Kentucky Landslide Susceptibility

A landslide is a general term for the downslope movement of rock, soil, or both under the influence of gravity and other forces. Climate, rock type, soils, landscape, and slope modification make parts of Kentucky landslide prone. Landslide susceptibility is defined as the relative tendency or potential for slope movement in each area. A landslide susceptibility map classifies or ranks slope stability based on relationships between variables that contribute to instability. This method differs from other types of landslide hazard maps, which may include elements of time or estimated landslide extent. We classified the landslide susceptibility results in a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) using standard deviations from a calculated probability that a landslide has occurred, is occurring, or will occur based upon a combination of landscape variables. The landslide susceptibility classes are: Landslide Susceptibility low low-moderate moderate moderate-high high