A Small Landslide as a Big Lesson: Drones and GIS for Monitoring and Teaching Slope Instability
Small landslides, though frequent, are often overlooked despite their significant potential impact on human-affected areas. This study presents an analysis of the Bella Orxeta landslide in Alicante, Spain, a rotational landslide event that occurred in March 2017 following intense and continued rainf...
| Autor: | |
|---|---|
| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Rovira i virgili (URV) |
| Repositorio: | Repositori Institucional de la Universitat Rovira i Virgili |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:urv.cat:imarina:9468453 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9468453 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Earth and Planetary Sciences (Miscellaneous),Geosciences, Multidisciplinary Urban area Uav Susceptibility assessment Small landslide Slope stability Shallow landslides Photogrammetry North Multitemporal analysis Lidar Hazard Evolution Drones Geosciences, multidisciplinary General earth and planetary sciences Earth and planetary sciences (miscellaneous) Earth and planetary sciences (all) |
| Sumario: | Small landslides, though frequent, are often overlooked despite their significant potential impact on human-affected areas. This study presents an analysis of the Bella Orxeta landslide in Alicante, Spain, a rotational landslide event that occurred in March 2017 following intense and continued rainfall. Utilizing multitemporal datasets, including LiDAR from 2009 and 2016 and drone-based photogrammetry from 2021 and 2023, we generated high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) to assess morphological changes, estimate displaced volumes of approximately 3500 cubic meters, and monitor slope activity. Our analysis revealed substantial mass movement between 2016 and 2021, followed by relatively minor changes between 2021 and 2023, primarily related to fluvial erosion. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of UAV and DTM differencing techniques for landslide detection, volumetric analysis, and long-term monitoring in urbanized settings. Beyond its scientific contributions, the Bella Orxeta case offers pedagogical value across academic disciplines, supporting practical training in geomorphology, geotechnical assessment, GIS, and risk planning. It also highlights policy gaps in existing territorial risk plans, particularly regarding the integration of modern monitoring tools for small-scale but recurrent geohazards. Given climate change projections indicating more frequent high-intensity rainfall events in Mediterranean areas, the paper advocates for the systematic documentation of local landslide cases to improve hazard preparedness, urban resilience, and geoscience education. |
|---|