Аннотация:Aspect ratio is an elementary parameter widely adoptedto characterize landslide geometry. Nevertheless, it in essencereflects an overall elongation of landslide only, and cannot reflectthe variation of width along the central line of movement. Thispaper proposes the new concept “landslide longitudinal shape” forcomplementing the landslide aspect ratio, and develops the methodologyfor interpreting it based on generation and analysis of thelandslide profile. Relative width change and relative width fluctuationare defined as parameters quantitatively describing landslidelongitudinal shape, and five different types of shape (rectangle,widening, narrowing, spindle, and hourglass) are predefined forqualitatively classifying it. A case study showed that landslide longitudinalshape can provide additional information and therefore is acomplement to the aspect ratio. Landslides with larger aspect ratios(more elongated) are more possibly characterized by a narrowingoverall varying trend and a stronger fluctuation of width. Landslideswith similar longitudinal shapes of headscarp zones werefound to have transition-deposition zones with diverse longitudinalshapes, which is caused by diverse topographic confinements andforces governing motion. For an unconfined and laterally confinedlandslide in the study area, its transition-deposition zone is mostlikely to have a regular and narrowing longitudinal shape, respectively.Longitudinal shape is not just a geometric parameter, butcan somehow help to understand motion constraints of landslides.It must be emphasized that the new longitudinal shape concept isnot applicable to landslides that show a complex geometry thatprevents a clear definition of a longitudinal profile.