Utrecht geographers detect landslides in Nepal using satellite images

Geographers at Utrecht University under the leadership of Walter Immerzeel are working with their international colleagues to study the direct consequences of the earthquake in Nepal. The researchers have volunteered to analyse satellite images that the NASA Landsat 8 satellite has taken of the Langtang valley. The scientists hope that this will help to detect landslides and other risks posed by the earthquake in time to take precautionary measures.

The satellite images show that the Langtang valley is completely buried under snow, ice and rubble. Large landslides and avalanches are visible near the villages of Chyamki, Gumba, Mundu and Sindum. The team systematically searches the entire affected area using remote searching techniques, so that any consequences of the earthquake, such as lake formation, mudslides or glacier lake breakthroughs, can be prevented. The scientists also hope to be able to use the results to support rescue efforts.

Volunteers
The geographers Walter Immerzeel and Philip Kraaijenbrink from Utrecht University have joined a 35-member group of international volunteers who are analysing the NASA satellite images. The group was formed immediately after the disaster by scientists from the University of Arizona, and it is now part of the NASA-USGS Interagency Earthquake Response Team.

Satellite images
The severe earthquake that hit Nepal on 25 April 2015 has caused major damage to the Kathmandu valley and the surrounding rural areas. Photographs taken from a rescue helicopter immediately after the disaster show landslides and massive avalanches, especially in the Langtang valley in the Rasuwa district. Space exploration agencies have since tried to make observations of the affected areas using satellite images. NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite was the first to record clear images of the area on 30 April 2015.

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