Production of Landslide Susceptibility Map using Bayesian Probability Model

Abstract

Artvin is one of the provinces in Turkey where landslides occur most frequently. There have been numerous landslides characterized as natural disaster recorded across the province. The areas sensitive to landslides across the province should be identified in order to ensure people's safety, to take the necessary measures for reducing any devastating effects of landslides and to make the right decisions in respect to land use planning. In this study, the landslide susceptibility map of the Central district of Artvin was produced by using Bayesian probability model. Parameters including lithology, altitude, slope, aspect, plan and profile curvatures, soil depth, topographic wetness index, land cover, and proximity to the road and stream were used in landslide susceptibility analysis. The landslide susceptibility map produced in this study was validated using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) based on area under curve (AUC) analysis. In addition, control landslide locations were used to validate the results of the landslide susceptibility map and the validation analysis resulted in 94.30% accuracy, a reliable outcome for this map that can be useful for general land use planning in Artvin.