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Slope Stability Monitoring and Investigation Using Remote Sensing Techniques

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A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Remote Sensing in Geology, Geomorphology and Hydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 August 2021) | Viewed by 21477

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Paolo Farina

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Geoapp srl, V.le Spartaco Lavagnini 70/72, 50129 Firenze, Italy
Interests: rock mechanics; engineering geology; satellite InSAR; structural mapping; landslide risk assessment; slope monitoring; early warning systems; open pit mines monitoring; tailings dams monitoring

Prof. Dr. Filippo Catani

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Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, Engineering Geology and Geomorphology Research Group, Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
Interests: landslide hazard; monitoring and modelling of basin scale surface processes; natural hazards; applications of remote sensing to landslide studies; oil & gas environmental impact and risk; surface monitoring in open pit mines; scaling processes in geomorphology; machine learning applied to land surface processes
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In this Special Issue, we offer you the opportunity to contribute with high-quality original research articles and reviews on the use of remote sensing data and technologies to monitor and investigate slope instabilities. The aim is to provide readers with an overview that integrates remote sensing data from satellite, drones, and ground-based systems in geomorphological, engineering, geological, and geotechnical engineering working practices. Given your expertise and work in this field, we think you could make an excellent contribution to this Special Issue and we would like to invite you to submit one or more manuscripts to be published in this Special Issue of Remote Sensing. These include, but are not limited to the following topics: development, validation and implementation of remote sensing data processing methods and applications of remote sensing to slope movements on natural slopes (e.g., landslides) and on man-made slopes (e.g., slopes in open pit mines, tailings dams, etc.). Remote sensing technologies relevant to this Special Issue include satellite and ground-based InSAR, Digital Correlation Imaging, Photogrammetric techniques from satellite, airborne and drone-based sensors, laser scanning techniques, etc.

Dr. Paolo Farina
Prof. Dr. Filippo Catani
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

landslide mapping
slope monitoring
slope failures
InSAR
digital image correlation
photogrammetry

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 17260 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Geological Controls and Kinematics of the Chgega Landslide (Mateur, Tunisia) Exploiting Photogrammetry and InSAR Technologies

by Seifeddine Gaidi, Jorge Pedro Galve, Fetheddine Melki, Patricia Ruano, Cristina Reyes-Carmona, Wissem Marzougui, Stefano Devoto, José Vicente Pérez-Peña, José Miguel Azañón, Haifa Chouaieb, Fouad Zargouni and Guillermo Booth-Rea

Remote Sens. 2021, 13(20), 4048; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13204048 - 10 Oct 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3922

Abstract

Exploration of territories not previously analyzed by landslide experts provides interesting findings. The Chgega landslide, in northern Tunisia, represents a paradigmatic mass movement. It can be classified as a complex landslide, or more specifically as vast rock spreading that evolved into a block slide. It involves a great block of limestone—about 900 m long and 400 m wide—sliding over ductile clays and marls. The viscoplastic creep of the clays drives the landslide and creates, in its crown, a graben ~800 m long and ~120 m wide that breaks the summit of Chgega Mountain. Using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technologies, we demonstrate that this complex landslide is currently active and moreover shows progressive movement without clear episodic accelerations. The velocity of the limestone block is just above 2 mm/yr. The occurrence of gravity-induced joints indicates that the movement has an orientation towards 333° of azimuth on average, conditioned by the landscape around Chgega. These results were obtained through the analysis of a 3D model and a high-resolution orthoimage created from photographs acquired by an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV). We may conclude that the landslide movement is determined by normal faults with directions N060°E and N140–150°E. This characterization of the Chgega landslide can serve as the basis for future studies about the origin of this slope movement. Furthermore, the data provided here may support the recognition of Chgega as a singular geological point that deserves to be declared a geosite. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Slope Stability Monitoring and Investigation Using Remote Sensing Techniques)

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25 pages, 11351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping Post-Earthquake Landslide Susceptibility: A U-Net Like Approach

by Yu Chen, Yongming Wei, Qinjun Wang, Fang Chen, Chunyan Lu and Shaohua Lei

Remote Sens. 2020, 12(17), 2767; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12172767 - 26 Aug 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3982

Abstract

A serious earthquake could trigger thousands of landslides and produce some slopes more sensitive to slide in future. Landslides could threaten human’s lives and properties, and thus mapping the post-earthquake landslide susceptibility is very valuable for a rapid response to landslide disasters in terms of relief resource allocation and posterior earthquake reconstruction. Previous researchers have proposed many methods to map landslide susceptibility but seldom considered the spatial structure information of the factors that influence a slide. In this study, we first developed a U-net like model suitable for mapping post-earthquake landslide susceptibility. The post-earthquake high spatial airborne images were used for producing a landslide inventory. Pre-earthquake Landsat TM (Thematic Mapper) images and the influencing factors such as digital elevation model (DEM), slope, aspect, multi-scale topographic position index (mTPI), lithology, fault, road network, streams network, and macroseismic intensity (MI) were prepared as the input layers of the model. Application of the model to the heavy-hit area of the destructive 2008 Wenchuan earthquake resulted in a high validation accuracy (precision 0.77, recall 0.90, F1 score 0.83, and AUC 0.90). The performance of this U-net like model was also compared with those of traditional logistic regression (LR) and support vector machine (SVM) models on both the model area and independent testing area with the former being stronger than the two traditional models. The U-net like model introduced in this paper provides us the inspiration that balancing the environmental influence of a pixel itself and its surrounding pixels to perform a better landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) task is useful and feasible when using remote sensing and GIS technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Slope Stability Monitoring and Investigation Using Remote Sensing Techniques)

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18 pages, 15178 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integration of Digital Image Correlation of Sentinel-2 Data and Continuous GNSS for Long-Term Slope Movements Monitoring in Moderately Rapid Landslides

by Marco Mulas, Giuseppe Ciccarese, Giovanni Truffelli and Alessandro Corsini

Remote Sens. 2020, 12(16), 2605; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12162605 - 12 Aug 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3061

Abstract

This work explores the advantages and drawbacks of the application of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to Sentinel-2 Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) data in conjunction with continuous Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) monitoring. The goal is to retrieve a spatially distributed and long-term time-series of slope movements in large-scale moderately rapid landslides. The short revisit time of Sentinel-2 satellites (5 days since March 2017 and 10 days before) increases the availability of cloud and snow free satellite acquisitions of the area of interest, which is a prerequisite for the extrapolation of slope movement time-series using DIC techniques. Despite the Sentinel-2 limited spatial resolution, the derived long time-series can be integrated with—and validated by—continuous GNSS monitoring data. This allows to effectively monitor landslide movements that are too fast for the application of interferometric approaches. In this study, we used the Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC) digital image correlation technique by 51 Sentinel-2 MSI scenes (band 4 with 10 m spatial resolution), acquired between 19 February 2016 and 16 July 2019, to derive the slope movement time-series of the Ca’ Lita earthslide-earthflow in the northern Apennines (Italy). During the period considered, the landslide experienced two to three months-long phases of moderately rapid velocity (around 10 m/month) and, in between, prolonged periods of slow movements (approx. 10 cm/month). NCC results have been integrated with, and are compared to, time series from three continuous GNSS devices located in different geomorphic zones of the landslide. On this basis, the errors and limitations associated to NCC time series are analysed and discussed together with their advantages and potentialities for assessing the spatial distribution and monitoring slope movements during moderately rapid reactivation events. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Slope Stability Monitoring and Investigation Using Remote Sensing Techniques)

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24 pages, 24641 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Temporal-Spatial Frequency Rockfall Data from Open-Pit Highwalls Using a Low-Cost Monitoring System

by Anna Giacomini, Klaus Thoeni, Marina Santise, Fabrizio Diotri, Shaun Booth, Stephen Fityus and Riccardo Roncella

Remote Sens. 2020, 12(15), 2459; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12152459 - 31 Jul 2020

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4177

Abstract

In surface mining, rockfall can seriously threaten the safety of personnel located at the base of highwalls and cause serious damage to equipment and machinery. Close-range photogrammetry for the continuous monitoring of rock surfaces represents a valid tool to efficiently assess the potential rockfall hazard and estimate the risk in the affected areas. This work presents an autonomous terrestrial stereo-pair photogrammetric monitoring system developed to observe volumes falling from sub-vertical rock faces located in surface mining environments. The system has the versatility for rapid installation and quick relocation in areas often constrained by accessibility and safety issues and it has the robustness to tolerate the rough environmental conditions typical of mining operations. It allows the collection of synchronised images at different periods with high-sensitivity digital single-lens reflex cameras, producing accurate digital surface models (DSM) of the rock face. Comparisons between successive DSMs can detect detachments and surface movements during defined observation periods. Detailed analysis of the changes in the rock surface, volumes and frequency of the rocks dislodging from the sub-vertical rock surfaces can provide accurate information on event magnitude and return period at very reasonable cost and, therefore, can generate the necessary data for a detailed inventory of the rockfall spatial-temporal occurrence and magnitude. The system was first validated in a trial site, and then applied on a mine site located in NSW (Australia). Results were analysed in terms of multi-temporal data acquired over a period of seven weeks. The excellent detail of the data allowed trends in rockfall event to be correlated to lithology and rainfall events, demonstrating the capability of the system to generate useful data that would otherwise require extended periods of direct observation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Slope Stability Monitoring and Investigation Using Remote Sensing Techniques)

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Review

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23 pages, 9750 KiB

Open AccessReview

Remote Sensing Applications for Landslide Monitoring and Investigation in Western Canada

by Renato Macciotta and Michael T. Hendry

Remote Sens. 2021, 13(3), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13030366 - 21 Jan 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4137

Abstract

Transportation infrastructure in mountainous terrain and through river valleys is exposed to a variety of landslide phenomena. This is particularly the case for highway and railway corridors in Western Canada that connect towns and industries through prairie valleys and the Canadian cordillera. The fluidity of these corridors is important for the economy of the country and the safety of workers, and users of this infrastructure is paramount. Stabilization of all active slopes is financially challenging given the extensive area where landslides are a possibility, and monitoring and minimization of slope failure consequences becomes an attractive risk management strategy. In this regard, remote sensing techniques provide a means for enhancing the monitoring toolbox of the geotechnical engineer. This includes an improved identification of active landslides in large areas, robust complement to in-place instrumentation for enhanced landslide investigation, and an improved definition of landslide extents and deformation mechanisms. This paper builds upon the extensive literature on the application of remote sensing techniques and discusses practical insights gained from a suite of case studies from the authors’ experience in Western Canada. The review of the case studies presents a variety of landslide mechanisms and remote sensing technologies. The aim of the paper is to transfer some of the insights gained through these case studies to the reader. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Slope Stability Monitoring and Investigation Using Remote Sensing Techniques)

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