APPLICATION OF LIKELIHOOD RATIO MODEL FOR LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPPING USING GIS AT LAI CHAU, VIETNAM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility from landslides in the Lai Chau region of Vietnam, using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing data, focusing on the relationship between tectonic fractures and landslides. Landslide locations were identified from an interpretation of aerial photographs and field surveys. Topographic and geological data and satellite images were collected, processed, and constructed into a spatial database using GIS data and image processing techniques, and a scheme of the tectonic fracturing of the crust in the Lai Chau region was established. In this scheme, Lai Chau was identified as a region with low crustal fractures, with the grade of tectonic fracture having a close relationship with landslide occurrence. The factors found to influence landslide occurrence were: topographic slope, topographic aspect, topographic curvature, distance from drainage, lithology, distance from a tectonic fracture and land cover. Landslide prone areas were analyzed and mapped using the landslide occurrence factors employing the probability-likelihood ratio method. The results of the analysis were verified using landslide location data, and these showed a satisfactory agreement between the hazard map and existing landslide location data.