Distribution and temporal-spatial characteristics of geohazards in a rainstorm-prone area of SE China considering the land use
- 1School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China
- 2The Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London (UCL), London W1T4TJ, UK
- 3School of Civil Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; Chongqing Field Scientific Observation Station for Landslide Hazards in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; Corresponding author.
Abstract
Geohazards are one of the most important natural hazards worldwide, and they cause massive deaths and large economic losses on a yearly basis. However, the quantification of fatalities and casualties by the geohazards is commonly highly underestimated due to the incomplete or absent database at a national or regional scale. Hence, the analysis regarding the distribution and temporal-spatial characteristics of geohazards over a large area is an urgent task instead of small-scale studies of hotspots. In order to update the new insights within this topic, the present study took Wenzhou City in southeastern China as the test area, which is well known as a rainstorm-prone region subjected to the monsoon from the Pacific. A database incorporating historical geohazards during the past two decades was constructed based on multiple data sources. The relationship between different types of geohazards versus rainfall, administrative areas (second-level administrative scale), and environmental factors was analyzed to reveal the overall distribution characteristics of the geohazards. The results show that there are a total of 1725 geohazards in the area, and the landslides occupies the largest proportion, whereas the numbers of collapses and debris flows are similar. The causes of the most geohazards in the study area can be divided into three types: (i) rainstorm-induced geohazards (max daily rainfall higher than 50 mm), (ii) long-term but low-intensity rainfall (so-called plum rain)-induced geohazards (longer than 3 days and the max daily rainfall lower than 50 mm), and (iii) engineering activities-induced geohazards, such as slope cutting and infrastructure construction projects. Among them, the types (i) and (ii) are commonly characterized as instant failure and rapid run-out, thus posing higher risks for local residents. Additionally, the evident spatial distribution difference of geohazards related to various environmental factors (elevation, slope, soil, and land use) was also observed. These outcomes not only contribute to the risk reduction and mitigation of geohazards in SE China but also provide an essential reference for the prevention of geohazards in other areas with similar settings.
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BibTeX
@article{guo2026distribution,
title = {{Distribution and temporal-spatial characteristics of geohazards in a rainstorm-prone area of SE China considering the land use}},
author = {Zizheng Guo and Yuhua Zhang and Luqi Wang and Zhanxu Guo and Lu Shi and Xinyong Zhou and Haojie Wang and Mengchen Cheng and Guangqi Chen},
journal = {Biogeotechnics},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.bgtech.2025.100184},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bgtech.2025.100184},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Distribution and temporal-spatial characteristics of geohazards in a rainstorm-prone area of SE China considering the land use
AU - Zizheng Guo
AU - Yuhua Zhang
AU - Luqi Wang
AU - Zhanxu Guo
AU - Lu Shi
AU - Xinyong Zhou
AU - Haojie Wang
AU - Mengchen Cheng
AU - Guangqi Chen
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - Biogeotechnics
DO - 10.1016/j.bgtech.2025.100184
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bgtech.2025.100184
AB - Geohazards are one of the most important natural hazards worldwide, and they cause massive deaths and large economic losses on a yearly basis. However, the quantification of fatalities and casualties by the geohazards is commonly highly underestimated due to the incomplete or absent database at a national or regional scale. Hence, the analysis regarding the distribution and temporal-spatial characteristics of geohazards over a large area is an urgent task instead of small-scale studies of hotspots. In order to update the new insights within this topic, the present study took Wenzhou City in southeastern China as the test area, which is well known as a rainstorm-prone region subjected to the monsoon from the Pacific. A database incorporating historical geohazards during the past two decades was constructed based on multiple data sources. The relationship between different types of geohazards versus rainfall, administrative areas (second-level administrative scale), and environmental factors was analyzed to reveal the overall distribution characteristics of the geohazards. The results show that there are a total of 1725 geohazards in the area, and the landslides occupies the largest proportion, whereas the numbers of collapses and debris flows are similar. The causes of the most geohazards in the study area can be divided into three types: (i) rainstorm-induced geohazards (max daily rainfall higher than 50 mm), (ii) long-term but low-intensity rainfall (so-called plum rain)-induced geohazards (longer than 3 days and the max daily rainfall lower than 50 mm), and (iii) engineering activities-induced geohazards, such as slope cutting and infrastructure construction projects. Among them, the types (i) and (ii) are commonly characterized as instant failure and rapid run-out, thus posing higher risks for local residents. Additionally, the evident spatial distribution difference of geohazards related to various environmental factors (elevation, slope, soil, and land use) was also observed. These outcomes not only contribute to the risk reduction and mitigation of geohazards in SE China but also provide an essential reference for the prevention of geohazards in other areas with similar settings.
SN - 2949-9291
ER -