Global Ground Movement Susceptibility Raster (GMSR) (Class 1–7)
Interactive map with scientific data analysis, point lookup, and detailed environmental information
Map Information
The Global Ground Movement Susceptibility Raster (GMSR) is a global geospatial dataset representing relative susceptibility to long-term ground movement hazards.
Data Legend
Location Analysis
Technical Specifications
Global Ground Movement Susceptibility Raster (GMSR) Class 1–7 v1.0.2
Raster File
GMSR_v1_Global_Ground_Movement_Susceptibility_Class_7.tif
Public Dataset URL
https://secure.engineeringdirector.com/public/map/GMSR_v1_Global_Ground_Movement_Susceptibility_Class_7
Product Overview
The Global Ground Movement Susceptibility Raster (GMSR) is a global geospatial dataset representing relative susceptibility to long-term ground movement hazards.
The framework integrates five independently modeled geohazard processes:
- Landslide Susceptibility
- Soil Creep Potential
- Shrink–Swell Potential
- Subsidence Susceptibility
- Seismic Amplification
The resulting raster provides a classified susceptibility framework ranging from Class 1 through Class 7, where higher class values indicate greater susceptibility to geotechnical ground movement processes.
The Class 1–7 product provides a simplified categorical representation of the underlying GMSR continuous susceptibility framework for visualization, communication, screening, and portfolio-level risk assessment.
The dataset is intended for:
- Infrastructure planning
- Site screening
- Climate resilience analysis
- Engineering due diligence
- Asset portfolio risk assessment
- Environmental planning
- Geotechnical hazard screening
- Catastrophe risk modeling
Dataset Information
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Product Name | Global Ground Movement Susceptibility Raster (GMSR) Class 1–7 |
| Version | 1.0.2 |
| Coverage | Global |
| Coordinate System | WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) |
| Resolution | ~1 km |
| Raster Format | GeoTIFF |
| Cell Type | UInt8 |
| Value Range | 1–7 |
| Units | Susceptibility Class |
| NoData Value | None |
| Temporal Basis | 2020–2024 Climate Normals and Contemporary Geological Datasets |
| Update Frequency | Periodic |
| Primary Output | Ground Movement Susceptibility Class |
Product Status
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | Production Release |
| Validation Status | Independently Validated |
| Validation Dataset | NASA Global Landslide Catalog |
| Validation Sample Size | 11,001 Independent Landslide Events |
| Validation Metric | AUC (Area Under the Curve) |
| Validation Result | 0.893 |
| Publication Year | 2026 |
| Current Version | 1.0.2 |
Raster Statistics
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum Class | 1 |
| Maximum Class | 7 |
| Number of Classes | 7 |
Class Interpretation
| Class | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Susceptibility |
| 2 | Low Susceptibility |
| 3 | Low–Moderate Susceptibility |
| 4 | Moderate Susceptibility |
| 5 | Moderate–High Susceptibility |
| 6 | High Susceptibility |
| 7 | Very High Susceptibility |
Classification Methodology
The Class 1–7 raster is derived directly from the validated GMSR v1 continuous susceptibility raster.
Continuous susceptibility scores were grouped into seven ordinal classes representing increasing levels of relative ground movement susceptibility.
The classification framework is intended to improve interpretability and communication while preserving the relative spatial patterns contained within the continuous raster.
Relationship to Continuous Product
The GMSR Class 1–7 raster is derived directly from the validated GMSR v1 Continuous Susceptibility Raster (0–100).
The continuous raster remains the authoritative scoring product for analytical, API, and engineering workflows.
The Class 1–7 raster is intended primarily for visualization, communication, portfolio screening, reporting, and categorical risk assessment.
Visualization Standard
The public GMSR Class 1–7 raster uses a categorical color scheme aligned with increasing susceptibility.
| Class | Color Theme |
|---|---|
| 1 | Blue |
| 2 | Light Blue |
| 3 | Blue-Green |
| 4 | Cream / Tan |
| 5 | Orange |
| 6 | Orange-Red |
| 7 | Red |
The visualization standard is intended for interpretation and communication purposes only and does not alter underlying raster values.
Official GMSR v1 Color Table
```text default 255:255:255 nv 0:0:0:0
1 92:128:184 2 146:170:212 3 194:202:188 4 228:222:165 5 236:184:110 6 228:150:86 7 222:64:54 ```
The color table above represents the official GMSR v1 web visualization standard used within the Engineering Director platform and associated public map services.
| Class | Interpretation | RGB |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Susceptibility | 92:128:184 |
| 2 | Low Susceptibility | 146:170:212 |
| 3 | Low–Moderate Susceptibility | 194:202:188 |
| 4 | Moderate Susceptibility | 228:222:165 |
| 5 | Moderate–High Susceptibility | 236:184:110 |
| 6 | High Susceptibility | 228:150:86 |
| 7 | Very High Susceptibility | 222:64:54 |
GMSR Framework
The GMSR framework combines five independently developed susceptibility surfaces into a single composite index.
Component Weighting
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Landslide Susceptibility | 30% |
| Soil Creep Potential | 20% |
| Shrink–Swell Potential | 15% |
| Subsidence Susceptibility | 15% |
| Seismic Amplification | 20% |
Each component raster was independently developed, normalized, and validated prior to integration within the composite framework. The final GMSR raster combines these component products using a weighted susceptibility methodology to provide a globally consistent screening-level assessment of ground movement susceptibility.
Composite Equation
text
GMSR =
0.30 × Landslide Susceptibility
+ 0.20 × Soil Creep Potential
+ 0.15 × Shrink–Swell Potential
+ 0.15 × Subsidence Susceptibility
+ 0.20 × Seismic Amplification
Missing Data Handling
The final composite uses available-data weighted normalization.
Where one or more component datasets contain NoData values, available component weights are automatically normalized to preserve the 0–100 scoring framework.
This methodology minimizes artificial gaps while maintaining global coverage.
Methodology Summary
Landslide Susceptibility
Evaluates terrain susceptible to gravitational mass movement using:
- Slope Gradient
- Local Relief
- Climate Wetness
- Root Zone Soil Moisture
- Lithologic Susceptibility
Soil Creep Potential
Evaluates slow long-term downslope soil movement using:
- Slope Gradient
- Local Relief
- Climate Wetness Index
- Root Zone Soil Moisture
- Freeze–Thaw Cycles
- Wet–Dry Cycles
- Lithologic Susceptibility
Shrink–Swell Potential
Evaluates expansive soil behavior using:
- SoilGrids Clay Content
- WRB Vertisol Occurrence
- Soil Wilting Point
- Wet–Dry Cycles
Subsidence Susceptibility
Evaluates susceptibility to gradual settlement resulting from:
- Lowland Topographic Position
- Wetland Occurrence
- Soil Saturation Potential
- River Influence
- Drainage Position
- Soft Soil Susceptibility
- Hydrogeologic Conditions
Seismic Amplification
Evaluates susceptibility to amplified ground shaking using:
- Global Seismic Hazard
- Lithologic Susceptibility
- Slope Gradient
- Local Relief
Validation
The NASA Global Landslide Catalog was not used during model development, calibration, weighting, or raster generation and therefore provides an independent validation dataset.
The GMSR v1 framework was independently evaluated against documented landslide events from the NASA Global Landslide Catalog.
Validation was performed by comparing GMSR susceptibility scores at landslide event locations against randomly distributed global background locations.
Validation statistics reported below are inherited from the parent GMSR v1 continuous susceptibility raster from which the Class 1–7 product is derived.
Validation Dataset
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Validation Dataset | NASA Global Landslide Catalog |
| Original Records | 11,059 |
| Valid Landslide Events Evaluated | 11,001 |
| Random Background Locations | 33,883 |
| Validation Method | Event-Based Spatial Comparison |
| Validation Metric | Area Under Curve (AUC) |
Validation Results
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Landslide Mean GMSR | 36.79 |
| Random Mean GMSR | 20.61 |
| Landslide Median GMSR | 36.72 |
| Random Median GMSR | 21.73 |
| Landslide Class 5–7 (%) | 85.41 |
| Random Class 5–7 (%) | 21.71 |
| Landslide Class 7 (%) | 1.37 |
| Random Class 7 (%) | 0.10 |
| AUC | 0.893 |
Understanding AUC
AUC (Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve) measures the ability of a model to distinguish between documented hazard locations and randomly distributed background locations.
An AUC value of 0.50 indicates no discriminatory power, while a value of 1.00 indicates perfect separation.
The GMSR v1 validation achieved an AUC of 0.893, indicating strong correspondence between elevated susceptibility scores and observed landslide occurrence.
In practical terms, if a documented landslide location and a random global location are selected at random, there is approximately an 89.3% probability that the landslide location will receive a higher GMSR susceptibility score.
Validation Interpretation
Documented landslide occurrences were strongly concentrated within elevated GMSR susceptibility classes relative to randomly distributed global locations.
Approximately 85% of evaluated landslide events occurred within GMSR Classes 5–7, while only 22% of random background locations occurred within those same classes.
The resulting AUC value of 0.893 indicates strong agreement between elevated GMSR susceptibility scores and observed landslide occurrence at global scale.
These results demonstrate that the GMSR framework successfully identifies regions exhibiting increased susceptibility to ground movement processes and provides independent evidence supporting the utility of the dataset for screening-level geohazard assessment.
Component Products
- Landslide Susceptibility
- Soil Creep Potential
- Shrink–Swell Potential
- Subsidence Susceptibility
- Seismic Amplification
Source Datasets
- GEBCO Global Bathymetry and Elevation
- Global Lithological Map (GLiM)
- ISRIC SoilGrids
- NASA FLDAS Root Zone Soil Moisture
- World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB)
- Global Seismic Hazard Model (GEM Foundation)
Validation Datasets
Derived Internal Datasets
Related Products
Primary GMSR Products
Limitations
- Intended for screening and planning purposes.
- Not a substitute for site-specific geotechnical investigation.
- Does not predict timing of failures.
- Does not represent actual displacement rates.
- Does not incorporate local engineering controls.
- Does not include real-time monitoring information.
- Validation is based on documented landslide occurrence and does not independently validate all contributing ground movement mechanisms.
- Susceptibility scores represent relative conditions and should not be interpreted as event probability.
Source Citations
GEBCO
GEBCO Compilation Group.
The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO).
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
https://www.gebco.net
GLiM
Hartmann, J., & Moosdorf, N. (2012).
The Global Lithological Map Database (GLiM): A representation of rock properties at the Earth surface.
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 13(12).
https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004370
SoilGrids
Poggio, L., de Sousa, L.M., Batjes, N.H., Heuvelink, G.B.M., Kempen, B., Ribeiro, E., & Rossiter, D. (2021).
SoilGrids 2.0: Producing soil information for the globe with quantified spatial uncertainty.
SOIL, 7, 217–240.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-217-2021
FLDAS
McNally, A., Arsenault, K., Kumar, S., et al. (2017).
A land data assimilation system for food and water security applications.
Scientific Data, 4, 170012.
https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.12
WRB
IUSS Working Group WRB.
World Reference Base for Soil Resources.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
https://www.fao.org/soils-portal/data-hub/soil-classification/world-reference-base
GEM
Global Earthquake Model Foundation (GEM).
Global Seismic Hazard Model (GSHM) and Peak Ground Acceleration Products.
Global Earthquake Model Foundation.
https://www.globalquakemodel.org
NASA Global Landslide Catalog
Kirschbaum, D.B., Stanley, T., & Zhou, Y.
The NASA Global Landslide Catalog: A global database of rainfall-triggered landslide events.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Goddard Space Flight Center.
https://data.nasa.gov/dataset/global-landslide-catalog-export
Freeze–Thaw Cycles
Mazzella, J., Mazzella, N. (2026).
Freeze–Thaw Cycles Raster (2020–2024).
AtmosphericIQ LLC / Engineering Director, Inc.
Derived from global climate reanalysis and temperature climatology datasets.
Wet–Dry Cycles
Mazzella, J., Mazzella, N. (2026).
Wet–Dry Cycles Raster (2020–2024).
AtmosphericIQ LLC / Engineering Director, Inc.
Derived from global soil moisture climatology and hydrologic variability datasets.
Version History
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2026 | Initial public release |
| 1.0.1 | 2026 | Added NASA Global Landslide Catalog validation, validation statistics, AUC documentation, finalized public URLs, official visualization standard, and publication-ready metadata. |
| 1.0.2 | 2026 | Updated component methodology documentation following production code audit. Added WRB source dataset and refined framework documentation to reflect validated component model inputs and weighting structures. |
Attribution
Joseph Mazzella
Nicole Mazzella
AtmosphericIQ LLC
Engineering Director, Inc.
Dataset Citation
Mazzella, J., Mazzella, N. (2026).
Global Ground Movement Susceptibility Raster (GMSR) Class 1–7 v1.0.2.
AtmosphericIQ LLC / Engineering Director, Inc.
Version Information
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Dataset Name | Global Ground Movement Susceptibility Raster (GMSR) |
| Dataset Version | 1.0.2 |
| Publication Year | 2026 |
| Authors | Joseph Mazzella, Nicole Mazzella |
| Organization | AtmosphericIQ LLC / Engineering Director, Inc. |
| Resolution | ~1 km |
| Coordinate System | WGS 84 (EPSG:4326) |
| Coverage | Global |
| Range | 1–7 |
| Raster Type | Classified |
| Cell Type | UInt8 |
| Primary Output | Ground Movement Susceptibility Class |
| Validation Dataset | NASA Global Landslide Catalog |
| Validation Sample Size | 11,001 Independent Landslide Events |
| Validation AUC | 0.893 |
| Processing Framework | GMSR v1 Composite Geohazard Framework |
Data Distribution Analysis
These histograms show the distribution of pixel values across the entire raster dataset, helping you understand the range and frequency of different measurements.