Abstract
The previous inventory datasets of mass movement typically include large-sized mass movements (e.g., landslides), whereas small ones are often missing due to either being too small to be interpreted from remote sensing images or too time-consuming to measure them in the field. Thus, the relative significance of different-sized mass movement in sediment production remains unknown. In this study, first, a total of 547 recent mass movements, with a volume ranging from 0.3 to 19,000 m3, are surveyed in a small complex-terrain watershed on the Loess Plateau of China; then, sediment contributions by mass movement of different magnitude and frequency are evaluated; furthermore, the effects of causative factors on both mass movement frequency and magnitude are examined and compared; finally, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistical methods are employed to assess mass movement susceptibility and erosion risk. The results showed that majority of the mass movements are very small (<10 m3). Even though a large mass movement can produce a disproportionally high amount of debris on a per event basis, small- and medium-sized mass movements (<1,000 m3) are overall more important in sediment production in the watershed. The GIS-based modeling results also demonstrate that there is significant difference in spatial variation between the susceptibility and erosion risk of mass movements. Therefore, although the mass movement susceptibility map is very useful in prioritizing hazard prevention and mitigation, it should be combined with the mass movement erosion risk map in erosion control planning and design, which has not been done in the past.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1095-1106 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Land Degradation and Development |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 30 2019 |
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Keywords
- GIS
- Loess Plateau
- erosion risk
- frequency and magnitude
- mass movement
- susceptibility
Cite this
Spatial variation in the frequency and magnitude of mass movement in a semiarid, complex-terrain agricultural watershed on the Loess Plateau of China. / Zhu, Tongxin; Xu, Xiangzhou; Zhu, Axing.
In: Land Degradation and Development, Vol. 30, No. 9, 30.05.2019, p. 1095-1106.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Spatial variation in the frequency and magnitude of mass movement in a semiarid, complex-terrain agricultural watershed on the Loess Plateau of China
AU - Zhu, Tongxin
AU - Xu, Xiangzhou
AU - Zhu, Axing
PY - 2019/5/30
Y1 - 2019/5/30
N2 - The previous inventory datasets of mass movement typically include large-sized mass movements (e.g., landslides), whereas small ones are often missing due to either being too small to be interpreted from remote sensing images or too time-consuming to measure them in the field. Thus, the relative significance of different-sized mass movement in sediment production remains unknown. In this study, first, a total of 547 recent mass movements, with a volume ranging from 0.3 to 19,000 m3, are surveyed in a small complex-terrain watershed on the Loess Plateau of China; then, sediment contributions by mass movement of different magnitude and frequency are evaluated; furthermore, the effects of causative factors on both mass movement frequency and magnitude are examined and compared; finally, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistical methods are employed to assess mass movement susceptibility and erosion risk. The results showed that majority of the mass movements are very small (<10 m3). Even though a large mass movement can produce a disproportionally high amount of debris on a per event basis, small- and medium-sized mass movements (<1,000 m3) are overall more important in sediment production in the watershed. The GIS-based modeling results also demonstrate that there is significant difference in spatial variation between the susceptibility and erosion risk of mass movements. Therefore, although the mass movement susceptibility map is very useful in prioritizing hazard prevention and mitigation, it should be combined with the mass movement erosion risk map in erosion control planning and design, which has not been done in the past.
AB - The previous inventory datasets of mass movement typically include large-sized mass movements (e.g., landslides), whereas small ones are often missing due to either being too small to be interpreted from remote sensing images or too time-consuming to measure them in the field. Thus, the relative significance of different-sized mass movement in sediment production remains unknown. In this study, first, a total of 547 recent mass movements, with a volume ranging from 0.3 to 19,000 m3, are surveyed in a small complex-terrain watershed on the Loess Plateau of China; then, sediment contributions by mass movement of different magnitude and frequency are evaluated; furthermore, the effects of causative factors on both mass movement frequency and magnitude are examined and compared; finally, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistical methods are employed to assess mass movement susceptibility and erosion risk. The results showed that majority of the mass movements are very small (<10 m3). Even though a large mass movement can produce a disproportionally high amount of debris on a per event basis, small- and medium-sized mass movements (<1,000 m3) are overall more important in sediment production in the watershed. The GIS-based modeling results also demonstrate that there is significant difference in spatial variation between the susceptibility and erosion risk of mass movements. Therefore, although the mass movement susceptibility map is very useful in prioritizing hazard prevention and mitigation, it should be combined with the mass movement erosion risk map in erosion control planning and design, which has not been done in the past.
KW - GIS
KW - Loess Plateau
KW - erosion risk
KW - frequency and magnitude
KW - mass movement
KW - susceptibility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064500944&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85064500944&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ldr.3296
DO - 10.1002/ldr.3296
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85064500944
VL - 30
SP - 1095
EP - 1106
JO - Land Degradation and Development
JF - Land Degradation and Development
SN - 1085-3278
IS - 9
ER -