Seismically-induced landslides in the Betic Cordillera (S Spain)

A database of seismically-induced landslides in the Betic Cordillera is presented. Data included were classified according to landslide typology. Most of them (≈80%) correspond to small size, disrupted landslides (including rock/earth falls and earth slides that disorganize as mass-movement progresses) and the remaining consist mainly of coherent landslides (slumps in soils and rock-slides).

Deep seated induced landslides are uncommon in the study zone and have occurred only after the few events of large magnitude reported in the Cordillera. Data available show that events of small magnitude (Mw<5.0) can induce instabilities in the study zone for comparatively large distances (>10km) when compared with available upper bound curves for maximum epicentral distances for seismic induced landslides, that concentrate along areas prone to landsliding, like river banks or slopes on soft materials, which points out the importance of the role of slope susceptibility on the occurrence of instabilities during earthquakes.

Landslides in the database are then analyzed and a power-law relationship that relates earthquake size, measured as epicentral intensity (Io), to maximum distance of induced landslide valid for the study zone is proposed. Although included data represent a clear partial and incomplete dataset, they show the landslide state of knowledge for this region.