Regional trends and controlling factors of fatal landslides in Latin America and the Caribbean
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2015Metadata
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Sepúlveda V., Sergio
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Regional trends and controlling factors of fatal landslides in Latin America and the Caribbean
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Abstract
A new data set of landslides that caused loss of life
in Latin America and the Caribbean in the 10-year period
from 2004 and 2013 inclusive has been compiled, providing
new insight into the impact of landslides in this key part
of the world. This data set indicates that in the 10-year period
a total of 11 631 people lost their lives across the region
in 611 landslides. The geographical distribution of the landslides
is highly heterogeneous, with areas of high incidence
in parts of the Caribbean (most notably Haiti), Central America,
Colombia, and southeast Brazil. There is significant interannual
variation in the number of landslides, with the El
Niño/La Niña cycle emerging as a key control. Our analysis
suggests that on a continental scale the mapped factors
that best explain the observed distribution are topography,
annual precipitation and population density. On a national
basis we have compared the occurrence of fatality-inducing
landslide occurrence with the production of locally authored
research articles, demonstrating that there is a landslide research
deficit in Latin America and the Caribbean. Understanding
better the mechanisms, distribution causes and triggers
of landslides in Latin America and the Caribbean must
be an essential first step towards managing the hazard.
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Artículo de publicación ISI
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URI: https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/135477
DOI: doi:10.5194/nhess-15-1821-2015
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Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1821–1833, 2015
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