Landslide susceptibility evaluation is critical for landslide prevention and risk management. Based on the slope unit, this study uses the information value method- random forest (IV-RF) model to evaluate the landslide susceptibility in the deep valley area. First, based on the historical landslide data, a landslide inventory was developed by using remote sensing technology (InSAR and optical remote sensing) and field investigation methods. Twelve factors were then selected as the input data for a landslide susceptibility model. Second, slope units with different scales were obtained by the r.slopeunits method and the information value method- random forest (IV-RF) model is used to evaluate the landslide susceptibility. Finally, the spatial distribution characteristics of landslide susceptibility grade under the optimal scale are analyzed. The results showed that under the slope unit obtained when c = 0.1 and a = 3 × 105 m2, the internal homogeneity/external heterogeneity of 8425 slope units extracted by the r.slopeunits method is the best, with an AUC of 0.905 and an F1 of 0.908. In this case, the accuracy of landslide susceptibility evaluation is the highest as well; it is shown that the finer slope units would not always lead to the higher accuracy of landslide susceptibility evaluation results; it is necessary to comprehensively consider the internal homogeneity and external heterogeneity of the slope units. Under the optimal slope unit scale, the number of landslides in the highly and extremely highly susceptible areas in the landslide susceptibility map accounted for 82.60% of the total number of landslides, which was consistent with the actual distribution of landslides; this study shows that the method, combining the slope unit and the information value method- random forest (IV-RF) model, for landslide susceptibility evaluation can obtain high accuracy.
1 May 2025 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
The Jinsha River Basin on the eastern margin of the Qinghai–Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau is one of the most landslide-prone regions globally. The Batang reach (from Suwalong Township to Changbo Township) lies in the core of the Jinsha River Suture Zone, characterized by complex geological conditions and frequent landslide disasters. To address the limitations of traditional monitoring methods—including difficulty in full-area coverage, high costs, and low efficiency in mountainous canyon terrain—a systematic study of landslide monitoring was conducted using Sentinel-1A SAR data and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology. The results demonstrate that SBAS-InSAR, via short-baseline combinations, achieves a monitoring point density of 697 points/km2 (6.28 times that of PS-InSAR), offering significant advantages in mountainous canyon areas with dense vegetation and fragmented rock masses. Using this technical framework, a total of 38 active landslides were identified in the study area, including 5 newly detected rapidly deforming hazards, 17 with river blockage risk, and 10 with the potential to bury buildings. The maximum downslope deformation rate reaches −89.56 mm/yr for the landslide near Suwalong Hydropower Station. Landslides are concentrated within 500 m of faults, in weak rock zones, on steep slopes with gradients greater than 30°, and near road-cutting projects. Temporally, landslide deformation shows an evident correlation with rainfall; approximately 70% of annual cumulative deformation occurs within the rainy season. Engineering activities including hydropower station impoundment appear to be associated with elevated deformation rates of local landslides. This study provides a scientific basis for the safety of major infrastructure corridors (e.g., the Sichuan–Tibet Railway) and regional disaster prevention and mitigation.