Publication Date
12-16-2015
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The Gorkha earthquake (M 7.8) on 25 April 2015 and later aftershocks struck South Asia, killing ~9,000 and damaging a large region. Supported by a large campaign of responsive satellite data acquisitions over the earthquake disaster zone, our team undertook a satellite image survey of the earthquakes’ induced geohazards in Nepal and China and an assessment of the geomorphic, tectonic, and lithologic controls on quake-induced landslides. Timely analysis and communication aided response and recovery and informed decision makers. We mapped 4,312 co-seismic and post-seismic landslides. We also surveyed 491 glacier lakes for earthquake damage, but found only 9 landslide-impacted lakes and no visible satellite evidence of outbursts. Landslide densities correlate with slope, peak ground acceleration, surface downdrop, and specific metamorphic lithologies and large plutonic intrusions.
Publication Title
Science
Volume
351
Issue
140
First Page
aac8353
Last Page
aac8353
DOI
10.1126/science.aac8353
Publisher Policy
pre-print, post-print
Open Access Status
OA Deposit
Recommended Citation
Kargel, J. S.; Leonard, G. J.; Shugar, Dan H.; Haritashya, U. K.; Bevington, A.; Fielding, E. J.; Fujita, K.; Geertsema, M.; and Miles, E. S., "Geomorphic and geologic controls of geohazards induced by Nepal’s 2015 Gorkha earthquake" (2015). SIAS Faculty Publications. 342.
https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/ias_pub/342
