Catalina Pino-Rivas

Areas of interest

Earthquake-induced landslide hazard assessment

In tectonically-active mountain areas, landslides represent the most frequent geological hazards and can cause major economic losses during and after strong earthquakes. Additionally, coseismic landslides kill thousands of people, with an increasing trend driven by human interventions, increasing global population, and natural processes. This research aims to identify the main characteristics of landslide occurrence during strong earthquakes in the province of British Columbia. It seeks to improve understanding of their mechanics, spatial distribution, and geological controlling factors. For this purpose, the earthquake on Vancouver Island 1946 will be studied in detail. We will apply available ground shaking models and seismic hazard maps for different seismic scenarios to develop first-order, regional scale coseismic landslides hazard maps in Vancouver Island. Different approaches will be tested, including statistical regression, machine learning techniques, and forward modeling using geological and geotechnical data, slope deformation, and stability analyses. Furthermore, the potential influence of climate change on the variation of landslide preparatory factors related to deglaciation and/or permafrost degradation will be explored in a pilot area to understand potential changes in coseismic landslide hazard in the near future.