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Comparing landslide size probability distribution at the landscape scale (Loess Plateau and the Qinba Mountains, Central China) using double Pareto and inverse gamma

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Abstract

Landsliding is a prominent geomorphological process in both the Loess Plateau and the Qinba Mountains in Central China. The size distribution of landslides plays an important role in quantifying their occurrence and magnitude, estimating erosion and sediment yields, and determining hazards. We generated landslide inventories for six study sites within the two study regions based on results from field surveying and remote sensing analyses. Landside size distribution differs considerably in both regions and can be described by the double Pareto and inverse gamma distributions. The power law decays faster in the Loess Plateau than in the Qinba Mountains; the locations of the rollover occur at larger landslide size in the Loess Plateau. Moreover, α, an exponent of power law scaling related to slope in the double Pareto function, is strongly related to ρ + 1, a control of power law decay in the inverse gamma. This study provides an insight into the landslide size probability distribution in different landscape types.

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Funding

This work was funded by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (STEP) (Grant 2019QZKK0902), International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China (Grant 2018YFE0100100), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 41771539), and International Partnership Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant 131551KYSB20160002).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Northwest University, **’an, 710127, China

    Haijun Qiu, Sheng Hu, Dongdong Yang, Yi He & Yanqian Pei

  2. Institute of Earth Surface System and Hazards, Northwest University, **’an, 710127, China

    Haijun Qiu, Sheng Hu, Dongdong Yang, Yi He & Yanqian Pei

  3. Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, 48128, USA

    Haijun Qiu & Ulrich Kamp

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  1. Haijun Qiu
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  2. Sheng Hu
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  5. Yanqian Pei
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  6. Ulrich Kamp
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Correspondence to Haijun Qiu.

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Qiu, H., Hu, S., Yang, D. et al. Comparing landslide size probability distribution at the landscape scale (Loess Plateau and the Qinba Mountains, Central China) using double Pareto and inverse gamma. Bull Eng Geol Environ 80, 1035–1046 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-020-02037-w

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