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Spatial patterns, controlling factors, and characteristics of landslides triggered by strike-slip faulting earthquakes: case study of Lefkada island, Greece

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Abstract

The correlation of coseismic landslides with the seismic and morphological parameters has been investigated in detail by many researchers, mainly after the devastating 2008 M8.0 Wenchuan, China earthquake. One of the goals of such studies is to examine the spatial distribution of the earthquake-induced landslides in order to establish a pattern depending on the type of the seismic fault. This research focusses on the island of Lefkada, Ionian Sea, Greece, that is considered one of the most prone to earthquakes regions in Europe due to its proximity to the Cephalonia Transform fault. Landslide data from the two shallow strike-slip faulting earthquakes that occurred on 2003 and 2015 are statistically analyzed in order to evaluate the landslide magnitude and area of slope failures and their frequency-area size distributions. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of failures was investigated in detail regarding its correlation to topography (slope angle, aspect, local relief, elevation), geology, and the characteristics of fault rupture. We conclude that the landslide pattern is not controlled by a single parameter and that it results from a combination and interaction of seismic, morphological, and geological factors. In particular, the parameters of slope angle, geology, and fault rupture/asperities are the ones that are clearly related to the highest landslide densities.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the editor and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions. We thank Ktimatologio SA (Hellenic Cadastre) for the 5 m DEM.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100, Xanthi, Greece

    George Papathanassiou

  2. Trikala, Greece

    Sotiris Valkaniotis

  3. National Observatory of Athens, Institute of Geodynamics, 11810, Athens, Greece

    Athanassios Ganas

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  1. George Papathanassiou
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  2. Sotiris Valkaniotis
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  3. Athanassios Ganas
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Correspondence to George Papathanassiou.

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Papathanassiou, G., Valkaniotis, S. & Ganas, A. Spatial patterns, controlling factors, and characteristics of landslides triggered by strike-slip faulting earthquakes: case study of Lefkada island, Greece. Bull Eng Geol Environ 80, 3747–3765 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-021-02181-x

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