On far field occurrence of seismically induced landslides

Earthquakes may induce landslides at large distances from the epicentral area. In the last two decades, there have been many studies of this phenomenon to determine the causes that contribute to the occurrence of landslides at very long distances from earthquake epicenter. In this study, which is based on previously published works, a worldwide database comprising 270 earthquakes, including 150 during the instrumental period, was compiled to analyse the features of those landslides that occur at much further distances than maximum expected distances. From the analysis of the compiled data, it was observed that susceptible slopes can be grouped into five broad geological categories: jointed rock, marly–clayey (cohesive) soils, granular alluvial and/or colluvial sediments, volcanic soils, and residual soil slopes. These categories were equally likely to be associated with far field disrupted landslides, whereas far field coherent landslides were more frequent on cohesive soil slopes. Other factors, along with slope susceptibility may also contribute to far field landslides and increase the size of the area affected. Among these factors, site effects, antecedent rain and occurrence of seismic series have been cited. The analysis of available data also showed that for events of the same magnitude, far field disrupted landslides may occur at greater distances than coherent ones. The same database has also been employed to determine, for the first time, the upper bound curves for the maximum observed epicentral distances of several types of landslides and the maximum area observed to be affected by landslides, both based on the epicentral intensity of the events.

► An updated, worldwide database of landslides induced by earthquakes has been compiled. ► Recognition of geological contexts where far field landslides occur and its frequency depending on the type of landslide. ► Recognition of importance of other causes that explain far field landslide occurrence. ► Proposal of upper bound curves for maximum epicentral distances of landslides based on the epicentral intensity of events. ► Upper bound curves of the maximum observed area affected by landsliding based on the epicentral intensity.