Climatic effect of ENSO associated with landslide occurrence in the Central Andes, Mendoza Province, Argentina (original) (raw)

Abstract

Temporal distribution of landslides can be verified by means of climatic anomalies linked to the ENSO phenomenon. An increasing number of landslides triggered by rainfall have been recorded during warm episodes (El Niño) in the Cordillera Frontal, and a decreasing number during cold episodes (La Niña), concluding that this geological province is mainly influenced by the Pacific Anticyclone. However, slope instability in the Precordillera, located east of the Cordillera Frontal, seems to be mainly influenced by the Atlantic Anticyclone. Analysis of variance shows that there is no significant difference between landslide records and cold-warm episodes, and a higher number of landslides were recorded in years linked to wet periods than during dry periods. Furthermore, the precipitation threshold value associated with landslide occurrence and antecedent precipitation are analysed.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

• Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
• Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
• Cancel anytime View plans

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Fig. 2

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Fig. 3

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Fig. 4

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Fig. 5

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Fig. 6

The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

• Agosta EA, Compagnucci RH, Vargas WM (1999) Cambios en el régimen interanual de la precipitación estival en la región Centro-Argentina. Meteorol 24(1/2):63–84
  Google Scholar
• Bandhari RK, Senanayake KS, Tayalan N (1991) Pitfalls in predicition of landslides through rainfall data. In: Bell (ed) Landslides. VI International Conference on Landslides, Balkema 2:887–890
• Cannon SH, Ellen SD (1985) Rainfall conditions for abundant debris avalanches: California geology, vol 38, San Francisco, CA, pp 267–272
  Google Scholar
• Cayan DR, Webb RH (1992) El Niño/Southern oscillation and streamflow in the Western United States. In: Diaz and Markgraf (eds) El Niño. Historical and paleoclimatic aspects of the Southern Oscillation. Cambridge University Press, pp 29–68
• Compagnucci RH, Vargas WM (1983) Spectral analysis of summer precipitation series. Preprints, II International meeting on Statistical Climatology, Lisbon, Portugal, Inst Nac Meteorol geogr (eds), pp 11.7.1–11.7.8
• Compagnucci RH, Vargas WM (1998) Inter-annual variability of Cuyo rivers streamflow in the Argentinean Andean mountains and ENSO events. Int JClimatol 18:1593–1609
  Google Scholar
• Compagnucci RH, Agosta EA, Vargas WM (2002) Climatic change and quasi-oscillations in central-west Argentina summer precipitation: main features and coherent behaviour with southern African region. Clim Dynam 18:421–435
  Google Scholar
• Corominas J, Moya J (1996) La datación de deslizamientos: implicaciones dinámicas y climáticas. Actas VI Congreso Nacional y Conferencia Internacional de Geología Ambiental y Ordenación del Territorio, Granada, vol. 1, pp 337–356
• Díaz HF, Kiladis GN (1992) Atmosferic teleconnections associated with the extremes phases of Southern Oscillation. In: Diaz y Markgraf (eds) El Niño historical and paleoclimatic aspects of the Southern Oscillation. Cambridge University Press, pp 7–28
• Ellen SD, Wieczorek GF (eds) (1988) Landslides, floods, and marine effects of the storm of January 3–5, 1982, in the San Francisco Bay region, California: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1434
• Glantz M (1995) Currents of change: El Niño’s impact on climate and society. Cambridge University Press, 194 p
  Google Scholar
• Godt JW, Highland LM, Savage WZ (1997) El Niño and the National Landslide Hazard Outlook for 1997–1998. U.S. Geological Survey, fact sheet 180–97
• Leiva JC, Cabrera GA (1996) Glacier mass balance analysis and reconstruction in the Cajón del Rubio, Mendoza, Argentina. Zeitschrift für Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie. Band 32S:101–107
  Google Scholar
• Moreiras SM (2003) Remoción en masa en un sector del valle del Río Mendoza. Mendoza, Argentina. Untar Ciencia, Revista Científica de la Universidad Nacional de La Rioja. Año 4-N° 1, vol. 2, 2003:2–10
• Moreiras SM (2004a) Landslide incidence zonation in the Rio Mendoza valley, Mendoza province, Argentina. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 29:255–266
  Google Scholar
• Moreiras SM (2004b) Zonificación de peligrosidad y riesgo de procesos de remoción en masa en el valle del Río Mendoza. PhD thesis. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Universidad Nacional de San Juan (unpublished)
• Ngecu WM, Mathu EM (1999) The El Niño Triggered landslides and their socio-economic impacts on Kenya Episodes, vol 22-no4
• Prieto MR, Herrera RG, Dussel P (1995) Evidencias históricas de fluctuaciones climáticas en la Cordillera de Los Andes a partir del estudio diacrónico del caudal del Río Mendoza (siglos VVII al XX). Climatología y contaminación del aire. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, 13–27 August, 1995, Mendoza
• Reynolds R, Dettinger M, Cayan D, Stephens D, Highland L, Wilson R (1997) Effects of El Niño on streamflow, lake level, and landslide potential. U.S. Geological Survey Open file report
• Walker GT (1923) Correlation in seasonal variations of weather. Part VIII: A preliminary study of world weather. Mem Indian Meteorol Deptt 24:75–131
  Google Scholar
• Waylen P, Caviedes C (1990) Annual and seasonal fluctuations of precipitation and streamflow in the Aconcagua River basin, Chile. J Hidrol 120:79–102
  Google Scholar
• Wieczorek GF (1996) Landslide triggering mechanisms. In: Turner AK, Schuster RL (eds) Landslides: investigation and mitigation: Special Report 247; Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, pp 76–90
• Wieczorek GF, Lips EW, Ellen SD (1989) Debris flows and hyperconcentrated floods along the Wasatch Front, Utah, 1983 and 1984. Bull Assoc Eng Geol 26:191–208
  Google Scholar

Download references

Acknowledgements

I especially want to thank Ricardo Villalba for his continuous assistance and critical review of the original paper. I am grateful to Robert Schuster for useful comments and to N. Horak for checking the English version. This research was funded by a research grant from the CONICET (National Council of Scientific and Technological Research) and a grant from the Antorchas Foundation (Res. 48/2003)

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales (IANIGLA), CRICYT, CONICET, Av. Dr Ruiz Leal s/n. Parque (5500), Mendoza, Argentina, Casilla Correo, 330
   Stella M. Moreiras

Authors

1. Stella M. Moreiras

Corresponding author

Correspondence toStella M. Moreiras.

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Moreiras, S.M. Climatic effect of ENSO associated with landslide occurrence in the Central Andes, Mendoza Province, Argentina.Landslides 2, 53–59 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-005-0046-4

Download citation

• Received: 10 October 2004
• Accepted: 26 January 2005
• Published: 31 March 2005
• Issue date: April 2005
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-005-0046-4

Keywords