Comparing landslide size probability distribution at the landscape scale (Loess Plateau and the Qinba Mountains, Central China) using double Pareto and inverse gamma

Abstract

Landsliding is a prominent geomorphological process in both the Loess Plateau and the Qinba Mountains in Central China. The size distribution of landslides plays an important role in quantifying their occurrence and magnitude, estimating erosion and sediment yields, and determining hazards. We generated landslide inventories for six study sites within the two study regions based on results from field surveying and remote sensing analyses. Landside size distribution differs considerably in both regions and can be described by the double Pareto and inverse gamma distributions. The power law decays faster in the Loess Plateau than in the Qinba Mountains; the locations of the rollover occur at larger landslide size in the Loess Plateau. Moreover, α, an exponent of power law scaling related to slope in the double Pareto function, is strongly related to ρ + 1, a control of power law decay in the inverse gamma. This study provides an insight into the landslide size probability distribution in different landscape types.