Identification of landslides in the Yangtze Gorges area of China using Radarsat and Chinese airborne L-SAR data

Landslides have significant bearing on economic, engineering, environmental and landuse projects. In the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, there are the world famous Yangtze Gorges. The mountains along both banks of the river in this area are high and precipitous. Under the influence of some geological processes and human engineering activities, landslides occur now and then causing serious disasters to the inhabitants along the river banks. As China is conducting a large Three Gorges Hydroelectric Project, identifying and characterizing landslides in the Three Gorges area using remote sensing techniques will assist landslide inventory and hazard mapping. The authors demonstrate the use of Radarsat image and Chinese airborne L-band SAR data for identifying landslides in the Three Gorges area, based on SAR viewing geometry, the landslide's morphology and surface characteristics. The significance of identifying landslides' features is that they provide clues on the nature of motion and therefore indicate potential hazards along the river transportation route and where protective measures are necessary.