Characteristics of landslides induced by an earthquake from a hidden strike-slip active fault in the Cianjur Area of West Java

Abstract

On November 21, 2022, the Cianjur area in West Java, Indonesia, experienced devastating landslides caused by a magnitude 5.6 earthquake, with the epicenter traced to a hidden active fault approximately 11 kilometers beneath the surface, known as the Cugenang Fault. This study investigates the post-disaster landslides and aims to discover the characteristics of the landslides triggered by this earthquake. The methodology involves literature review, lithology descriptions, landslide slip surface analysis, soil analysis, slope assessment, land cover and land use change examination, landslide orientation evaluation, and distance measurements to the earthquake's epicenter and the Cugenang fault. Drones aided spatial landslide analysis. The study highlights the strong link between intense shaking along the active fault and landslide occurrences. Due to lithological bedding control, these landslides all head southwest and are located 0.35 to 0.67 kilometres from the fault. The residual soil, highly weathered breccia, and possible tuff volcanic deposits, which act as a sliding plane, lie in a similar direction to the slope, creating a vulnerable setting for landslides. The morphology and exposures of the Sarampad and Rawacina landslides showed similar phenomena to liquefaction. Land use changes, including slope cutting without proper stabilization measures, contribute to landslides to a certain degree.