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Human-Induced Geomorphology?: Modeling Slope Failure in Dominical, Costa Rica Using Landsat Imagery

Miller, Andrew J.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1274194885

Abstract Details

2010, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences : Geography.
Unchecked human development has ravaged the region between Dominical and Uvita, Costa Rica. Much of the development transition has been driven by tourism and further foreign direct investment in residential, service and commercial enterprises. The resulting land-use/land-cover change has removed traditional forest cover in exchange for impervious surfaces, physical structures, and bare ground which is no longer mechanically supported by woody vegetation. Combined with a tropical climate, deeply weathered soils and lithography which are prone to erosion, land cover change has led to an increase in slope failure occurrences. Given the remoteness of the Dominical-Uvita region, its rate of growth and the lack of monitoring, new techniques for monitoring land use and slope failure susceptibility are needed. Two new indices are presented here that employ a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and widely available Landsat imagery to assist in this endeavor. The first index, or Vegetation Influenced Landslide Index (VILI), incorporates slope derived from a DEM and Lu et al.’s (2007) Surface Cover Index to quantify vegetative cover as a means of mechanical stabilization in landslide prone areas. The second index, or Slope Multiplier Index (SMI), uses individual Landsat data bands and basic Landsat band ratios as environmental proxies to replicate soil, vegetative and hydrologic properties. Both models achieve accuracy over 70% and rival results from more complicated published literature. The accuracy of the indices was assessed with the creation of a landslide inventory developed from field observations occurring in December 2007 and November 2008. The creation of these indices represents an efficient and accurate way of determining landslide susceptibility zonation in data poor areas where environmental protection practitioners may be overextended, under-trained or both.
Nicholas Dunning, PhD (Committee Chair)
Kenneth Hinkel, PhD (Committee Member)
Robert Frohn, PhD (Committee Member)
Mark Bowers, PhD (Committee Member)
182 p.
Geography
GIS; Remote Sensing; Landslide Susceptibility; Human-Environment Interaction; Vegetation Influenced Landslide Index (VILI); Slope Multiplier Index (SMI)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Miller, A. J. (2010). Human-Induced Geomorphology?: Modeling Slope Failure in Dominical, Costa Rica Using Landsat Imagery [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1274194885

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Miller, Andrew. Human-Induced Geomorphology?: Modeling Slope Failure in Dominical, Costa Rica Using Landsat Imagery. 2010. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1274194885.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Miller, Andrew. "Human-Induced Geomorphology?: Modeling Slope Failure in Dominical, Costa Rica Using Landsat Imagery." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1274194885

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.