Identification and distribution of 13003 landslides in the northwest margin of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on human-computer interaction remote sensing interpretation

Abstract

The periphery of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is renowned for its susceptibility to landslides. However, the northwestern margin of this region, characterised by limited human activities and challenging transportation, remains insufficiently explored concerning landslide occurrence and dispersion. With the planning and construction of the Xinjiang-Tibet Railway, a comprehensive investigation into disastrous landslides in this area is essential for effective disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies. By using the human-computer interaction interpretation approach, the authors established a landslide database encompassing 13003 landslides, collectively spanning an area of 3351.24 km² (36°N–40°N, 73°E–78°E). The database incorporates diverse topographical and environmental parameters, including regional elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, distance to faults, distance to roads, distance to rivers, annual precipitation, and stratum. The statistical characteristics of number and area of landslides, landslide number density (LND), and landslide area percentage (LAP) are analyzed. The authors found that a predominant concentration of landslide origins within high slope angle regions, with the highest incidence observed in intervals characterised by average slopes of 20° to 30°, maximum slope angle above 80°, along with orientations towards the north (N), northeast (NE), and southwest (SW). Additionally, elevations above 4.5 km, distance to rivers below 1 km, rainfall between 20-30 mm and 30–40 mm emerge as particularly susceptible to landslide development. The study area's geological composition primarily comprises Mesozoic and Upper Paleozoic outcrops. Both fault and human engineering activities have different degrees of influence on landslide development. Furthermore, the significance of the landslide database, the relationship between landslide distribution and environmental factors, and the geometric and morphological characteristics of landslides are discussed. The landslide H/L ratios in the study area are mainly concentrated between 0.4 and 0.64. It means the landslides mobility in the region is relatively low, and the authors speculate that landslides in this region more possibly triggered by earthquakes or located in meizoseismal area.