Landslide susceptibility mapping using GIS and weighted overlay method: a case study from North Jordan

Road instability along the Jerash–Amman highway was assessed using the weighted overlay method in Geographic Information System environment. The landslide susceptibility map was developed from nine contributing parameters. The map of landslide susceptibility was classified into five zones: very low (very stable), low (stable), moderate (moderately stable), high (unstable), and very high (highly unstable). The very high susceptibility and high susceptibility zones covered 15.14% and 31.81% of the study area, respectively. The main factors that made most parts of study area prone to landslides include excessive drainage channels, road cuts, and unfavorable rock strata such as marl and friable sandstone intercalated with clay and highly fractured limestone. Fracture zones are a major player in land instability. The moderate and high susceptibility zones are the most common in urban (e.g., Salhoub and Gaza camp) and agricultural areas. About 34% of the urban areas and 28.82% of the agricultural areas are characterized by the high susceptibility zone. Twenty percent of the Jerash–Amman highway length and 58% of the overall highway length are located in the very high susceptibility zone. The landslide susceptibility map was validated by the recorded landslides. More than 80 of the inventoried landslides are in unstable zones, which indicate that the selected causative factors are relevant and the model performs properly.