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Use of the Heuristic Model and GIS to Zone Landslide Hazards in the Mira River Basin, Ecuador

Abstract:

The lack of geo-information related to important types of natural hazards such us landslides, leads to use quick and inexpensive methodologies in models that indicate the reality, this with the purpose of the acquisition of information for planning and development of the territory. The main objective of this study has been to determine landslides hazard zones along the Mira river basin in northern Ecuador. The delimitation of these zones has been performed through geographic information systems (GIS), which supported to collect, process and interrelate the information of conditional factors (land cover, lithology and slope) with triggering factors (seismic and precipitation records). These factors have been weighted with a heuristic model for their subsequent combination through the use of double-entry matrices. The result of the model application delivered five hazard categories of landslides being high, medium, low, none and not applicable category (water bodies and units without geomorphological characterization). Therefore, if the slope of a surface increased and it had soils that have poor vegetation or has been related with non-consolidated or fractured lithologic material, during the occurrence of strong precipitations (the principal triggering factor), all of it creates favorable scenarios for the generation of landslides. Therefore, for the territorial development in the Mira River basin, there is the need of the implementation of correct practices in places with adequate slopes, as this appeared to be the most important conditioning factor.