Virtual Imaging Technologies as Decision-Making Tools for Geo-Hazards-Paper

Paper

Pdf Summary

The paper demonstrates how virtual imaging technologies can support decisions before and after geohazard events by integrating spatial data, identifying vulnerable areas, and guiding investigations and recovery.<br /><br />In Iztapalapa, a densely populated borough of Mexico City, ongoing subsidence and the 2017 Puebla-Morelos earthquake damaged buildings and infrastructure. The area’s complex conditions include highly compressible lake-bed clays, irregular topography, faults, fractures, and groundwater pumping. Researchers compiled available geological, geotechnical, infrastructure, and damage information into a GIS model. It identified the southwest of the study area as a priority for further investigation, where faulting, pumping wells, and greater elevation variation coincide. Simple settlement analyses predicted about 0.1 meters of differential settlement, far below the several meters observed, underscoring the need for more data and better understanding of local conditions.<br /><br />A second case examined landslides triggered by the 2016 Mw 7.8 Muisne, Ecuador earthquake. Drones collected overlapping aerial images that were processed into 3D point clouds and models. Comparing imagery from before and after the event helped reveal the failure pattern and extent of movement, estimated at approximately 290,000 square meters, and enabled rapid assessment of damage.<br /><br />Together, the cases show that GIS and drone-based 3D imaging can make complex geohazard information easier to interpret, quantify damage, and identify areas requiring attention. These tools can help prioritize fieldwork and resources, inform rebuilding and recovery, and strengthen preparedness and community resilience.

Keywords

geohazard assessment

virtual imaging

GIS modeling

subsidence

earthquake damage

landslide analysis

drone imagery

3D point clouds

Iztapalapa

Muisne earthquake