Your new experience awaits. Try the new design now and help us make it even better

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Earth Sci.

Sec. Geohazards and Georisks

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feart.2025.1685773

This article is part of the Research TopicPrevention, Mitigation, and Relief of Compound and Chained Natural Hazards, volume IIIView all 3 articles

Intelligent Identification and Susceptibility Analysis of Rainfall-Induced Shallow Landslides in Mountainous Areas Based on High-Resolution Remote Sensing and Deep Learning

Provisionally accepted
Wei  ZengWei Zeng1Jianfeng  HanJianfeng Han2*Runcheng  JiaoRuncheng Jiao2Meng-Lun  LiMeng-Lun Li2Weizhen  GuiWeizhen Gui3Chi  MaChi Ma2
  • 1Chinese Society for Geodesy Photogrammetry and Cartography, Beijing, China
  • 2Beijing Institute of geological disaster prevention and control, Beijing, China
  • 3Beijing Polytechnic College, School of Architecture and Surveying Engineering, Beijing, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Abstract: In recent years, extreme rainfall events have become more frequent, leading to a significant increase in shallow landslide disasters, which trigger debris flows and increase the risk of subsequent chain disasters. Therefore, conducting research on the identification and spatial distribution patterns of shallow landslides is crucial for mitigating and preventing geological disasters induced by rainfall. In this study, we utilized high-resolution remote sensing imagery and introduced deep learning methods to develop a rapid identification approach for shallow landslides. We constructed a shallow landslide dataset using high-resolution optical satellite data from the Beijing-3(BJ-3) satellite. A Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network(Mask R-CNN) deep learning model was employed to train an automatic landslide identification model, generating a landslide inventory. For the identified shallow landslides, we conducted a correlation analysis between rainfall and landslide occurrence. Spatial statistical analysis was used to examine the spatial distribution patterns, while and an Information value method coupling support vector machine(I-SVM) model was applied to assess the susceptibility of shallow landslides to extreme rainfall. The study area was selected in Puwa Township, Fangshan District, Beijing. Using the automatic landslide identification model, we identified 1,237 landslides with a precision of 88.04%, a recall rate of 69.40%, and a processing time of 303 seconds. After manual screening, 13 landslide susceptibility evaluation factors were selected for further spatial statistical analysis and susceptibility assessment. The results indicate that landslides primarily occur on concave steep slopes at elevations ranging from 540 to 1080 m. Under given rainfall conditions, the probability of shallow landslide occurrence is higher in Dong Village, Anzigang Village, and Dongniwa villages. The Area Under Curve(AUC) of the landslide susceptibility model is 97%, indicating a high evaluation precision. The research conducted in this paper provides valuable references and recommendations for the rapid identification and disaster prevention of shallow landslides.

Keywords: shallow landslides, Mask R-CNN, Spatial statistical analysis, Landslide susceptibility, Predisposing factors

Received: 14 Aug 2025; Accepted: 22 Sep 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Zeng, Han, Jiao, Li, Gui and Ma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Jianfeng Han, 2012190023@email.cugb.edu.cn

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.