First result in comparing soil erosion by water and slope instability using a spatial distributed data GIS model

Spatially distributed models coupled with Geographic Information System and a geo-statistical approach allow to identify areas sensitive of soil loss and carry out a good representation of the erosion process. The objective of this paper is to show the correlation between soil erosion by water and slope instability. As known slope instability is correlated to landslide generation in soil retro gradation and degradation process. So using that correlation is possible to localize the areas potentially more prone to that phenomena. The techniques to study slope instability are valid only in localized and small areas and cannot predict long term behavior. Vice verse the proposed approach based on the soil erosion analysis overcomes these limitations. In fact by using the proposed approach it´s possible previously to identify the areas that could be interested from intense erosive phenomena. In this areas the slope equilibrium could be precarious, so it´s possible to realize slope instability conditions.