Analytical Hierarchy Process for Mass Moviments Susceptibility Mapping in Fernão Velho, Maceió, Northeast Brazil

Mass movements result in great loss of life and property. This damage can be mitigated if the cause and effect relationships of the events are known. In this study, we use the analytical hierarchy process methods (AHP) to produce susceptibility to mass movement in the neighborhood of Fernão Velho, in the city of Maceió, capital of the state of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil . The study was conducted using remote sensing data, field surveys, and geographic information system (GIS) tools. That influence the occurrence of mass movement, such as elevation, slope aspect, slope gradient, density of buildings/cuts and embankments, lithology, distance from the lineament, soil, precipitation, land use/land cover (LULC) and influence of the railway line. Then the susceptibility to mass movement was established based on the assigned weight and ranking given by the AHP method. The result of the analysis was verified using existing mass movement occurrence sites, where it was obtained through the ROC index, an AUC of 86% , and a confidence interval of 82% , having an accuracy rate of 90% . The map of susceptibility to mass movement obtained is useful for prevention and mitigation of risks to the phenomenon, and proper planning for land use and construction in the future, serving as support for planning and decision-making by the civil protection of the municipality. 

Keywords: mass moviment susceptibility, analytic hierarchy process, GIS, remote sensing