Researchers, geospatial specialists and disaster management professionals are being invited to explore how computer-based simulations can help identify areas vulnerable to landslides and support more informed decisions about reducing disaster risks.

The upcoming online session, scheduled for October 22 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, will introduce Geoflow-SPH, an open-source tool designed to simulate geophysical flows and help assess the potential effects of hazards such as landslides. The event will examine how geospatial modelling can improve understanding of where moving earth and debris may travel and which communities or infrastructure could be exposed.

The initiative highlights the growing role of scientific computing in disaster preparedness, particularly in regions where steep terrain, unstable slopes and intense rainfall create recurring risks for people and infrastructure.

Understanding How Landslides Develop and Spread

Landslides occur when rock, soil or debris moves downhill under the influence of gravity. They can develop following prolonged rainfall, rapid snowmelt, earthquakes, erosion or changes caused by construction and land-use activities.

Some slope failures move relatively slowly, allowing time for monitoring and intervention. Others accelerate rapidly, carrying large quantities of material into settlements, roads, river channels and agricultural areas. These events can cause fatalities, damage buildings, interrupt transport networks and disrupt access to essential services.

Assessing landslide hazards requires more than identifying unstable slopes. Scientists also need to understand how released material may move across the landscape, how far it could travel and which locations may lie in its path.

This is where numerical simulation becomes valuable. By representing terrain and the physical behaviour of moving material, computational models can help specialists investigate possible scenarios and identify locations that may require closer examination.

What Is Geoflow-SPH?

Geoflow-SPH is an open-source computational tool associated with the simulation of geophysical flows using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method.

SPH is a numerical modelling approach that represents material through interacting computational particles rather than relying exclusively on a fixed computational grid. This makes it useful for studying certain complex flow processes involving large movements of material and substantial changes in shape.

In landslide modelling, such methods can help researchers explore how soil, debris and other materials might move over uneven terrain. When combined with suitable elevation data and information about material properties, simulations can provide estimates of potential flow paths and areas that could be affected.

The open-source nature of a tool can also encourage collaboration among researchers and technical professionals. Depending on its licence and implementation, publicly available software may allow users to examine the code, reproduce experiments, adapt modelling procedures and contribute improvements.

However, the reliability of a simulation depends on the quality of its inputs, the assumptions used to describe material behaviour and the extent to which the model has been tested against real-world observations.

Turning Geospatial Data Into Risk Information

Geospatial analysis connects information about the Earth’s surface with the location of people, buildings, infrastructure and natural features.

For landslide assessment, digital elevation models can describe the shape and height of terrain. Geological surveys may provide information about soil and rock characteristics, while rainfall records can help specialists investigate the conditions associated with slope instability.

Combining these datasets with flow simulations can help identify areas that may be exposed if a landslide occurs.

For example, a model could be used to investigate whether debris released from an unstable hillside might reach a road, cross a river channel or approach buildings located downslope. Different scenarios could be examined to understand how changes in the assumed volume, speed or material properties affect the predicted impact area.

These results can support the preparation of hazard maps, the prioritisation of field investigations and the assessment of potential protective measures.

Importantly, a simulated impact zone is not a guarantee that a landslide will occur or that material will follow exactly the predicted route. It is a representation of a possible outcome under specified conditions.

Applications in Disaster Risk Reduction

Landslide simulations can contribute to disaster risk reduction in several ways.

Land-use planning: Authorities can use hazard assessments to identify locations where new development may require additional investigation, engineering safeguards or restrictions.

Infrastructure protection: Transport agencies and utility operators can assess whether roads, bridges, pipelines and other assets may be exposed to moving debris.

Emergency preparedness: Potential flow paths and affected zones can help emergency planners examine evacuation options, access routes and the placement of emergency resources.

Risk communication: Maps and visual simulations can make complex physical processes easier to explain to decision-makers and communities living in vulnerable locations.

Mitigation planning: Model results can help specialists compare potential interventions, such as drainage improvements, slope stabilisation or protective barriers, while recognising that each measure requires site-specific engineering evaluation.

The greatest benefit comes when simulation results are integrated with field observations, geological expertise, monitoring systems and local knowledge rather than treated as a standalone answer.

Why Open-Source Tools Matter

Access to computational modelling tools can be important for universities, research institutions, public agencies and technical organisations working with limited resources.

Open-source software can reduce dependence on proprietary platforms and make it easier for specialists to examine how a model operates. It may also support the development of reproducible research, allowing other researchers to test assumptions and compare results.

Nevertheless, open-source availability does not automatically make a model accurate, easy to operate or suitable for every terrain and landslide type. Users still need appropriate computing resources, reliable datasets, technical training and validation procedures.

For disaster management agencies, the practical question is whether a tool can provide dependable information at the spatial scale and within the time frame required for a particular decision.

Registration and Event Details

The Geoflow-SPH session is scheduled for October 22, running from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Participants interested in geospatial simulation, landslide modelling and disaster risk reduction can consult the event registration page for information about participation and the programme.

The session offers an opportunity to learn how computational methods can contribute to the assessment of landslide hazards and the identification of exposed areas. Its practical value will depend on how the modelling techniques are applied, validated and incorporated into existing risk-management processes.

As communities face growing challenges from extreme rainfall, changing land conditions and expanding infrastructure, scientific tools that improve understanding of potential hazards can support more informed planning. Geoflow-SPH represents one approach to exploring how numerical simulation and geospatial information can contribute to that effort.