Evaluation of Landsat Data for Landslide Identification as a Means for Watershed Management

Abstract

Identification of landslides by Landsat MSS digital data was attempted to evaluate the data as a means for watershed management. The maximum likelihood classifier identified about 10 percent of the landslides, which occupied nearly 50 percent of the total landslide area. The threshold size was approximately one-third of the pixel size, or in this case about 2000m². If the landslide can be successfully separated from the flood plain, the data may be utilized, based on the area estimate, for computing failed volume and debris discharges in a given area for the management.