Landslide susceptibility zonation mapping using logistic regression and its validation in Hashtchin Region, northwest of Iran

Landslide susceptibility zonation mapping assists researchers greatly to understand the spatial distribution of slope failure probability in a region. Being extremely useful in reducing landslide hazards, such maps could simply be produced using both qualitative and quantitative methods. In the present study, a multivariate statistical method called ‘logistic regression’ was used to assess landslide susceptibility in Hashtchin region, situated in west of Alborz Mountainsnorthwest of Iran. In this study, two independent variables, categorical (predictor) and continuous, were drawn on together in the model. To identify the region’s landslides use was made of aerial photographs, field studies and topographic maps. To prepare the database of factors affecting the region’s landslides and to determine landslide zones, geographic information system (GIS) was used. Using such information, landslide susceptibility modeling was accomplished. The data related to factors causing landslides were extracted as independent variables in each cell (in 50 m×50 m cells). Then, the whole data were input into the SPSS, Version 18. The prepared database was later analyzed using logistic regression, the forward stepwise method and based on maximum likelihood estimation. Regression equation was determined using obtained constants and coefficients and the landslide susceptibility of the area in grid-cells (pixels) was computed between 0 and 0.9954. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the accuracy of the logistic regression model. The predicting ability of the model was 84.1% given the area under ROC curve. Finally, the degree of success of landslide susceptibility zonation mapping was estimated to be 79%.