Abstract
Abstract We applied dendrochronological methods for dating landslide activity in the study area (3.75 km2), on the slopes of Sucha Mountain (1040 m a.s.l.), in the Beskid Żywiecki Mountains, in the Western Carpathians. 46 sampling sites were distributed throughout the study area. At each site we sampled 1-3 coniferous trees: Norway spruces (Picea abies Karst.) and/or silver firs (Abies alba Mill.). From each tree 2 cores were sampled: one from the upslope and the other from the downslope side of the stem. Based on tree-ring widths measured for opposite sides of stems we have calculated eccentricity index values and dated past landslide events. Mean frequency of landslides was obtained for each sampling site. Finally, the data was interpolated into a map of landslide activity. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation has been applied. For most of the study area we found medium (19 sites) and low (23 sites) levels of landslide activity. The highest level of activity was recorded for the largest landslide slope and for the one small landslide. The study conducted on Sucha Mountain has shown that dendrochronology can be an effective method for analysing landslide activity and may be useful in further studies, including those for landslide hazard and risk assessments.
Highlights
Landslides are a common geodynamic hazard in mountainous regions worldwide, including the Polish part of the Carpathian Mountains
Dendrochronological data from landslides is used for detailed spatio-temporal analysis of one landslide form (ŁUSZCZYŃSKA & WISTUBA, 2015; NAWROCKA, 2013) or to compare the results of dendrochronological analyses with data on triggering factors, such as heavy rainfall, earthquakes (ŠILHÁN ET AL., 2012)
The inventory was based on geomorphological field observations which were presented on maps showing the extent of landslide slopes
Summary
Landslides are a common geodynamic hazard in mountainous regions worldwide, including the Polish part of the Carpathian Mountains. They pose a threat to infrastructure, cause significant financial losses and even fatalities (WOJCIECHOWSKI, 2007; CUI ET AL., 2009; BAROŇ ET AL., 2011). Extreme landslides, endangering people and infrastructure, have occurred several times in the Western Carpathians, e.g. in: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2010 (BAJGIER-KOWALSKA, 2004–2005). One of the landslides which was active in 2001 was the Lachowice landslide (the Beskid Makowski Mountains) which affected an area of about 10 ha and displaced 5 million tons of colluvia destroying 15 residential buildings and damaging 35 others (BAJGIER-KOWALSKA, 2004–2005). The landslide destroyed a road and 9 buildings (WISTUBA ET AL., 2014)
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