In recent years, several families have had to be evicted from their homes in Murcia (region) because of landslide. It is clear that this area of south-eastern Spain is one of the most affected by the phenomenon known as subduction. lithospheric plate sinks underneath the other, causing soil instability that may even end building collapse. But none of this is unique to Murcia. Landslides are becoming increasingly common around the world, as can be seen in a map recently published by scientists from Colorado School of Mines and Hamburg University of Technology.
This is the most comprehensive map ever produced on this topic. It shows that there are four areas in Spain that are particularly prone to landslides. One of them is, of course, the region of Murcia, but they also include eastern Andalusia and the provinces of Valencia and Alicante.
The main reason is overexploitation of aquifers these areas. To extract groundwater, it is necessary to carry out excavation work, which can result in landslides. It is important to take into account which areas are most at risk, both in Spain and in the rest of the world, as the consequences could be very serious.
What is a landslide?
We have already seen that landslides occur due to the subduction of lithospheric plates. This is something that can happen due to natural reasons such as earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. However, in recent years, anthropogenic causes have taken center stage, one of which is the exploitation of aquifers.
As climate change progresses, the need for groundwater extraction increases, but the cost can be very high. In fact, according to this new map, the number of people who could be affected is terrifying.
More than 25% of the population
To create a map of subduction rates, scientists created a computer model based on artificial intelligence. As is typical with this type of algorithm, it had to be pre-trained to detect the activities most likely to cause a landslide.
After training, it was determined what the rates of subduction are in every place in the world due to both natural and man-made causes. Total there is 6.3 million square kilometers land is under serious threat of major landslides. Of all this space, some 231,000 square kilometers They correspond to densely populated urban areas. In total some 2 billion people may be affected, especially in Europe and North America.
What does it mean that 25% of the world’s population and 5% of the world’s territory They will be at risk of landslides.
The aim of the authors of this study is nothing less than to warn the worst affected areas to take precautions. Nothing can be done against the natural causes of subduction, but human activities that can cause landslides can be regulated and mitigated. Therefore, from now on this map will become a very necessary tool.
Source: Hiper Textual
