Identifying groundwater- and slope movement-induced vegetation conditions in a landslide prone area using remotely sensed data

Koide, Kaoru; Koike, Katsuaki*

This paper presents a method for detecting differences in vegetation conditions caused by groundwater seepages and slope movements in a landslide prone area using remotely sensed satellite data. To detect differences in vegetation conditions caused by landslides, a new vegetation index (AgNDVI) and a segmentation analysis based on geographic characteristics was proposed. The study area is located in the northern part of the Hachimantai plateau. The result shows that the high-VI points detected are mainly distributed in the head of the main body below the main scarp and in the outer rim of the landslide toe, and the low-VI points are distributed in the fringe of the main scarp, in the foot of the landslide and along the side boundaries of the main body. Consequently, the high- and low-VI points should be strongly linked to groundwater seepage and slope movement, respectively.