Emergency assessment of seismic landslide susceptibility: a case study of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake affected area

                                                                    Tang Chuan, Zhu Jing and Liang Jingtao

State Key Laboratory of Geo-Hazard Prevention, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China

Abstract: The 8.0 Mw Wenchuan earthquake triggered widespread and large scale landslides in mountainous regions.
An approach was used to map and assess landslide susceptibility in a given area. A numerical rating system was applied to
five factors that contribute to slope instability. Factors such as lithology, topography, streams and faults have an important
influence as event-controlling factors for landslide susceptibility assessment. A final map is provided to show areas of low,
medium, and high landslide susceptibility. Areas identified as having high landslide susceptibility were located in the central,
northeastern, and far south regions of the study area. The assessment results will help decision makers to select safe sites for
emergency placement of refuges and plan for future reconstruction. The maps may also be used as a basis for landslide risk
management in the study area.

Keywords: landslide; susceptibility; GIS; Wenchuan earthquake; Qingchuan area



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