Northeastern Section - 42nd Annual Meeting (12–14 March 2007)
Paper No. 37-1
Presentation Time: 1:05 PM-1:25 PM

SURFICIAL SLOPE STABILITY USING SATELLITE SOIL MOISTURE AND RAINFALL

RAY, Ram L., Civil Engineering, University of New Hampshire, 35 Colovos Road, 230 Gregg Hall, Durham, NH 03824, rlj3@unh.edu and JACOBS, Jennifer M. II, Civil Engineering, 35 Colovos Road, 240 Gregg Hall, Durham, 03824

For almost all types of slope failure, soil types/geology and soil moisture plays a vital role because water reduces the soil strength and increase the stress. It is difficult to obtain in-situ moisture profiles of the soil layer on regional or global scale. Using AMSR-E and TRMM satellite data, it is possible to estimate antecedent soil moisture condition. This estimated soil moisture, both in unsaturated and saturated layer, can be used for surficial slope stability analyses. To understand the soil moisture, rainfall and landslide relationship, a qualitative comparison of soil moisture derived from AMSR-E, precipitation from TRMM and major landslide events was conducted. Preliminary results show enhanced AMSR-E soil moisture and rainfall prior to major landslide events.

Northeastern Section - 42nd Annual Meeting (12–14 March 2007)
General Information for this Meeting
Session No. 37
Atmospheric–Earth Surface Interactions: Solid, Liquid, and Gas
University of New Hampshire: Holloway Commons, Piscataqua
1:00 PM-2:45 PM, Tuesday, 13 March 2007

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 39, No. 1, p. 83
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