Regional Conference on Permafrost 2021 and the 19th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering
Preliminary Interpretations from a Landslide Inventory in Interior Alaska
Publication: Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
ABSTRACT
Landslides are geologic hazards that threaten human life, infrastructure, and property. To mitigate these threats, a landslide inventory map must first be developed. We present preliminary interpretations of the first comprehensive landslide inventory in the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB), Interior Alaska. The inventory was developed using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) digital elevation models (DEMs), and validated with field checks of landslides accessible on public lands along the road system. The inventory provides a landslide spatial distribution that can be correlated to types of soil and/or bedrock, slope, aspect, and permafrost distribution. We can determine relative age of landslides using morphology, vegetation, and cross-cutting relationships with infrastructure. We provide landslide examples of: 1) different ages, 2) mechanisms of movement, and 3) morphology; and explore potential triggers of the prehistoric landslides.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was funded by a grant from the USGS EDMAP program (G20AS00005). We thank P. Presler for assisting with fieldwork, the homeowners who allowed us to access their private properties, and the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys for supporting our field work.
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Published In
Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
Pages: 142 - 150
Editor: Jon Zufelt, Ph.D., HDR Alaska
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8358-9
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Oct 21, 2021
Published in print: Oct 21, 2021
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