Irrigation-Triggered Landslides in A Peruvian Desert Caused by Modern Intensive Farming

24/3/2020 Irrigation-triggered landslides in a Peruvian desert caused by modern intensive farming | Request PDF
Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions
24
Home More
Article Full-text available
Irrigation-triggered landslides in a Peruvian desert caused by modern intensive farming
December 2019 · Nature Geoscience 13(1):1-5

DOI: 10.1038/s41561-019-0500-x
Pascal Lacroix · Amaury Dehecq · Edu Taipe
Research Interest 5.5

Citations 0
Recommendations 0 new 1
Reads 4 new 179
See details
Abstract and gures
Intensi cation of agriculture leads to stress on the environment and subsequently can have strong
societal and ecological impacts. In deserts, areas of very high sensitivity to land-use changes, these
local-scale impacts are not well documented. On the arid southwestern coast of Peru, several vast
irrigation programmes were developed in the 1950s on the at detritic plateau surrounding narrow
valleys to supply new farming areas. We document the long-term effects of irrigation on the erosion
of arid deserts in the Vitor and Siguas valleys, south Peru, using 40 yr of satellite data. We
demonstrate that irrigation initiated very large slow-moving landslides, affecting one-third of the
valleys. Their kinematics present periods of quiescence and short periods of rapid activity,
corresponding to landslide destabilization by their headscarp retrogression. This analysis suggests
that the landslide motion continues long after their initiation by irrigations. Those landslides affect
the fertile valley oors, leading to the destruction of villages and agricultural areas. We conclude that
modern intensive farming can strongly impact traditional agriculture in desert areas where water
management is particularly critical. Slow-moving landslides in two valleys in Peru were initiated by
irrigation programmes in the region, suggest analyses of 40 years of satellite data.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337848460_Irrigation-triggered_landslides_in_a_Peruvian_desert_caused_by_modern_intensive_farm… 1/20
Overview Stats Content available from

Comments Nature Geoscience
Citations View full-text versions
This content is subject to copyright.Terms and conditions apply.
Publisher Full-text 1
Content available from Nature

Access to this full-text is provided by Geoscience
Springer Nature. · Learn more This content is Terms and
Online only version subject to copyright. conditions
apply.
Page 1

Articles
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0500-x
Irrigation-triggered landslides in a Pe
desert caused by modern intensive fa
Pascal Lacroix 1*, Amaury Dehecq 2 and Edu Taipe 3
Intensification of agriculture leads to stress on the environment and subsequently can ha

impacts. In deserts, areas of very high sensitivity to land-use changes, these local-scale imp
the arid southwestern coast of Peru, several vast irrigation programmes were developed in th
surrounding narrow valleys to supply new farming areas. We document the long-term effects
deserts in the Vitor and Siguas valleys, south Peru, using 40 yr of satellite data. We demon
large slow-moving landslides, affecting one-third of the valleys. Their kinematics present per
ods of rapid activity, corresponding to landslide destabilization by their headscarp retrogres
the landslide motion continues long after their initiation by irrigations. Those landslides affe
to the destruction of villages and agricultural areas. We conclude that modern intensive farm
agriculture in desert areas where water management is particularly critical.
A gricultural intensification increases the pressure on land-

scapes 1,2. Land-use change negatively affects soil erosion3,
leading to deterioration of onsite soil quality4 or excessive
sedimentation in reservoirs. These environmental problems are well
new farming areas. Those deep
with more than 200 m denive
sliding, as shown by the giant
morphology 13, certainly dating
monitored in temperate areas3, but much less in deserts, despite the the mid Pliocene 20. We focus
high sensitivity of desertic environments to climatic and anthropo- impact of land-use change on
genic changes5. 40 yr (1978–2018).
The landscape in hyper-arid deserts is in a geomorphic steady
state over millennial timescales. Indeed, slowly eroding surfaces are 1978–2016 changes in mor
found in the Atacama (0.1 m Myr−1)6 and Namib (0.5–1 m Myr−1)7 We quantify the changes in bo
deserts. Over shorter timescales, despite highly weathered rocks, period 1978–2016 based on sa
mass movements (an important contributor to erosion in slopes) satellite and recent SPOT6/7
are not often reported in deserts, due both to the low density of pop- mode. The comparison of the
ulation8 and low precipitation that decrease the rate of landsliding. that the irrigation programmes
Low landslide rates are reported in desertic areas, mostly caused by sions of agricultural crops close
strong earthquake shaking9, extreme climatic events at centennial covering in 2016 an area of 105
timescales10–12 and irrigation13,14. Irrigation-triggered landslides have by a precise mapping of the fiel
been reported in the loess sediments of the semi-desertic area of The stereo acquisition of t
central China15–17 and in the alluvial deposits of the Atacama hyper- the changes in morphology ba
arid desert in Peru13,14. The monitoring of these landslides realized tal elevation models (DEMs) i
over periods of a maximum of 6 yr suggests a large variability of difference of the two DEMs
the landslide kinematics from a few millimetres per year to a few the valley walls with similar p
metres per second14–17, depending on different landslide properties crest, and an elevation gain in
(material, mechanism and slope geometry) and forcing factors. The reveals a transportation of sed
small number of case studies reported suggests either a low impact ley walls towards the valley flo
on populations of irrigation-triggered landslides in deserts or that are thus found on 9 km over th
the kinematics and failure mechanisms of such processes occur on of the Vitor Valley (Fig. 1c,d)
timescales longer than years. Long-term analysis of the kinematics the Siguas Valley (Fig. 1b). Th
of irrigation-triggered landslides is therefore required to character- only on the banks of the valley
ize the impact of irrigation on soil erosion. The prominent changes in m
On the western coast of Peru, a zone of extreme hyper-aridity18, areas of size between 0.10 an
agriculture was confined for more than 3,500 yr to deeply incised and Supplementary Fig. 2), inc
valleys where river flows coming from the Andes allow for the differs by more than 50 m: on t
development of food producing agriculture19 Between the 1950s moving landslide (no 1 in Fig
development of food-producing agriculture19. Between the 1950s moving landslide (no. 1 in Fig
and the 1990s, however, vast irrigation programmes started in the 200514 (Supplementary Fig. 2a
Overview Stats Comments
flat detritic Citations
plateaus surrounding those narrow valleys to View
supply calledversions
full-text Punillo Sur (no. 7 in Fi
ISTerre - Université Grenoble Alpes, IRD, CNRS, IFSTTAR, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Grenoble, France. 2Jet P
1
of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. 3INGEMMET, Lima, Peru. *e-mail: pascal.lacroix@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr
56 NATurE GEoscIENcE | VOL 13 | JANUARy 20
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Righ
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337848460_Irrigation-triggered_landslides_in_a_Peruvian_desert_caused_by_modern_intensive_far… 10/20
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Similar research
Comparisons of diazotrophic communities in native and agricultural desert ecosystems reveal

plants as important drivers in diversity
February 2016 · FEMS Microbiology Ecology
Martina Köberl · Armin Erlacher · Elshahat Ramadan · [...] · Gabriele Berg
Diazotrophs provide the only biological source of xed atmospheric nitrogen in the biosphere.
Although they are the key player for plant-available nitrogen, less is known about their diversity and
potential importance in arid ecosystems. We investigated the nitrogenase gene diversity in native…
312 Reads · 12 Citations
Recommend Follow Share
Download
Self‐Entrainment Motion of a Slow‐Moving Landslide Inferred From Landsat‐8 Time Series
Article
April 2019
Pascal Lacroix · Gael Araujo · James Hollingsworth · Edu Taipe
Abstract: In mountainous environments, slow-moving landslides (velocities <100 m/year) are a major
concern for local populations. Rainfall is often the dominant forcing, and often result in major
changes in kinematics which can mask smaller signals related to internal forcings. We focus here …
Request full-text
First report of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection in sh
Article
November 2019 · Medical mycology: of cial publication of the International Society for Human and ...
Igor Massahiro de Souza Suguiura · Rafaela Macagnan · Aline Myuki Omori · [...] · Mario
Augusto OnoStats
Overview Comments Citations View full-text versions
The thermodimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis is the etiological agent of
idi id i (PCM) d i d i i L ti A i t i th t ff t
35 Reads
Request full-text
Satellite Pre-Failure Detection and In Situ Monitoring of the Landslide of the Tunnel du Chambon,
French Alps
July 2019 · Geosciences (Switzerland)
Mathilde Desrues · Pascal Lacroix · Ombeline Brenguier
Recent studies using satellite data have shown a growing interest in detecting and anticipating
landslide failures. However, their value for an actual landslide prediction has shown variable results.
Therefore, the use of satellite images for that purpose still requires additional attention. Here, we…
Download
Sparsity Optimization Method for Slow-Moving Landslides Detection in Satellite Image Time-Series
October 2018 · IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing
Mai Quyen Pham · Pascal Lacroix · Marie Pierre Doin
This paper presents a new method based on recent optimization technique to detect slow-moving
landslides (<150m/year) in time series of displacement eld generated by satellite images. Sparse
optimization is applied simultaneously on the 3-D data set in space as well as in time. The propose…
Download
View more related research
About us · News · Careers · Help Center · Advertising · Recruiting | Terms · Privacy · Copyright · Imprint | © 2008-2020 Resear


Irrigation-Triggered Landslides in A Peruvian Desert Caused by Modern Intensive Farming - Request PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Irrigation-Triggered Landslides in A Peruvian Desert Caused by Modern Intensive Farming - Request PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

24/3/2020 Irrigation-triggered landslides in a Peruvian desert caused by modern intensive farming | Request PDF

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Article Full-text available

December 2019 · Nature Geoscience 13(1):1-5

Pascal Lacroix · Amaury Dehecq · Edu Taipe

Research Interest 5.5

Abstract and gures

Overview Stats Content available from

Content available from Nature

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Intensification of agriculture leads to stress on the environment and subsequently can ha

A gricultural intensification increases the pressure on land-

of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA. 3INGEMMET, Lima, Peru. *e-mail: pascal.lacroix@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

56 NATurE GEoscIENcE | VOL 13 | JANUARy 20

Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Righ

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Overview Stats Comments Citations View full-text versions

Comparisons of diazotrophic communities in native and agricultural desert ecosystems reveal

View more related research

About us · News · Careers · Help Center · Advertising · Recruiting | Terms · Privacy · Copyright · Imprint | © 2008-2020 Resear

You might also like