The 2014 Mw 6.2 Ludian earthquake exhibited a structurally complex source rupture process and an unusual spatial distribution pattern of co-seismic landslides. In this study, we constructed a spatial database consisting of 1470 co-seismic landslides, each exceeding 500 m2. These landslides covered a total area of 8.43 km2 and were identified through a comprehensive interpretation of high-resolution satellite images taken before and after the earthquake. It is noteworthy that the co-seismic landslides do not exhibit a linear concentration along the seismogenic fault; instead, they predominantly extend along major river systems with an NE–SW trend. Moreover, the southwest-facing slopes have the highest landslide area ratio of 1.41. To evaluate the susceptibility of the Ludian earthquake-triggered landslides, we performed a random forest model that considered topographic factors (elevation, slope, aspect, distance to rivers), geological factors (lithology), and seismic factors (ground motion parameters, epicentral distance, distance to the seismogenic fault). Our analysis revealed that the distance to rivers and elevation were the primary factors influencing the spatial distribution of the Ludian earthquake-triggered landslides. When we considered the directional variation in ground motion parameters, the AUC of the model slightly decreased. However, incorporating this variation led to a significant reduction in the proportion of areas classified as “high” and “very high” landslide susceptibility. Moreover, SEDd emerged as the most effective ground motion parameter for interpreting the distribution of the co-seismic landslides when compared to PGAd, PGVd, and Iad.
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