Assessment and comparison of landslide susceptibility at open-pit mines in North Korea using GIS

Abstract

North Korea has abundant mineral resources and a significant number of mines, however, their infrastructures need to be renewed because they are old and inefficient. Before constructing new infrastructures or renovating existing ones near the mines, it is essential to assess the landslide susceptibility. Satellite images and digital elevation map (DEM) could be an effective tool to estimate landslide risk. In this study, the slope stabilities of five open-pit mines in North Korea are assessed from satellite images from ArcGIS basemap, ASTER GDEM and DIVA-GIS data. Landslide susceptibility and dangerous area are assessed using GIS analysis tools such as slope and aspect. From these multi-criteria GIS analysis, relative slope stabilities and landslide susceptibilities of each mine are estimated and compared. This study is expected to be utilized as fundamental information when planning for the development of infrastructures near the open-pit mines in North Korea.