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Evaluation and comparison of GIS based landslide susceptibility mapping procedures in Kulekhani watershed, Nepal

  • Research Article
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Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to evaluate and compare the consistency of GIS-based heuristic and bivariate landslide susceptibility mapping techniques in the Himalayan region, taking the Kulekhani watershed of central Nepal as an example. For this purpose, a heuristic and two statistical bivariate landslide susceptibility mapping methods are applied, and three separate landslide susceptibility zonation maps are produced. The maps are compared using three approaches: landslide density analysis, success rate analysis, and agreed area analysis. A comparison of the values obtained from landslide density analysis and the curves of success rate analysis indicate that the two bivariate methods produce almost identical results, whereas the map produced with the heuristic method differs significantly from the others. On the other hand, the agreed area analysis highlights significant spatial differences in the maps obtained from the three methods. Although the three approaches evaluate the consistency of susceptibility maps, only the agreed area analysis is capable of spatially comparing them. Hence, this approach proves to be more suitable for spatially and quantitatively evaluating the consistency of various landslide susceptibility zonation maps.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Prabin Kayastha & Florimond De Smedt

  2. Mountain Risk Engineering Unit, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Prabin Kayastha & Megh Raj Dhital

  3. Central Department of Geology, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Megh Raj Dhital

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  1. Prabin Kayastha
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  2. Megh Raj Dhital
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  3. Florimond De Smedt
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Correspondence to Prabin Kayastha.

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Kayastha, P., Dhital, M.R. & De Smedt, F. Evaluation and comparison of GIS based landslide susceptibility mapping procedures in Kulekhani watershed, Nepal. J Geol Soc India 81, 219–231 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-013-0025-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-013-0025-7

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