• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.235-250
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• 2016

In Korea, 70% of the annual rainfall falls in summer, and the number of days of extreme rainfall (over 200 mm) is increasing over time. Because rainfall is the most important trigger of landslides, it is necessary to decide a rainfall threshold for landslide warning and to develop a landslide warning model. This study selected 12 study areas that contained landslides with exactly known triggering times and locations, and also rainfall data. The feasibility of applying a Rainfall Triggering Index (RTI) to Korea is analyzed, and three RTI models that consider different time units for rainfall intensity are compared. The analyses show that the 60-minute RTI model failed to predict landslides in three of the study areas, while both the 30- and 10-minute RTI models gave successful predictions for all of the study areas. Each RTI model showed different mean response times to landslide warning: 4.04 hours in the 60-minute RTI model, 6.08 hours in the 30-minute RTI model, and 9.15 hours in the 10-minute RTI model. Longer response times to landslides were possible using models that considered rainfall intensity for shorter periods of time. Considering the large variations in rainfall intensity that may occur within short periods in Korea, it is possible to increase the accuracy of prediction, and thereby improve the early warning of landslides, using a RTI model that considers rainfall intensity for periods of less than 1 hour.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.191-196
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• 2008

This study is a case study for application of the RTI warning model to Korea which was previously developed to predict landslide potential and occurrence time during a rainfall event. The rainfall triggering index (RTI) is defined as the product of the rainfall intensity I (mm/hr) and the effective accumulated rainfall $R_t$ (mm). This index is used to evaluate the landslide and debris-flow occurrence potential at time t during a rainfall event. The upper critical value ($RTI_{UC}$) of RTI and the lower critical value ($RTI_{LC}$) of RTI can be determined by historical rainfall data of a certain area. When the rainfall intensity exceeds the upper critical value, there are high potential to occur land-slides. The analysis result can predict landslide occurrence time of an area during a rainfall event as well as land-slide potential. The result can also be used as an important data to issue early-warning of landslides. In order to apply the RTI warning model to Korea this study analyzed rainfall data and landslides data in Inje county, Gangwon province, Korea from July 13 to July 19, 2006. According to the analysis result, the rainfall intensity exceeded the upper critical value 23 hours ago, 11 hours ago, and 9 hours ago from 11:00 in the morning, July 16. Therefore, landslide warnings would be issued three times for people evacuation for avoiding or reducing hurts and dam-ages from landslides in mountainous areas of Inje.