Landslide susceptibility modeling based on lineament mapping

Abstract

The structural geology of an area greatly influences the occurrence of landslides in the area. This structural information can be incorporated into landslide hazard mapping through lineament analysis. This is because lineaments play a vital role in determining the stability and the strength of a rock mass. Lineaments are linear manifestations of the structural and geological settings of an area that can represent the hidden architecture of the rock basement. Presence of lineaments reduce the rock strength and stability. This research presented an overview of the use of lineaments in landslide hazard mapping by employing automated methods of lineament mapping and extraction. This study focused on the integration of remote sensing and GIS techniques to automatically identify and map lineaments in the Elgon region of Uganda. The study employed Landsat 8 OLI images to extract lineaments using the line algorithm of PCI Geomatica software. The study also investigated how the lineaments have been changing over time from 2015 to 2021 through lineament analysis, which involved understanding of the length, orientation and density of the lineaments. The study also established the relationship between lineaments and landslides and it was observed that there was a strong relationship between lineaments and landslides. Very high lineament density areas experienced more landslides compared to very low lineament density areas with Bududa being most prone to landslides. It was also observed that the lineaments were not normally distributed with in the area but concentrated in the Eastern parts of the region with an average length of 1441 meters and having major orientation in the NE-SW directions.