Local forecasting of landslide hazard within the sites of historical and cultural heritage in Kyiv, Ukraine

Abstract

Summary The city of Kyiv refers to historical and cultural heritage owing to a significant number of world-famous landmarks that are affected from time to time by hazardous geological processes, including landslides, flooding, erosion, etc. More than 110 landslides with a total area of 5.45 km2 were recorded in Kyiv. Aiming to prevent the emergency situations and avoid economic and social problems, landslide monitoring studies were carried out on the sites of historical and cultural heritage in Kyiv (the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, Lysa Hora and Fomin Botanical Garden) involving a rational complex of instrumental observations based on Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) technique, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and thermography data. Following the conducted study, the high informative value of the complex of ERT, GPR and IRT methods for the local forecasting of landslide hazard was confirmed, as they contribute to the detailed study of the geometry of the landslide body, determine the level of water content in sediments of landslide-prone slopes, and also assess the potential formation of the landslide processes. Recommendations were developed to prevent the negative impact of landslide processes and minimize their consequences.