161 Dynamics of Natural and Built Environments

Our communities, economies and infrastructure depend on interactions between the natural and built environments. Engineered systems (e.g. earthworks, structures, utilities) must be resilient to evolving natural forcings, and similarly engineered systems must also minimize negative effects on the natural environment.

Tuesday, 21 October 2025
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
HBGCC, 214A

Regional Lidar-Based Landslide Inventory Method Improvements

Paper number: 161-3
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:35 AM – 8:55 AM

Authors

  • William Burns Presenting Author
    Oregon Department of Geology, Portland, OR
  • Jon Franczyk
    Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Portland, OR
  • Anna Tsitsivas
    Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Portland, OR
  • Jessi Wilder
    Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Portland, OR
  • Natalie Culhane
    Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Portland, OR

Abstract

Landslides are one of the most widespread and damaging natural hazards in Oregon. To reduce losses from landslides, areas of landslide hazard must first be inventoried. Bare earth lidar derived datasets have proven foundational in this task. The inventory can be used directly, but also to create susceptibility maps that display areas likely to have landslides in the future. After landslide hazards have been mapped, the risk can be quantified, and risk reduction projects can be prioritized and implemented. In 2009, Burns and Madin published DOGAMI Special Paper 42 (SP-42), “Protocol for Inventory Mapping of Landslide Deposits from Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) Imagery”, a roadmap developed to create and maintain consistent landslide inventories throughout Oregon. Two improvements to this process were recently published: 1) improvements to the protocols’ efficiency and precision, and 2) a video short course. The improved method includes associated ESRI ArcToolboxes, designed to assist with landslide mapping following the SP-42 method.. Completing a publication-ready landslide inventory for a study area using the SP-42 Toolbox includes five primary steps: 1) acquire input data and run the base map setup tool, 2) map the landslide inventory, 3) attribute the landslide inventory, 4) apply the attribute transfer tool and review the outputs, and 5) apply the final formatting tool and review the outputs. The short course has been taught in person many times, and recording it to a 4-part video makes it widely available. The four video modules include: 1) background and setup, 2) mapping, 3) attributes, and 4) finalize.  The videos are formatted as MPEG-4, include closed captions, and are each approximately 30 mins long.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-413492

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