ABSTRACT
This paper describes statistical analysis to distinguish landslide areas from topographical maps. Expert Engineering Geologists were able to discriminate the potential hazardous zones using this technique to a high level of accuracy. Authors attempted to measure the interval of contours along the slope of the area and plot in frequency distribution histograms. The histograms of topographical data were distinguished into two fundamental patterns. Landslide prone area distinctly showed some multi-peaks feature while non-landslide area showed just a single-peak. Several areas of topographical maps were studied and histograms were analyzed. Landslide prone areas and safe areas could be accurately discriminated this way. Authors applied the proposed method to discriminate four old landslide areas in western Kyushu of Japan and Sasebo of the Kyushu district. This analysis independently discovered 4 regions as landslide prone areas, 2 as safe areas. Subsequent field studies confirmed the results. This method has been tested successful for many locations and found that the slopes vulnerable to landslide could be easily identified by this technique using common topographical map.
