Remote Sensing Identification and Information Extraction Method of Glacial Debris Flow Based on Texture Variation Characteristics

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The formation mechanism of glacial debris flows in alpine gorge mountain areas is complex, with varying characteristics across different regions. Due to the influence of mountain shadows and the accumulation and ablation of ice and snow, accurately identifying and rapidly extracting glacial debris flows using optical images remains challenging. This study utilizes the Random Forest method to develop a multi-feature spatiotemporal information extraction model based on Landsat-8 images and a glacial debris flow gully identification model. These models were applied to the Songzong–Tongmai section of the Sichuan–Tibet Highway to identify glacial debris flows. The results showed that (1) the multi-feature spatiotemporal extraction model effectively eliminated the interference of mountain shadows and ice–snow phase changes, resulting in a higher accuracy for identifying and extracting glacial debris flows in areas with significant information loss due to deep shadows. The total accuracy was 93.6%, which was 8.9% and 4.2% higher than that of the Neural Network and Support Vector Machine methods, respectively. (2) The accuracy of the glacial debris flow gully identification model achieved 92.6%. The proposed method can accurately and rapidly identify glacial debris flows in alpine gorge mountain areas, facilitating remote sensing dynamic monitoring. This approach reduces the damage caused by debris flows to both transportation and the environment, ensuring the safe passage of highways and promoting the sustainable development of the region.