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Science 25 June 2004:
Vol. 304. no. 5679, pp. 1952 - 1955
DOI: 10.1126/science.1098821
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Reports

Dynamics of Slow-Moving Landslides from Permanent Scatterer Analysis

George E. Hilley,1* Roland Bürgmann,1 Alessandro Ferretti,2 Fabrizio Novali,2 Fabio Rocca3

High-resolution interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) permanent scatterer data allow us to resolve the rates and variations in the rates of slow-moving landslides. Satellite-to-ground distances (range changes) on landslides increase at rates of 5 to 7 millimeters per year, indicating average downslope sliding velocities from 27 to 38 millimeters per year. Time-series analysis shows that displacement occurs mainly during the high-precipitation season; during the 1997–1998 El Niño event, rates of range change increased to as much as 11 millimeters per year. The observed nonlinear relationship of creep and precipitation rates suggests that increased pore fluid pressures within the shallow subsurface may initiate and accelerate these features. Changes in the slope of a hill resulting from increases in the pore pressure and lithostatic stress gradients may then lead to landslides.

1 Department of Earth and Planetary Science and Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
2 Tele-Rilevamento Europa, Via Vittoria Colonna 7, 20149 Milano, Italy.
3 Dipartimento di Elettronica e Informazione, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hilley{at}seismo.berkeley.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)