Environmental challenge of landslide in geothermal areas: an introductory study

Abstract

Landslides in geothermal areas are one of the environmental challenges that are attributed to their volcanic and hydrothermal systems. However, the inventory of landslides in geothermal areas remains considerably limited. This may implicate pitfalls, where characterisation of historical events is an essential practice in disaster risk management. Accordingly, this exploratory study aims to characterise landslide events in 19 geothermal areas with historical landslides. This introductory study was sourced from electronic news, scientific publications, and authoritative institutions. The collected records were cross-examined and integrated into comparable attributes. The resulting characteristics display the physical features, environmental factors, and mitigation measures as follows: (1) landslides commonly occur in small to extremely large volumes. However, serious tolls may be caused even by small-to modest-sized landslides. (2) Landslides may not be preceded by triggering factors but by their gradually weakened environment. (3) Although there are scattered sources and unclear information related to underreported landslides and understudied mitigation, respective authorities conduct rapid measures following the landslide event. Correspondingly, it is highly recommended to further improve and establish a landslide inventory database in geothermal areas that constitutes a more comprehensive overview for better risk management.