Research Trends in Thermal Surveys and Thermomechanical Modeling of Landslides

Landslides are complex geological phenomena that pose significant hazards to human life, infrastructure, and the environment. Understanding their mechanisms requires reliable data and advanced analytical methods. Thermal surveys offer valuable insights into surface temperature variations and moisture distribution, supporting the detection of precursory signs of slope instability. Numerical modeling, in turn, enables the simulation of physical processes that control landslide activation and propagation, as well as the prediction of potential landslide-affected zones. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications from January 2005 to March 2025, focusing on the integration of thermal surveys and numerical modeling in landslide research. The results highlight a steady increase in publications over the past two decades, reflecting growing interest in these innovative approaches. China and Italy are the leading contributors in terms of the number of publications, while Italy achieved the highest citation impact, with 445 total citations. These findings highlight the emerging research trends, showing the potential of combining thermal and thermo-numerical methods to enhance landslide monitoring and mitigation strategies.