Assessment of Landslide Hazards in a Typical Tundra of Central Yamal, Russia

Abstract

This chapter presents an assessment of cryogenic landslide hazard study based on differentiation of landscapes in Central Yamal. Analysis of landslide pattern shows that all recent cryogenic landslides are located on concave slopes. As concave slopes from our opinion are being modified from ancient landslides, it means that recent landslides occupy ancient landslide slopes. Recent landslide impact differs within the same landscape complexes appearing on different geomorphic levels of the central Yamal. Generally, this impact increases from low to high geomorphic levels. Landscape complexes are divided into five groups according to predicted cryogenic landslide hazard degree. Grouping of landscape complexes is based on differentiation of landscape conditions more or less favourable for cryogenic landslides and on the latest cryogenic landslide occurrence. Landslide distribution within a landscape unit determines its sensitivity to landslide recurrence; the larger the area of disturbance by recent landslide, the more sensitive is a landscape complex subdivided within the study site. At the same time, directly disturbed by the latest landslides areas within a landscape unit are considered non-hazardous because the re-occurrence of cryogenic landslides on such locations in coming centuries is mostly improbable.