Alert scenarios for the Metropolitan Region of Recife-PE based on monitoring of rainfall and soil humidity – a case study

Abstract

In Brazil, landslides are frequent, causing deaths and property damage, and occur under the influence of natural and/or anthropic conditions. Rain acts as the main non-anthropic agent in triggering this phenomenon. Because of this, the prediction of landslides becomes an essential tool for managing high-risk areas. The Metropolitan Region of Recife (MRR) has a large history with numerous cases of mass movements over the years. Currently, research points out improvements in the quality of forecasts by including hydrological information, such as soil moisture, in warning systems. Given the importance of measuring soil moisture in situ, a network of equipment consisting of rain gauges and capacitive moisture sensors was installed in the MRR, to monitor rainfall and soil moisture in an integrated manner. The objective of this article is to understand the hydrological conditions of the soil in two high-risk areas of the MRR, built over the Barreiras Formation to set the foundations for the development of a Landslide Early Warning System (LEWS) that integrates rain and humidity. The data showed that the variation in soil moisture is very dependent on rainfall and presents sudden variations in moisture with increasing hourly rainfall. The data also revealed that the monitored soils remained wet for approximately six months in the year 2022, highlighting the potential for moderate rainfall during this period to trigger landslides.