with a value of 0.86 of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), which makes it an effective tool in rainfall-induced landslide hazard mitigation and forecasting. Full article

The accuracy of landslide susceptibility mapping is influenced by the quality of sample data, factor systems, and assessment methods. This study aims to enhance the representativeness and overall quality of the sample dataset through an effective sample expansion strategy, achieving greater precision and reliability in the landslide susceptibility model. An integrated interpretative framework for landslide susceptibility assessment is developed using the XGBoost-SHAP-PDP algorithm to deeply investigate the key contributing factors of landslides in karst areas. Firstly, 17 conditioning factors (e.g., surface deformation rate, land surface temperature, slope, lithology, and NDVI) were introduced based on field surveys, satellite imagery, and literature reviews, to construct a landslide susceptibility conditioning factor system in line with karst geomorphology characteristics. Secondly, a sample expansion strategy combining the frequency ratio (FR) with SBAS-InSAR interpretation results was proposed to optimize the landslide susceptibility assessment dataset. The XGBoost algorithm was then utilized to build the assessment model. Finally, the SHAP and PDP algorithms were applied to interpret the model, examining the primary contributing factors and their influence on landslides in karst areas from both global and single-factor perspectives. Results showed a significant improvement in model accuracy after sample expansion, with AUC values of 0.9579 and 0.9790 for the training and testing sets, respectively. The top three important factors were distance from mining sites, lithology, and NDVI, while land surface temperature, soil erosion modulus, and surface deformation rate also significantly contributed to landslide susceptibility. In summary, this paper provides an in-depth discussion of the effectiveness of LSM in predicting landslide occurrence in complex terrain environments. The reliability and accuracy of the landslide susceptibility assessment model were significantly improved by optimizing the sample dataset within the karst landscape region. In addition, the research results not only provide an essential reference for landslide prevention and control in the karst region of Southwest China and regional central engineering construction planning but also provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of geologic hazards globally, showing a wide range of application prospects and practical significance. Full article

Landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs) are valuable tools typically used by local authorities for land use management and planning activities, supporting decision-makers in urban and infrastructure planning. To address this, we proposed a refined method for landslide susceptibility assessment, which comprehensively considered both static and dynamic factors. Neural network methods were used for susceptibility analysis. Land use and land cover (LULC) change and InSAR deformation were then integrated into the traditional susceptibility zoning to obtain a refined susceptibility map with higher accuracy. Validation was conducted on the improved landslide susceptibility map using site landslide data. The results showed that the LULC were proven to be the core driving factors for landslide occurrence in the study area. The GRU model achieved the highest model performance (AUC = 0.886). The introduction of InSAR surface deformation and land use and land cover change data could rationalize the inappropriateness of traditional landslide susceptibility zoning, correcting the false positive and false negative areas in the traditional landslide susceptibility map caused by human activities. Ultimately, 12.25% of the study area was in high-susceptibility zones, with 3.10% of false positive and 0.74% of false negative areas being corrected. The proposed method enabled refined analysis of landslide susceptibility over large areas, providing technical support and disaster prevention and mitigation references for geological hazard susceptibility assessment and land management planning. Full article

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) can accurately estimate the location and probability of landslides. An effective approach for precise LSM is crucial for minimizing casualties and damage. The existing LSM methods primarily rely on static indicators, such as geomorphology and hydrology, which are closely associated with geo-environmental conditions. However, landslide hazards are often characterized by significant surface deformation. The Small Baseline Subset-Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SBAS-InSAR) technology plays a pivotal role in detecting and characterizing surface deformation. This work endeavors to assess the accuracy of SBAS-InSAR coupled with ensemble learning for LSM. Within this research, the study area was Shiyan City, and 12 static evaluation factors were selected as input variables for the ensemble learning models to compute landslide susceptibility. The Random Forest (RF) model demonstrates superior accuracy compared to other ensemble learning models, including eXtreme Gradient Boosting, Logistic Regression, Gradient Boosting Decision Tree, and K-Nearest Neighbor. Furthermore, SBAS-InSAR was utilized to obtain surface deformation rates both in the vertical direction and along the line of sight of the satellite. The former is used as a dynamic characteristic factor, while the latter is combined with the evaluation results of the RF model to create a landslide susceptibility optimization matrix. Comparing the precision of two methods for refining LSM results, it was found that the method integrating static and dynamic factors produced a more rational and accurate landslide susceptibility map. Full article

A rational landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) can minimize the losses caused by landslides and enhance the efficiency of disaster prevention and reduction. At present, frequency ratio (FR), information value (IV), and certainty factor (CF) are widely used to quantify the relationships between landslides and their causative factors; however, it remains unclear which method is the most effective. Moreover, existing landslide susceptibility zoning methods lack full automation; thus, the results are full of uncertainties. To address this, the FR, IV, and CF were used to analyze the relationship between landslides and causative factors. Subsequently, three distinct sets of models were developed, namely random forest models (RF_FR, RF_IV, and RF_CF), support vector machine models (SVM_FR, SVM_IV, and SVM_CF), and logistic regression models (LR_FR, LR_IV, and LR_CF) using the analysis results as inputs. A Gaussian mixture model (GMM) was introduced as a new method for landslide susceptibility zoning, classifying the LSM into five distinct levels. An accuracy evaluation of the models and a rationality analysis of the LSM indicated that the FR is superior to the IV and CF in quantifying the relationship between landslides and causative factors. Additionally, the quantile method was employed as a comparative approach to the GMM, further validating the effectiveness of the GMM. This research contributes to more effective and efficient LSM, ultimately enhancing landslide prevention measures. Full article

This study is an efficiency comparison between four methods for the production of landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs), which include random forest (RF), artificial neural network (ANN), and logistic regression (LR) as the machine learning (ML) techniques and frequency ratio (FR) as a statistical method. The study area is located in the Southern Hiroshima Prefecture in western Japan, a locality known to suffer from rainfall-induced landslide disasters, the most recent one in July 2018. The landslide conditioning factors (LCFs) considered in this study are lithology, land use, altitude, slope angle, slope aspect, distance to drainage, distance to lineament, soil class, and mean annual precipitation. The rainfall LCF data comprise XRAIN (eXtended RAdar Information Network) radar records, which are novel in the task of LSM production. The accuracy of the produced LSMs was calculated with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), and an automatic hyperparameter tuning and result comparison system based on AUROC scores was utilized. The calculated AUROC scores of the resulting LSMs were 0.952 for the RF method, 0.9247 for the ANN method, 0.9016 for the LR method, and 0.8424 for the FR. It is also noteworthy that the ML methods are substantially swifter and more practical than the FR method and allow for multiple and automatic experimentations with different hyperparameter settings, providing fine and accurate outcomes with the given data. The results evidence that ML techniques are more efficient when dealing with hazard assessment problems such as the one exemplified in this study. Although the conclusion that the RF method is the most accurate for LSM production as found by other authors in the literature, ML method efficiency may vary depending on the specific study area, and thus the use of an automatic multi-method LSM production system with hyperparameter tuning such as the one utilized in this study is advised. It was also found that XRAIN radar-acquired mean annual precipitation data are effective when used as an LCF in LSM production. Full article

Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) constitutes a valuable analytical instrument for estimating the likelihood of landslide occurrence, thereby furnishing a scientific foundation for the prevention of natural hazards, land-use planning, and economic development in landslide-prone areas. Existing LSM methods are predominantly data-driven, allowing for significantly enhanced monitoring accuracy. However, these methods often overlook the consideration of landslide mechanisms and uncertainties associated with non-landslide samples, resulting in lower model reliability. To effectively address this issue, a knowledge-guided landslide susceptibility assessment framework is proposed in this study to enhance the interpretability and monitoring accuracy of LSM. First, a landslide knowledge graph is constructed to model the relationships between landslide entities and summarize landslide susceptibility rules. Next, combining the obtained landslide rules with geographic similarity principles, high-confidence non-landslide samples are selected to optimize the quality of the samples. Subsequently, a Landslide Knowledge Fusion Cell (LKF-Cell) is utilized to couple landslide data with landslide knowledge, resulting in the acquisition of informative and semantically rich landslide event features. Finally, a precise and credible landslide susceptibility assessment model is built based on a convolutional neural network (CNN), and landslide susceptibility spatial distribution levels are mapped. The research findings indicate that the CNN-based model outperforms traditional machine learning algorithms in predicting landslide probability; in particular, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the model was improved by 3–6% after sample optimization, and the AUC value of the LKF-Cell method was 6–11% higher than the baseline method. Full article

Machine learning (ML) is increasingly utilized in Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (LSM), though challenges remain in interpreting the predictions of ML models. To reveal the response relationship between landslide susceptibility and evaluation factors, an interpretability model was constructed to analyze how the results of the ML model are realized. This study focuses on Zhenba County in Shaanxi Province, China, employing both Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) to develop LSM models optimized through Random Search (RS). To enhance interpretability, the study incorporates techniques such as Partial Dependence Plot (PDP), Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIMEs), and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP). The RS-optimized RF model demonstrated superior performance, achieving an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.965. The interpretability model identified the NDVI and distance from road as important factors influencing landslides occurrence. NDVI plays a positive role in the occurrence of landslides in this region, and the landslide-prone areas are within 500 m from the road. These analyses indicate the importance of improved hyperparameter selection in enhancing model accuracy and performance. The interpretability model provides valuable insights into LSM, facilitating a deeper understanding of landslide formation mechanisms and guiding the formulation of effective prevention and control strategies. Full article

Natural disasters, notably landslides, pose significant threats to communities and infrastructure. Landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) has been globally deemed as an effective tool to mitigate such threats. In this regard, this study considers the northern region of Pakistan, which is primarily susceptible to landslides amid rugged topography, frequent seismic events, and seasonal rainfall, to carry out LSM. To achieve this goal, this study pioneered the fusion of baseline models (logistic regression (LR), K-nearest neighbors (KNN), and support vector machine (SVM)) with ensembled algorithms (Cascade Generalization (CG), random forest (RF), Light Gradient-Boosting Machine (LightGBM), AdaBoost, Dagging, and XGBoost). With a dataset comprising 228 landslide inventory maps, this study employed a random forest classifier and a correlation-based feature selection (CFS) approach to identify the twelve most significant parameters instigating landslides. The evaluated parameters included slope angle, elevation, aspect, geological features, and proximity to faults, roads, and streams, and slope was revealed as the primary factor influencing landslide distribution, followed by aspect and rainfall with a minute margin. The models, validated with an AUC of 0.784, ACC of 0.912, and K of 0.394 for logistic regression (LR), as well as an AUC of 0.907, ACC of 0.927, and K of 0.620 for XGBoost, highlight the practical effectiveness and potency of LSM. The results revealed the superior performance of LR among the baseline models and XGBoost among the ensembles, which contributed to the development of precise LSM for the study area. LSM may serve as a valuable tool for guiding precise risk-mitigation strategies and policies in geohazard-prone regions at national and global scales. Full article

The Kravarsko area is located in a hilly region of northern Croatia, where numerous landslides endanger and damage houses, roads, water systems, and power lines. Nevertheless, natural hazard management plans are practically non-existent. Therefore, during the initial research, a landslide inventory was developed for the Kravarsko pilot area based on remote sensing data (high-resolution digital elevation models), and some of the landslides were investigated in detail. However, due to the complexity and vulnerability of the area, additional zoning of landslide-susceptible areas was needed. As a result, a slope gradient map, a map of engineering geological units, and a land-cover map were developed as inputs for the landslide susceptibility map. Additionally, based on the available data and a landslide inventory, a terrain stability map was developed for landslide management. Analysis and map development were performed within a geographical information system environment, and the terrain stability map with key infrastructure data was determined to be the “most user-friendly and practically usable” resource for non-expert users in natural hazard management, for example, the local administration. At the same time, the terrain stability map can easily provide practical information for the local community and population about the expected landslide “risk” depending on the location of infrastructure, estates, or objects of interest or for the purposes of future planning. Full article