Earthquake-triggered landslides affecting a UNESCO Natural Site: the 2017 Jiuzhaigou Earthquake in the World National Park,China

On August 8~(th), 2017, an Ms 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in Jiuzhaigou County, northern Sichuan Province, China. The Jiuzhaigou Valley World National Park was the most affected area due to the epicentre being located in the scenic area of the park. Understanding the distribution characteristics of landslides triggered by earthquakes to help protect the natural heritage sites in Jiuzhaigou Valley remains a scientific challenge. In this study, a relatively complete inventory of the coseismic landslides triggered by the earthquake was compiled through the interpretation of high-resolution images combined with a field investigation. The results indicate thatcoseismic landslides not only are concentrated in Rize Gulley, Danzu Gully and Zezhawa Gully in the study area but also occur in the front part of Shuzheng Gully along the road network(from the entrance of Jiuzhaigou Valley to Heye Village). The landslides predominantly occur on the east-and southeastfacing slopes in the study area, which is a result of the integrated action of the valley direction and fault movement direction. The back-slope effect and the slope structure caused the difference in coseismic landslide distribution within the three gullies(Danzu Gully, Rize Gully, and Zezhawa Gully) near the inferred fault. In addition, the topographic position index was used to analyse the impact of microlandforms on earthquake-triggered landslides by considering the effect of the slope angle. The study results reveal a higher concentration of landslides in the slope position class of the middle slope(30°-50°) in Jiuzhaigou Valley. These findings can provide scientific guidance for the protection of natural heritage sites and post-disaster reconstruction in Jiuzhaigou Valley.     

基于ALOS遥感数据的新丰江流域生态安全GIS评价

基于ALOS遥感影像,采用10m×10m的栅格精度,以乡镇行政区划作为综合评价单元,在G IS的支持下,获取了18种评价因子信息。通过建立生态安全指数模型,计算出每个栅格和每个乡镇区域的生态安全指数并将其划分为6个等级,即Ⅰ级到Ⅵ级(生态安全状况由非常安全到极不安全)。结果表明,新丰江流域内的生态安全状况整体上较好,但安全等级分布不平衡,具有明显的区域性特征,生态堪忧地区为居民及工矿用地密集区,主要分布在流域的北部、东南部和中部的采矿区,如上坪镇、元善镇和上莞镇等;生态较为安全的区域主要分布在流域中部,如新丰江库区附近的锡场镇、半江镇等。该方法为流域的生态安全评价、预警、保护及管理提供了有效手段,具有积极的实用价值。     

SLOPE LITHOLOGIC PROPERTY, SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION AND REVEGETATION IN DRY-HOT VALLEY OF JINSHA RIVER

1IN T R O D U T IO N The dry-hotvalleyisone of the unique physiographic typesinSouthwest China, which ischaracterizedby its dry and hot climate, Savanna-likevegetationand its sharp contrastwith the surrounding landscape units (ZHANG ,1992 ).The dry-hotval…     

Community responses to mountain tourism: A case in Bhyundar Valley, Indian Himalaya

Tourism industry has become an important part of Indian economy, and tourism development has been, however, concentrated to a few areas. Accumulation of tourism activities has reached the critical stage in most of the tourism centers, which pose serious threats to the natural environment. The Bhyundar Valley of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve （NDBR） in Uttarakhand State of the Indian Himalaya is a burning example of such problems. Land use/cover changes, deforestation and accumulation of garbage are some of the negative impacts of unregulated tourism in the valley. Unsustainable activities of tourists and villagers in the valley make such problems very severe. To deal with the ongoing problems and ensure community involvement in tourism management and environmental conservation, the Biosphere Reserve Authority introduced ecotourism in the form of Eco Development Committees （EDCs） in the Bhyundar Valley. Study reveals that many problems associated with tourism have been minimized to some extent with the help of EDCs but few are still prevailing in valley. However, the existing attempts to conserve the valley from the negative effects of tourism are inadequate and modifications are needed in the current initiatives.     

Effects of loose deposits on debris flow processes in the Aizi Valley,southwest China

Loose deposits, rainfall and topography are three key factors that triggering debris flows.However, few studies have investigated the effects of loose deposits on the whole debris flow process.On June 28, 2012, a catastrophic debris flow occurred in the Aizi Valley, resulting in 40 deaths.The Aizi Valley is located in the Lower Jinsha River,southwestern Sichuan Province, China. The Aizi Valley debris flow has been selected as a case for addressing loose deposits effects on the whole debris flow process through remote sensing, field investigation and field experiments. Remote sensing interpretation and laboratory experiments were used to obtain the distribution and characteristics of the loose deposits, respectively. A field experiment was conducted to explore the mechanics of slope debris flows, and another field investigation was conducted to obtain the processes of debris flow formation, movement and amplification. The results showed that loose deposits preparation, slope debris flow initiation,gully debris flow confluence and valley debris flow amplification were dominated by the loose deposits.Antecedent droughts and earthquake activities may have increased the potential for loose soil sources in the Aizi Valley, which laid the foundation for debris flow formation. Slope debris flow initiated under rainfall, and the increase in the water content as well as the pore water pressure of the loose deposits were the key factors affecting slope failure. The nine gully debris flows converged in the valley, and the peak discharge was amplified 3.3 times due to a blockage and outburst caused by a large boulder. The results may help in predicting and assessing regional debris flows in dry-hot and seismic-prone areas based on loose deposits, especially considering large boulders.     

Spatial distribution and formation mechanism of aeolian sand in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River

Aeolian sand landforms in the Yarlung Zangbo River(YZR) valley are a special type of aeolian landform that has attracted the attention of many scholars. However, the spatial distribution as well as the formation mechanism of aeolian sand has rarely been reported with integrated studies. In this paper, for remote sensing interpretation, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and particle size distribution(PSD) methods were used to analyze the spatial distribution and the deposition characteristics of aeolian sand. Combined with wind data and topography, the main driving factors and the formation mechanism of aeolian sand landforms were also examined. In the middle reaches of the YZR valley, there is a total of 2324.43 km~2 of aeolian sand, especially on the north bank of the wide valleys. In different wide valleys, the aeolian sand landforms exhibit a decreasing trend from the upstream to the downstream regions in both the area and expansion rate of aeolian sand. The cyclonic vortexes generated by the westerly winds and glacial winds are the main driving factors for transporting alluvial sand to the riverbank areas to form aeolian dunes. There are three main types of sand dunes in the river valley: climbing dunes, lee dunes and circumfluent dunes. Climbing dunes and lee dunes are mostly located west of the Jiacha Gorge, and the circumfluent dunes are mostly located east of the Jiacha Gorge.     

Engineering geological conditions and features of geologic hazards in Wudongde reservoir of Jinshajiang River valley

There is a great difference between the distribution and evolvement characteristics of slope geological hazard in the same geographical location and climatic conditions,taking the similar structural-genetic connection in Wudongde reservoir area of Jinshajiang River valley for example.In all engineering geological conditions,the chronologic age and attitude of strata,and the lithologic association factors control the distributions and evolvement characteristics of slope geological hazard in the studied area.The study shows that the slopes in geological evolution are in different stages.The conclusion helps to understand the types and the intensity of geological disasters.     

中国长江流域洪涝灾害和持续性暴雨的发生特征及成因

主要综述了最近关于中国长江流域洪涝灾害和持续性暴雨发生特征和成因的研究。表明:长江流域洪涝灾害和持续性暴雨的发生频率非常高,并给经济造成了严重损失,长江流域洪涝灾害发生不仅具有准两年周期的年际变化,而且具有明显的年代际变化,从1977年之后,长江流域洪涝灾害和持续性暴雨增多;并且,表明了无论是长江中、下游地区或是长江上游的川东地区持续性暴雨都是在"鞍"型大尺度环流系统的配置下发生,这是由于这种大尺度环流系统的配置不仅利于水汽输送到长江中、下游地区或上游的川东地区,而且利于在"鞍"型中心地区产生垂直对流不稳定,从而引起暴雨中尺度系统的发展。此外,还综述了长江流域洪涝灾害和持续性暴雨发生的成因的研究,这些研究表明了长江流域洪涝灾害和持续性暴雨发生的年际和年代际变化是与大气-海洋-陆面耦合的东亚季风气候系统的变异密切相关。     

Tracing the provenance of aeolian loess in the Yangtze River Delta through zircon U–Pb age and geochemical investigations

Given the conflicts over the proposed formation mechanisms of Xiashu loess, the question of the provenance of sediments comprising the Xiashu loess in the Yangtze River Delta has not been satisfactorily resolved. In this study, the provenance of aeolian sediments of the Yangtze River Delta, China was examined by applying the detrial zircon U–Pb dating technique, Sr–Nd isotopic and trace element compositional analysis. U-Pb dating analysis was conducted on the Xiashu loess at three locations over the Yangtze River Delta, including Huangnishan(HNS) hill, Shengshan(SS) island and the Xuancheng(XC) area. The Xiashu loess and the sediments of the Yangtze River Valley share considerable similarity in their zircon U-Pb age spectra with the same main age peak and comparable age distribution. By contrast, significant differences in the age spectra, existbetween the Xiashu loess and loess deposits of Chinese Loess Plateau(CLP). Coarse grains of the Yangtze River Delta loess may have a proximal material source identical to the sediments from the Yangtze River valley. Sr–Nd isotopic values of the Xiashu loess match those from the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Rare earth element ratios independent of grain size illustrate that the values from loess of the Yangtze River Delta mostly overlap with those of CLP loess. This feature implies that loess from the Yangtze River Delta has a dominant source of distant material similar as the CLP loess. As such, we conclude that multi-proxy analysis of sediments can shed new light on tracing the provenance of aeolian loess in the Yangtze River Delta.     

Distribution and mechanism of gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision: A case study from Nujiang River,China

Gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision are widely distributed on rock slopes. In this paper, a rock slope on the Nujiang River (China) is investigated to study the role of gently dipping fractures in the rock slopes evolution. Detailed field surveys indicate that gentle fractures are concentrated in four main zones. Moreover, the kinematics of the fracture system suggest that the genesis of these fractures can be synthesized into a progressive evolution model. This model indicates that the joints begin with the formation of an array of en echelon cracks that are subjected to continued crack elongation and shearing before ultimately approaching one another and interacting to form a complex joint system. Geomechanical analysis is performed to reveal the mechanisms of this genesis, and three main fracture patterns are identified based on the slope stress and are classified with respect to the slope evolution. Based on the detail field investigations and the evolutionary history of the river valley, we propose that intermittent incision by the river was the main factor contributing to the concentrated distribution of gently dipping joints.     

济南历城巨野河冲洪积扇雨洪水储存调蓄研究

济南市山前分布着南大沙河、北大沙河、玉符河、巨野河、巴漏河等系列山前冲洪积扇,本文以巨野河冲洪积扇为例,通过物探、钻探、抽水试验、回灌试验所取得的数据,了解济南一系列山前冲洪积扇雨洪水储存调蓄条件,查明了冲洪积扇面积、砂层厚度、储水系数,查明影响储存调蓄能力的影响因素,计算储存调蓄量。结果表明：巨野河冲洪积扇含水砂层颗粒从扇顶的粗砂、卵砾石向扇缘粗砂、中细砂过渡,厚度从扇顶向扇缘逐渐变厚,冲洪积扇具有较大的储存调蓄空间,较强的回灌储水条件,良好的供水条件。研究结果对济南系列山前冲洪积扇在海绵城市建设中用于调节城市弃流的雨洪水资源具有重要的指导意义。     

Characteristics of Heavy Minerals and Quantitative Provenance Identification of Sediments from the Muddy Area Outside the Oujiang Estuary Since 5.8 kyr

The heavy mineral compositions of the sediments in core D04 with a length of 20.2 m from the muddy area outside the Oujiang Estuary along the coast of Zhejiang-Fujian Provinces have been analyzed. Core D04 can be divided into three units: DU1(0–7.4 m), DU2(7.4–11.4 m) and DU3(11.4–20.2 m). The results showed that the heavy minerals are authigenic pyrite(65.6%)– hornblende(16.0%) – epidote(4.6%) assemblages. The core sediments are mainly composed of clayey silt, which belongs to the clinoform deposit formed since 5.8 kyr, indicating a weak hydrodynamic environment. The deposition rates changed in the trend of high-low-high upward. Quantitative analysis shows that the core sediments were mainly from the suspended sediments of the Changjiang(Yangtze) River, accounting for 79.2%, with only 10.0% from Oujiang, and 10.8% from other provenance. The Oujiang-derived sediments were gradually increased from the bottom unit DU3(3.1%) to the top unit DU1(17.8%), but the Changjiang-derived sediments were gradually decreased. The source changes are closely related to the development of Yangtze River Delta and Wenzhou Bay, climate changes and human activities. During the period of 2.1–3.7 kyr, the sediment supply was greatly reduced due to the poor reclamation capacity of the river basins, resulting in a low deposition rate. Since 2 kyr, the enhancement of human activities in the Yangtze River Basin and the Oujiang River Basin led to more soils to be eroded and transported to the study area. Due to the short distance of the site of core D04 from the Oujiang River mouth, the study area received more Oujiang-derived sediments when upper unit(DU1) deposited than the lower units(DU2 and DU3).     

GF-2遥感数据在盖孜河流域典型第四纪地层调查中的应用

国产高分辨率卫星遥感技术的发展为第四系宏观、局部及细部特征调查提供了新的手段。中巴经济走廊东段地区分布较多的冲洪积扇、河谷阶地、冰川堆积等地貌类型,为了研究国产高分数据在该地区第四纪地质调查中的适用性,以高分二号（GF-2）影像为主要数据源,借助数字高程模型构建三维场景,选取中巴公路沿线盖孜河流域乌鲁阿特山前冲洪积扇、盖孜河河谷阶地与克拉牙依拉克冰川堆积物3处典型第四纪地层为研究对象,建立了遥感解译标志,并进行了精细尺度遥感解译;经过野外实地验证,查明了其物质组成与变化规律,修正了前人关于克拉牙依拉克冰川不同期次冰碛物的划分范围;通过对盖孜河河谷阶地分析,盖孜河流域晚更新世以来经历了至少5次阶段性构造抬升,阶地基座冰碛物至少由两期冰川作用形成。研究表明,GF-2影像能快速从宏观尺度上识别地貌、松散堆积物变化特征,能够看到常规方法无法观察到的地质现象;满足大比例尺解译、制图要求,特别是在微地貌识别以及第四纪地层解译中,能够提升精细地质解译水平。研究成果能为盖孜河流域河流、冰川的发展演化过程研究提供基础地质资料,为中巴公路沿线第四纪土体遥感调查提供典型案例。      

Spatial pattern of rural settlements in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River

A quantitative analysis of the spatial pattern of rural settlements in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River was made with the major data sources being the relevant ETM image and the national geographical database of China (including contour line, river and road) at the scale of 1:250 000, and using image interpretation and field investigation to obtain spatial information on rural settlements. The results of the spatial analysis technique of GIS and correlation analysis showed that most settlements (78.2 %) were located in the mountain area at 1500 ∼ 2700 m altitude, and almost half in the arid valley area. More than 80.0 % of settlements had their slopes above 15°. Most settlements had good access to water resources, roads and communications, and tended to cluster close to the road network rather than the river. About half of the rural settlements in the study area were relatively concentrated, while the others were decentralized. Those with higher altitude usually had land with steep slope, inconvenient water and road accesses, and were located far apart from each other. In view of such a situation, further research should be done to make reasonable countermeasures on these settlements for better living conditions and ecosystem stability.     

Characteristics of landslide in Koshi River Basin,Central Himalaya

Koshi River basin, which lies in the Central Himalayas with an area of 71,500 km2, is an important trans-boundary river basin shared by China, Nepal and India. Yet, landslide-prone areas are all located in China and Nepal, imposing alarming risks of widespread damages to property and loss of human life in both countries. Against this backdrop, this research, by utilizing remote sensing images and topographic maps, has identified a total number of 6877 landslides for the past 23 years and further examined their distribution, characteristics and causes. Analysis shows that the two-step topography in the Himalayan region has a considerable effect on the distribution of landslides in this area. Dense distribution of landslides falls into two regions: the Lesser Himalaya(mostly small and medium size landslides in east-west direction) and the TransitionBelt(mostly large and medium size landslides along the river in north-south direction). Landslides decrease against the elevation while the southern slopes of the Himalayas have more landslides than its northern side. Change analysis was carried out by comparing landslide distribution data of 1992, 2010 and 2015 in the Koshi River basin. The rainfallinduced landslides, usually small and shallow and occurring more frequently in regions with an elevation lower than 1000 m, are common in the south and south-east slopes due to heavy precipitation in the region, and are more prone to the slope gradient of 20°~30°. Most of them are distributed in Proterozoic stratum(Pt3ε, Pt3 and Pt2-3) and Quaternary stratum. While for earthquake-induced landslides, they are more prone to higher elevations(2000~3000 m) and steeper slopes(40°~50°).     

Response of river terraces to holocene climatic changes in Hexi Corridor, Gansu, China

ＲＥＳＰＯＮＳＥＯＦＲＩＶＥＲＴＥＲＲＡＣＥＳＴＯＨＯＬＯＣＥＮＥＣＬＩＭＡＴＩＣＣＨＡＮＧＥＳＩＮＨＥＸＩＣＯＲＲＩＤＯＲ,ＧＡＮＳＵ,ＣＨＩＮＡ①ＬｉＹｏｕｌｉ（李有利）ＹａｎｇＪｉｎｇｃｈｕｎ（杨景春）ＤｅｐａｒｔｍｅｎｔｏｆＧｅｏｇｒａｐｈｙ...     

Ecological status and uses of juniper species in the cold desert environment of the Lahaul valley, North-western Himalaya, India

The juniper species Juniperus polycarpos C. Koch, J. indica Bertol. and J. communis L. var. saxatilis (Pallas) are important elements of the forest vegetation in Lahaul valley in the north-western Himalaya. Their ability to grow under the barren and xeric conditions of cold deserts makes them particularly suited for afforestation programmes under these ecological conditions. In the Lahaul valley, juniper species are used as subsistence resources and for religious purposes. Excessive removal of juniper wood and leaves by the local population, overgrazing, habitat fragmentation and low regeneration potential are the main obstacles to conservation of juniper forests in this region. The present study was carried out to assess density, basal area and importance value index (IVI) of the local vegetation as well as uses and amounts of juniper wood and leaves removed from the local forests. Pressure on relict juniper forests due to grazing animals and intensive removal of wood and leaves by the local population was found to be greater at an altitude above 3,000 m. The results of the study demonstrated that the different juniper species were adapted to specific altitude ranges. A higher species density was recorded at lower altitude except for J. indica which was only present at high altitude (>3,200 m) on south-facing slopes. Density, basal area and IVI of J. polycarpos were higher at Hinsa (2,700 m) than at Jahlma (3,000 m). The rapid loss of vegetation due to overuse and habitat degradation has made the conservation of juniper forests an important priority in the Lahaul valley. J. polycarpos at lower altitude and J. indica at higher altitude are ecologically the more suitable species for the successful implementation of conservation programmes. The support of rehabilitation programmes by regional authorities is essential for the reestablishment of the local juniper forests.     

冰后期长江河口段古河谷地层层序特征

末次盛冰期,由于基面大幅度下降,长江河口段形成了深切古河谷。河流携带的部分粗砂砾在河床上形成滞留沉积。冰后期海平面上升引发的海侵造成了长江古河谷的充填和河床相、河漫滩河口湾相和部分河口湾浅海相的形成。尔后的进积产生了部分河口湾浅海相及三角洲相。根据钻孔资料绘制的古河谷地质剖面图显示,冰后期海侵旋回出现在三角洲顶点到现在河口口门地区,溯河而上受海洋影响的程度逐渐减弱。古河谷的中部,靠近主泓线附近,沉积层序完整。古河谷的边缘地带,往往缺失底部的河床相砂砾层。底部的厚层河床相砂砾层是由河床滞留沉积和溯源加积堆积形成的,在古河谷沉积层序中存在着多种沉积间断。     

Slope reinforcement for housing in Three Gorges reservoir area

The Three Gorges Project of the Yangtze River is the largest hydropower-complex project under construction in the world. Under the largescale relocation projects, 2874 engineered slopes are formed along with the construction of new towns. In this paper, the cutting slopes are mainly soil slopes and rock slopes. Soil slopes include residual soil slopes, colluvial accumulation slopes, swelling soil slopes, and artificial earth fill slopes, etc. Rock slopes include blocky structure rock slopes, layer structure rock slopes, and clastic structure rock slopes, etc. Varied protection measures have been used for slope protection in the reservoir area including shotcrete concrete-anchor bars, frame beams, retaining walls, slope stabilizing piles, sheet-pile walls, anchorage anti-shear tunnels, flexible protection grids, and drainage, etc. Besides, slope deformation monitoring systems have been set up to monitor deformation failure and the stability state of slopes. The protection measures have guaranteed slope safety and maintained a harmony with the urban environment and surrounding landscape.