Preliminary soil-slip susceptibility maps, southwestern California

Abstract

This data set maps the soil-slip susceptibility for several areas in southwestern California. Created using Environmental Systems Research Institute's ARC/INFO software, the data base consists of raster maps containing grid cells coded with soil- slip susceptibility values. In addition, the data set includes the following graphic and text products: (1) postscript graphic plot files containing the soil-slip susceptibility map, topography, cultural data, and a key of the colored map units, and (2) PDF and text files of the Readme (including the metadata file as an appendix) and accompanying text, and a PDF file of the plot files. Intense winter rains commonly generated debris flows in upland areas of southwestern California. These debris flows initiate as small landslides referred to as soil slips. Most of the soil slips mobilize into debris flows that travel down slope at varying speeds and distances. The debris flows can be a serious hazard to people and structures in their paths. The soil-slip susceptibility maps identify those natural slopes most likely to be the sites of soil slips during periods of intense winter rainfall. The maps were largely derived by extrapolation of debris-flow inventory data collected from selected areas of southwestern California. Based on spatial analyses of soil slips, three factors in addition to rainfall, were found to be most important in the origin of soil slips. These factors are geology, slope, and aspect. Geology, by far the most important factor, was derived from existing geologic maps. Slope and aspect data were obtained from 10-meter digital elevation models (DEM). Soil-slip susceptibility maps at a scale of 1:24,000 were derived from combining numerical values for geology, slope, and aspect on a 10-meter cell size for 128 7.5' quadrangles and assembled on 1:100,000-scale topographic maps. The resultant maps of relative soil-slip susceptibility represent the best estimate generated from available debris-flow inventory maps and DEM data.