Map data for a landslide inventory of the northwestern part of Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

Vicksburg National Military Park (VICK) is in western Mississippi, situated on the loess bluffs flanking the Mississippi River. These bluffs are comprised of an accumulation of windblown silt-rich sediments, known as loess, which overlays the Oligocene Vicksburg Group. The loess deposits are thick (up to 30 meters) and easily eroded, creating deep ravines and steeply sloped elongated ridges that often have streams or wetlands within the ravines. This unique terrain played an integral part in the Siege of Vicksburg during the American Civil War in 1863. VICK was established by Congress in 1899 to commemorate the Siege and its associated battles, and to preserve the cultural heritage of the site. In the present, VICK’s cultural resources and park infrastructure are severely at risk from erosion and landslide events. This dataset documents the extent and characteristics of the landslides that occurred prior to 2020 – when a significant precipitation-induced landslide event occurred. These ‘pre-existing’ landslides were mapped from lidar data collected between February 2009 and August 2010. Included in this data release are 6 separate shapefiles, 1 per map unit or landform: 2 landslide deposit map units (QMSF1_DEP and QMSF2_DEP), 2 other map units showing the extent of the upslope area affected by landslide movement (QMSF1_LAA and QMSF2_LAA), a map unit showing alluvial fans (QAF) that may be the result of rapid flows of silt-rich earth, and landslide scarps (SCARPS). Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.