InSAR Monitoring of Landslide Activity in Dominica

Abstract

Dominica is a geologically young, volcanic island in the eastern Caribbean. Due to its rugged terrain, substantial rainfall, and distinct soil characteristics, it is highly vulnerable to landslides. The dominant triggers of these landslides are hurricanes, tropical storms, and heavy prolonged rainfall events. These events frequently lead to loss of life and the need for a growing portion of the island’s annual budget to cover the considerable cost of reconstruction and recovery. For disaster risk mitigation and landslide risk assessment, landslide inventory and susceptibility maps are essential. Landslide inventory maps record existing landslides and include details on their type, location, spatial extent, and time of occurrence. These data are integrated (when possible) with the landslide trigger and pre-failure slope conditions to generate or validate a susceptibility map. The susceptibility map is used to identify the level of potential landslide risk (low, moderate, or high). In Dominica, these maps are produced using optical satellite and aerial images, digital elevation models, and historic landslide inventory data. This study illustrates the benefits of using satellite Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) to refine these maps. Our study shows that when using continuous high-resolution InSAR data, active slopes can be identified and monitored. This information can be used to highlight areas most at risk (for use in validating and updating the susceptibility map), and can constrain the time of occurrence of when the landslide was initiated (for use in landslide inventory mapping). Our study shows that InSAR can be used to assist in the investigation of pre-failure slope conditions. For instance, our initial findings suggest there is more land motion prior to failure on clay soils with gentler slopes than on those with steeper slopes. A greater understanding of pre-failure slope conditions will support the generation of a more dependable susceptibility map. Our study also discusses the integration of InSAR deformation-rate maps and time-series analysis with rainfall data in support of the development of rainfall thresholds for different terrains. The information provided by InSAR can enhance inventory and susceptibility mapping, which will better assist with the island’s current disaster mitigation and resiliency efforts.