Reducing Landslide Risk Using Airborne Lidar Scanning Data
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145, Issue 9
Abstract
Geologic change tends to happen episodically, yet some natural slopes are more continuously active than many realize. Airborne lidar scan (ALS) data have made this evident around the tragic 2014 State Route (SR) 530 (Oso) landslide site in Washington State. ALS surveys since 2003 provide the opportunity to analyze landforms near the landslide site and their change through time. Changes can be dramatic, such as in 2014, but small changes may be more important for understanding risk. Intervals before and after the 2014 landslide, and comparison between similar slopes in the region, reveal important spatial and temporal variations. ALS data collection, change detection, and recognition of temporal and spatial variations can support regional landslide risk assessments, aid in risk communication, and promote better decision making to reduce risk from landslides. Had this practice been understood, implemented, and appropriately communicated prior to March 2014, the outcome of the Oso landslide could have been less tragic. This lesson is important for all levels of government, infrastructure owners, businesses, and the public.
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Data Availability Statement
All data were accessed via the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Lidar Portal (http://lidarportal.dnr.wa.gov).
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express gratitude toward Jana Purmalis for editorial support, which greatly improved the quality of the manuscript. The authors also thank the Washington State Department of Natural Resources for providing open access to their lidar data and assisting the authors to access metadata pertinent to the analyses, and the three reviewers for providing excellent feedback and encouragement toward the publication of this paper. Authors Porter and Anderson have past engagements pertaining to the SR 530 (Oso) landslide investigation. Porter was retained as an expert witness by counsel for the estates of persons killed by the landslide and persons injured by the landslide. Anderson was a member of the Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) response team and coauthor of the 2014 GEER report. All such engagements have been terminated and the authors have no conflict of interest with any ongoing activities pertaining to the topic presented. The time and resources required to write this paper have been provided by BGC Engineering Inc.; no private or government funding was accessed.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 145 • Issue 9 • September 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 14, 2018
Accepted: Jan 16, 2019
Published online: Jun 18, 2019
Published in print: Sep 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Nov 18, 2019
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