Mass wasting and erosion as an indicator of morphotectonic activity in the Ethiopian Highland based on remote sensing approaches

The characteristics and evolution of landforms on contact of Ethiopian plateau with rift valley has not been studied in detail yet. This area is typical with various symptoms of intensive erosion, mass movements and land degradation that arose as a feedback of rapid changes of land in the area of high dynamics of relief development. In the same time, infrastructure and settlements are increasingly exposed to direct endangering. The latter is connected to the activity of mass wasting, which is related to morphotectonic predisposition of young, high-energy relief. Better understanding of landscape development and landscape characteristics will be aimed to assess their present-day dynamics. Geomorphological and engineering geological methods, partially novel, will be combined with interpretation of advanced high resolution remote sensing data and new generation of accurate global digital elevation model to be synthesized in an integrated method for assessment of mass wasting and erosion susceptibility in GIS environment.