Abstract. Combined with the spatial data processing capability of geographic information systems (GIS), a three-dimensional (3D) landslide surge height calculation method is proposed based on grid column units. First, the data related to the landslide are rasterized to form grid columns, and a force analysis model of 3D landslides is established. Combining the vertical strip method with Newton's laws of motion, dynamic equilibrium equations are established to solve for the surge height. Moreover, a 3D landslide surge height calculation expansion module is developed in the GIS environment, and the results are compared with those of the two-dimensional Pan Jiazheng method. Comparisons show that the maximum surge height obtained by the proposed method is 24.6 % larger than that based on the Pan Jiazheng method. Compared with the traditional two-dimensional method, the 3D method proposed in this paper better represents the actual spatial state of the landslide and is more suitable for risk assessment.