Landslides Mapped using Satellite Data in the Western Ghats of India After Excess Rainfall During August 2018

A comprehensive inventory of landslides triggered by excessive rainfall in August 2018 was mapped across the Western Ghats, revealing significant regional and geological patterns. The study identified 6970 landslides spanning 22.6 sq. km, predominantly in Kerala (5191), Karnataka (993), and Tamil Nadu (606), with debris slides and flows being the most common types. Notably, 83.2% of these events were linked to very high rainfall intensity, while 14.9% occurred on moderate slopes, particularly in Karnataka's Kodagu district. The research utilized multitemporal high-resolution satellite imagery from multiple sources, including Resourcesat-2, WorldView-2, and Sentinel-2, to analyze pre- and post-event conditions, providing critical insights into the relationship between rainfall extremes and landslide susceptibility.

Martha, T. R., Roy, P., Khanna, K., Mrinalni, K., & Vinod Kumar, K. (2019). Landslides Mapped using Satellite Data in the Western Ghats of India After Excess Rainfall During August 2018. Current Science, 117(5), 804. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v117/i5/804-812