Estimating the timing and location of shallow rainfall-induced landslides using a model for transient, unsaturated infiltration

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface Vol. 115; no. F3
• Main Authors: Baum, Rex L., Godt, Jonathan W., Savage, William Z.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.09.2010; American Geophysical Union
• Subjects: Aeration zone; distributed model; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Geographic information systems; Hydrology; Infiltration; Landslides; Landslides & mudslides; Mathematical models; Moisture content; Physical properties; Position (location); Rainfall; rainfall infiltration; Remote sensing; Satellite navigation systems; Slope stability; Soil water; Spatial distribution; Unsaturated; Water table; Water tables; United States; Washington; geographic information systems; digital simulation; slopes; North America; Modeling; rupture; pore pressure; safety; Diffusion; soils; Analytical solution; landscapes; efficiency; rainfall; Initial condition; water table; infiltration; unsaturated zone; numerical models; landslides; transient phenomena; Timing; saturated zone; frame structure; slope stability

Shallow rainfall‐induced landslides commonly occur under conditions of transient infiltration into initially unsaturated soils. In an effort to predict the timing and location of such landslides, we developed a model of the infiltration process using a two‐layer system that consists of an unsaturate...