Debris flows, mudslides, rockfalls, and landslide susceptibility worldwide
This landslide monitor tracks active mass movement events worldwide — debris flows, rockfalls, slumps, and rotational slides. Users searching for landslide near me, mudslide today, or debris flow risk can see current event reports and susceptibility information for vulnerable regions.
Landslides span a wide spectrum of mass movement. Falls involve rock or debris detaching from steep slopes and traveling primarily through air. Slides — translational or rotational — move along discrete failure surfaces. Flows include earthflows, mudflows, and high-energy debris flows that travel down channels at high speed. Spreads occur on gentle terrain when liquefiable layers fail. Each type has different trigger thresholds and damage patterns.
Heavy rainfall is the dominant landslide trigger globally, with antecedent moisture and intense bursts both important. Earthquakes trigger coseismic landslides, sometimes thousands in a single event. Volcanic activity triggers lahars and debris avalanches. Snowmelt, freeze-thaw cycling, and human activity — undercutting slopes, deforestation, irrigation — all reduce stability. Burned hillsides face elevated risk for years after wildfires due to loss of root cohesion and water-repellent soils.
Susceptibility maps combine slope angle, geology, soil thickness, vegetation, and historical events to identify areas where landslides are likely under triggering conditions. The most dangerous combinations include steep slopes (above 25°), weak or weathered bedrock, thin soils, recent disturbance, and concentrated drainage. Real-time monitoring uses tilt sensors, extensometers, and ground-based radar at known active slides.
Residents in mountainous or hillside terrain should know their susceptibility zone and watch for warning signs: new cracks in soil or pavement, tilting trees or fence posts, doors and windows sticking, and unusual seeps or drainage changes. During heavy rain or after earthquakes, be alert for rumbling sounds and immediately evacuate to higher ground away from drainage channels if a debris flow is suspected.
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