hensley et al. hydrological processes 2018

Here, we incorporate data from the ascending and descending tracks of Copernicus spaceborne C-band Sentinel-1 SAR (2017–2018) and four flight lines of the NASA/JPL airborne L-band Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) (2011–2018 Fig. In addition, the reconstruction of 3D surface displacements depends on the availability of multiple view angles and their distribution 16, 20. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has been widely used to measure ground motions for geohazards research 17, 18, 19, but its application at Slumgullion is challenged by high deformation gradients. The landslide deposits consist of hydrothermally altered Tertiary volcanic rocks. About 300 years ago, a ~3900-m-long and 150- to 450-m-wide section of the landslide reactivated from the original headscarp to a new toe above Highway 149. The original 700-year-old failure initiated from the edge of the Cannibal Plateau, formed Lake San Cristobal, and is currently inactive (Fig. Here, we compile a comprehensive dataset of remote sensing imagery from air and space, meteorological records, and in situ surface (extensometer) and subsurface (inclinometer) deformation measurements, allowing us to develop a systematic framework for using detailed, temporally variable 3D surface deformation data to quantify the underlying landslide kinematics and dynamics.įor centuries, the Slumgullion landslide in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado has snaked its way downhill at ~10–20 mm per day 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, allowing us to explore both transient and quasi steady-state mass wasting processes. Incomplete information of three-dimensional (3D) surface displacements has limited our ability to infer the continuous landslide depth, interpret the driving and resisting mechanisms, and develop accurate forecasts for landslides. Knowledge of landslide behavior primarily depends on isolated measurements made on and within the landslides, which are often cost prohibitive or even impossible to obtain, and their value is limited by conservative interpretations for generalizing to the entirety of dynamically complex landslides. However, quantifying landslide dynamics is challenging due to the stochastic nature of the environment (e.g., geology, geomorphology, and vegetation), external disturbances (e.g., fire, climate change, earthquakes, and logging), and the limited availability of observations (e.g., remote, surface and subsurface geodetic, and geophysical and hydrological measurements) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. The hazards that landslides present and their impact on Earth’s surface primarily depend on their volume and the rate at which they move, as well as their responsiveness to hydroclimatic variability. Landslides of all sizes and rates represent geohazards that may lead to property damage and casualties. Landslides denude mountains, transport sediments to rivers, lakes and oceans, and modify the Earth’s surface environment and ecosystem. Our study demonstrates the importance of remotely characterizing often inaccessible, dangerous slopes to better understand landslides and other quasi-static mass fluxes in natural and industrial environments, which will ultimately help reduce associated hazards. We construct a mechanical framework to quantify the rheology, subsurface channel geometry, mass flow rate, and spatiotemporally dependent pore-water pressure feedback through a joint analysis of displacement and hydrometeorological measurements from ground, air and space. We refine the boundaries of an area of ~0.35 km 2 below the crest of the prehistoric landslide.

Here, we use hybrid remote sensing data and methods to recover the four-dimensional surface motions during 2011–2018. With its large area of ~1 km 2 and perennial motions at ~10–20 mm per day, the Slumgullion landslide in Colorado, USA, represents an ideal natural laboratory to better understand landslide behavior. Quantifying landslide dynamics is challenging due to the stochastic nature of the environment. Landslides modify the natural landscape and cause fatalities and property damage worldwide.

Hensley et al. hydrological processes 2018