VALUE ADDED LANDSLIDE RESEARCH UTILIZING GIS AND GPS

Fourteen years ago the emerging GIS technology was utilized to produce the first landslide susceptibility map of Nebraska. The original map was limited because it only incorporated data from known landslides along Nebraska roadways. A project of produce a publication to include statewide landslide susceptibility maps of Nebraska is currently underway. The upgraded GIS technology coupled with the GPS system will be incorporated into the current project. The concept of GIS allows researchers the flexibility to use many levels of separate layers. However, these layers must be carefully chosen to produce a high level of accuracy to be truly useful. GPS technology allows researchers to locate landslides and pinpoint landslide dimensions with greater accuracy than was possible in past decades. Pitfalls in the process must be recognized as researchers move to the next level of understanding the earth’s shifting patterns of landslide action. Each new body of knowledge will add another layer of understanding that leads to better land management. decisions