Application of the System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses geographical information system to identify areas susceptible to shallow landslides using physically based mathematical models

• Grant number: 17/09583-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): June 25, 2017
• Effective date (End): August 19, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Physical Geography
• Principal Investigator: Bianca Carvalho Vieira
• Grantee: José Eduardo Bonini
• Supervisor: Carlos Valdir de Meneses Bateira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Universidade do Porto (UP), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 16/20363-9 - Identification of areas susceptible to shallow landslides in the municipality of Itaoca (Ribeira Valley- SP), BP.IC

Abstract

Mass movements figure between the most destructive natural processes, causing severe damage to infrastructures and loss of lives. Between them, the shallow translational slides are defined by their rupture plan, usually on the soil-rock interface; also, they are relevant as a sediment source for debris flows. Various methods are currently used to predict shallow landslides within the catchment scale. Among them, the physically based mathematical models, such as SHALSTAB, are considered more objective, since they describe the processes through physically based mathematical equations. The open-source software SAGA GIS is a relatively recent development, with a wide range of applications. However, SAGA is not widely applied in the Brazilian scientific researches. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to deepen the knowledge of the SAGA GIS applications, especially in the generation of cartographic products that present spatially distributed geotechnical and hydrological data, essential to the improvement of the susceptibility assessments using SHALSTAB. The methods were divided in three steps: (a) laboratory work with SAGA GIS; (b) Fieldwork for the measurement of soil hydrological and pedological parameters; and (c) Application of SAGA GIS in the data analysis and processing. The main product generated will be the susceptibility map of shallow landslides using distributed values. Moreover, the experience gained with the software allows its application in the study area in Brazil. (AU)