The August 27, 2014, rock avalanche and related impulse water waves in Fuquan,Guizhou, China

At about 8:30 p.m. on 27 August 2014, a catastrophic rock avalanche suddenly occurred in Fuquan, Yunnan, southwestern China. This landslide and related impulse water waves destroyed two villages and killed 23 persons. The impulse waves occurred after initiation of the landslide, caused by the main part of the slide mass rapidly plunging into a water-filled quarry below the source area. The wave, comprising muddy water and rock debris, impacted the opposite slope of the quarry on the western side of the runout path and washed away three homes in Xinwan village. Part of the displaced material traveled a horizontal distance of about 40 m from its source and destroyed the village of Xiaoba. To provide information for potential landslide hazard zonation in this area, a combined landslide–wave simulation was undertaken. A dynamic landslide analysis (DAN-W) model is used to simulate the landslide propagation before entering the quarry, while Fluent (Ansys Inc., USA) is used to simulate the impulse wave generation and propagation. Output data from the DAN-W simulation are used as input parameters for wave modeling, and there is good agreement between the observed and simulated results of the landslide propagation. Notably, the locations affected by recordable waves according to the simulation correspond to those recorded by field investigation.     

滑坡体散体化对涌浪波动特征的影响

岩质滑坡在下滑过程中会发生散体化, 进而分解成形状及大小各异的块体。已有滑坡体兴波方面的研究多采用单一刚性块体或均匀散体颗粒对滑坡体进行模拟, 较少关注滑坡体散体化对涌浪的影响机制。本研究通过开展三维水池物理模型试验, 初步探索滑坡体的散体化过程对涌浪波动特性的影响作用。结果表明: 初生涌浪的最大波幅和最大波高随滑坡体散体化指标的增大而减小; 第一波峰幅值和第一波高的沿程衰减规律符合孤立波理论, 且其衰减速率分别依赖于涌浪的最大波幅和最大波高; 三维水池试验中第一波峰幅值和第一波高的沿程衰减速度较二维水槽中更快。     

Risk management study on impulse waves generated by Hongyanzi landslide in Three Gorges Reservoir of China on June 24, 2015

On June 24, 2015, Hongyanzi slope located in Wushan County of the Three Gorges Reservoir collapsed, generating 5–6-m-high impulse waves, which overturned 13 boats, killed 2 persons, and injured 4 persons. It is the second incident of landslide-generated impulse waves since the 175-m experimental impoundment in 2008. The emergency investigation shows that Hongyanzi landslide is a bedding soil landslide with a volume of 23?×?10⁴ m³ induced by a series of triggering factors such as rainfall, flooding upstream, and reservoir drawdown. The nonlinear Boussinesq water wave model is used to reproduce the impulse waves generated by the landslide of June 24th. The numerical simulation results suggest that the wave propagation process was influenced by the T-shaped geomorphic conditions of river valley, and the coastal areas in the county seat were the major wave-affected areas, which is opposite to the landslide. The numerical wave process accord well with the observed incident, and the investigation values were in good agreement with the calculated values. Moreover, the worst-case scenario of the 7?×?10⁴ m³ deformation mass beside Hongyanzi landslide is potential to generate impulse waves, which was predicted with the same numerical model. This adjacent deformation mass will probably generate impulse waves with maximum height and run-up of 2.2 and 2.0 m, respectively, and only a very few areas in the water course had waves rising to a height of 1 m or above. The research results provide a technical basis for emergency disposal to Hongyanzi landslide and navigation restriction in Wushan waterway. More importantly, it pushes the risk management of the navigation based on the impulse wave generated by landslide. It is advised that the Three Gorges Reservoir and other reservoirs around the world should put more efforts in performing special surveys and studies on the potential hazards associated with landslide-generated impulse waves.     

基于非静压模型的波浪破碎模拟

波浪破碎是海岸工程所关注的关键水动力学问题之一,而波浪破碎的数值模拟技术的研究方兴未艾。高效的浅水方程基于静压假定,而通过引入动压项建立的完全非静压模型,可成功应用于色散水波的模拟。自由表面的捕捉采用的垂向坐标变换技术,较之VOF（Volume of Fluid）模型,计算效率较高。但垂向坐标变换不能模拟大曲率自由表面变形,即波浪破碎过程。对于破碎波的模拟,一种高效的模式分裂法应用至非静压模型,即在波浪破碎局部水域将模型分裂为静压模型和非静压模型,破碎波波峰附近退化至静压模型,并持续至波浪破碎结束再恢复为动压模型。通过典型算例,验证了模式分裂法的适用性及对于波浪破碎过程的模拟精度,鉴于模式分裂法对于波浪破碎过程的模拟未引入新的概化模型,计算效率较高,可应用于大尺度的海岸带波浪的变形、破碎及越浪的数值模拟。     

A rigorous finite volume model to simulate subaerial and submarine landslide-generated waves

This paper presents a new landslide-generated wave (LGW) model based on incompressible Euler equations with Savage-Hutter assumptions. A two-layer model is developed including a layer of granular-type flow beneath a layer of an inviscid fluid. Landslide is modeled as a two-phase Coulomb mixture. A well-balanced second-order finite volume formulation is applied to solve the model equations. Wet/dry transitions are treated properly using a modified non-linear method. The numerical model is validated using two sets of experimental data on subaerial and submarine LGWs. Impulsive wave characteristics and landslide deformations are estimated with a computational error less than 5 %. Then, the model is applied to investigate the effects of landslide deformations on water surface fluctuations in comparison with a simpler model considering a rigid landslide. The model results confirm the importance of both rheological behavior and two-phase nature of landslide in proper estimation of generated wave properties and formation patterns. Rigid slide modeling often overestimates the characteristics of induced waves. With a proper rheological model for landslide, the numerical prediction of LGWs gets more than 30 % closer to experimental measurements. Single-phase landslide results in relative errors up to about 30 % for maximum positive and about 70 % for maximum negative wave amplitudes. Two-phase constitutive structure of landslide has also strong effects on landslide deformations, velocities, elongations, and traveling distances. The complex behaviors of landslide and LGW of the experimental data are analyzed and described with the aid of the robust and accurate finite volume model. This can provide benchmark data for testing other numerical methods and models.     

Hazard assessment of the Tidal Inlet landslide and potential subsequent tsunami, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

An unstable rock slump, estimated at 5 to 10 × 10⁶ m³, lies perched above the northern shore of Tidal Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. This landslide mass has the potential to rapidly move into Tidal Inlet and generate large, long-period-impulse tsunami waves. Field and photographic examination revealed that the landslide moved between 1892 and 1919 after the retreat of the Little Ice Age glaciers from Tidal Inlet in 1890. Global positioning system measurements over a 2-year period show that the perched mass is presently moving at 3–4 cm annually indicating the landslide remains unstable. Numerical simulations of landslide-generated waves suggest that in the western arm of Glacier Bay, wave amplitudes would be greatest near the mouth of Tidal Inlet and slightly decrease with water depth according to Green’s law. As a function of time, wave amplitude would be greatest within approximately 40 min of the landslide entering water, with significant wave activity continuing for potentially several hours.     

Characteristics and numerical runout modelling of a catastrophic rock avalanche triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake in the Wenjia valley,Mianzhu, Sichuan,China

The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake triggered more than 100 rock avalanches with volumes greater than 10 million cubic metres. The rock avalanche with the longest runout amongst these destructive landslides occurred in the Wenjia valley, Mianzhu, Sichuan, China. The landslide involved the failure of about 27.5 million cubic metres of sandstone from the source area. The displaced material travelled about 4,170 m with an elevation descent of about 1,360 m, equivalent to a fahrböschung of 16.9° and covered an area of 1.5 million square metres, with the final deposited volume of approximately 49 million cubic metres. The catastrophic event destroyed the village of Yanjing, killed 48 people and buried some houses at the mouth of the Wenjia valley. On the basis of a detailed field investigation, we introduce basic characteristics of the rock avalanche and find that the rock avalanche resulted in two run-ups and a superelevation along the runout path, and downslope enlargement due to the entrainment of path materials. A numerical model (DAN3D) is used to simulate the post-failure behaviour of the rock avalanche. By means of trial and error, a combination of the frictional model and Voellmy model is found to provide the best performance in simulating this rock avalanche. The simulation results reveal that the rock avalanche had a duration of about 240 s and an average velocity of 17.4 m/s.     

A physical similarity model of an impulsive wave generated by Gongjiafang landslide in Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Landslide-related impulse waves are catastrophic but accidental, so limited data on field measurements are available; scaled physical experiment is therefore a functional method to simulate and analyze this phenomenon. A large-scale physical Froude-similar model to produce impulse waves was constructed based on the Chinese Gongjiafang landslide, which occurred on the main stream of Three Gorges after the impounding in the reservoir in China. With a scale of 1:200, the model had the dimensions of 24, 8, and 1.3 m. Four water levels, 145, 156, 172.8, and 175 m, were modeled for the experiments, and marble coarse sands were used to imitate the actual cataclastic rock mass. Wave height gauges, high-speed cameras, and run-up measuring instruments were used to monitor wave fluctuations in the model. Among the experiments, the ones modeled using a water level of 172.8 m best confirmed the actual conditions in the Gongjiafang landslide, representing a good validation of the experiments. This study obtained, for the first time, specific data on the reproduced impulse waves’ convergence and superposition during propagation, and of the energy change between impulse waves and reflected waves. The test data describe a rapid decaying and gradual decaying rule for the wave heights and run-ups. The Froude-similar experiments presented in this article help us to understand the whole procedure of impulsive wave generated by cataclastic rock mass failure, and the results acquired contribute to studies of impulse waves caused by similar bank destabilizations worldwide.     

Numerical runout simulation of debris avalanches in the Faroe Islands, North Atlantic Ocean

The Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean are susceptible to flow-type landslides in coarse-grained highly organic colluvium. Following several hazardous debris avalanche events, research work has been initiated to quantify landslide risk. A central task in this work is to predict landslide runout behavior. From numerical simulation of four debris avalanches, this study provides a first screening of which rheology and appertaining input parameters best predict runout behavior of debris avalanches in the Faroe Islands. Three rheologies (frictional, Voellmy, and Bingham) are selected and used for individual back analysis of the events in the numerical models BING and DAN3D. A best fit rheology is selected from comparing predicted and observed landslide runout behavior. General back analysis to identify the optimal input parameters for the chosen rheology is performed by cross validation, where each debris avalanche is modeled with input parameters from the three other events. Optimal input parameters are found from the model run producing the most accurate runout length and velocity. The Bingham is selected as the best fit rheology, a result differing from similar studies of coarse-grained landslides. A reason for why particularly the frictional rheology proves unsuitable is its tendency to produce too long runout lengths of the low-weight runout material, a result showing important limitations for using the frictional rheology in DAN3D. Optimal Bingham input parameters are τ _y ?=?980 Pa and μ _b ?=?117 Pa/s. However, future studies performed in 2D models are needed for precise parameterization before results can be used for landslide risk assessment.     

Finite element simulation of impulse wave generated by landslides using a three-phase model and the conservative level set method

A numerical model has been developed using the finite element method for the simulation of impulse waves generated by landslides. The fluid-like landslide is modeled as a generalized non-Newtonian visco-plastic fluid. A three-phase flow model based on the incompressible viscous Navier–Stokes equations is solved using the finite element method to describe the motion of the three types of fluid in landslide. The conservative level set method is expanded to n-phase flow cases and employed to capture the interface of the three phases: air, water, and the landslide. The overall performance of the approach is checked by a number of validation cases: a Rayleigh–Taylor instability problem to illustrate the capability of the proposed method to deal with interface capturing, a benchmark test of a subaerial landslide generated by an impulse wave is carried out and compared with the published experimental data and numerical results, and finally, the 1958 Lituya Bay landslide generated impulse wave, and its results are compared against a scaled-down experiment and other published numerical results. It can be noted that the current model has an excellent ability to capture the complex phenomena that occurs during the whole process of the landslide-generated impulse wave, and considering the simplified treatment of the landslide and the numerical model, fairly good agreement between computed and experimental results has been observed for all simulation cases.     

Investigation and dynamic analysis of a catastrophic rock avalanche on September 23, 1991, Zhaotong,China

At 6:10 p.m. on September 23, 1991, a catastrophic rock avalanche occurred in Zhaotong, Yunnan, southwestern China. Over 216 people were killed when the Touzhai village was overwhelmed directly in the path of the landslide. The landslide involved the failure of about 12 Mm³ of jointed basaltic rock mass from the source area. The displaced materials ran out a horizontal distance of 3650 m over a vertical distance of 960 m, equivalent to a Fahrböschung of 14.7°, and covered an area of 1.38 km². To provide information for hazard zonation of similar type of potential landslides in the same area, we used a dynamic model (DAN-W) with three alternative rheological models to simulate the runout behaviour of the displaced landslide materials and found that a combination of the frictional model and Voellmy model could provide the best performance in simulating this landslide. The simulated results indicated that the duration of the movement is estimated at about 175 s for a mean velocity 21 m/s.     

基于岩体结构特征的高速远程滑坡致灾范围评价

高速远程滑坡的演化机制与运动过程受控于岩体结构.以重庆市武隆县鸡尾山滑坡为例,采用地面激光扫描技术,获取岩体结构面几何信息,基于离散元数值模拟方法,考虑岩体结构特征,分析高速远程滑坡演化过程及其致灾范围.研究结果表明:(1) 岩体结构特征由岩体内部发育的结构面所决定,针对点云数据开展空间几何计算与聚类分析,可以快速精细地获取岩体结构面产状信息,从而进行岩体结构面识别与组别划分;(2) 将岩体结构特征评价结果导入离散元模型中,能够实现高速远程滑坡致灾范围的快速评价目的,并且取得了与实际滑动距离较为吻合的结果.      

Comprehensive analyses of the initiation and landslide-generated wave processes of the 24 June 2015 Hongyanzi landslide at the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Reservoir landslides pose a great threat to shipping safety, human lives and properties, and the operation of the hydropower station. In this paper, the 24 June 2015 Hongyanzi landslide at the Three Gorges Reservoir is considered as an example to study the initiation mechanism and landslide-generated wave process of a reservoir landslide. The finite difference method and limit equilibrium analysis are used to analyze the deformation and failure characteristics of the Hongyanzi slope. Simulation results show that a large deformation (about 358 mm) happens in the shallow deposits under intermittent rainfall condition, and the slope is in a limit state. At the same time, continuous rapid drawdown of the water level (about ?0.55 m/day during 8–24 June 2015) reduced the support and accelerated the drainage of the water for the bank slope. A coupling effect of intermittent rainfall and rapid drawdown of the water level was the triggering factor of the 24 June Hongyanzi landslide. Landslide-generated wave process was simulated using a fluid–solid coupling method by integrating the general moving object collision model. Simulation results show that the landslide-generated wave is dominated by the impulse wave, which is generated by sliding masses entering the river with high speed. The maximum wave height is about 5.90 m, and the wave would decay gradually as it spreads because of friction and energy dissipation. To prevent reservoir landslides, the speed for the rising or drawdown of the water level should be controlled, and most importantly, rapid drawdown should be avoided.     

Numerical modeling of subaerial and submarine landslide-generated tsunami waves—recent advances and future challenges

Landslide-generated waves (LGWs) are among natural hazards that have stimulated attentions and concerns of engineers and researchers during the past decades. At the same period, the application of numerical modeling has been progressively increased to assess, control, and manage the risks of such hazards. This paper represents an overview of numerical studies on LGWs to explore associated recent advances and future challenges. In this review, the main landslide events followed by an LGW hazard are scrutinized. The uncertainty regarding landslide characteristics and the lack of data concerning generated tsunami properties highlights the necessity of probabilistic analysis and numerical modeling. More than 53 % of landslides show the slide length larger than about 20 times of the slide thickness. This fact justifies the popular application of depth-averaged equations (DAEs) for landslides’ motion simulations. Such models are reviewed and tabulated based on their mathematical, numerical, and conceptual approaches. A landslide is generally treated as a homogeneous, mixture, or a multi-phase fluid with different rheologies. The Coulomb type rheology is the most-used rheology applied in more than 70 % of landslide models. Some of the recent studies are considering the effects of multi-phase nature, dynamic changes of rheological parameters, and grain-size segregation of the landslide on its deformations. The numerical tools that model LGWs are also reviewed, categorized, and examined. These models conceptualize a landslide as a general rigid LGW (R-LGW) or deformable LGW (D-LGW) mass. The rigid slide assumption is mainly applied in the LGW models with a focus on the accurate simulation of the wave propagation stage, particularly by means of higher order Boussinesq-type wave equations (BWEs). The majority of D-LGW models solve either the Navier–Stokes equations (NSEs) for a multi-phase (landslide material, water, and air) flow or the shallow water equations (SWEs) for a two-layer (a layer of granular material moving beneath a layer of water) flow. NSEs are more comprehensive models but less robust than DAEs. The key effect of dispersion in LGWs, which are typically important in intermediate and even deep water wave domains, challenges researchers to apply higher order BWEs instead of SWEs in two-layer models. Regarding numerical approaches, Lagrangian’s are more robust than Eulerian’s, but they have been rarely applied due to their high computational demands for real cases. The remaining challenges are reviewed as the necessity of probabilistic analysis to assess the risk of the related hazards more accurately for both past and potential LGW hazards; further thorough laboratory-scale experiments and field data measurements to have accurate and detailed benchmark data; providing RS/GIS-based worldwide hazard map for potential LGWs and compiled database for occurred events; extending BWEs for granular flows and DAEs with non-hydrostatic corrections; and economizing the computational costs of models by advanced techniques like parallel processing and GPU accelerators.     

Karrat Fjord (Greenland) tsunamigenic landslide of 17 June 2017: initial 3D observations

On 17 June 2017, a landslide-generated tsunami reached the village of Nuugaatsiaq, Greenland, leaving four persons missing and presumed dead. Here, we present a preliminary high-resolution analysis of the tsunamigenic landslide scar based on three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of oblique aerial photographs taken during a post-failure reconnaissance helicopter overflight. Through a 3D quantitative comparison with pre-failure topography, we estimate that approximately 58 million m³ of rock and colluvium (talus) was mobilized during the landslide, 45 million m³ of which reached the fjord, resulting in a destructive tsunami. We classify this event as a “tsunamigenic extremely rapid rock avalanche,” which likely released along a pre-existing metamorphic fabric, bounded laterally by slope-scale faults. Further analysis is required to properly characterize this landslide and adjacent unstable slopes, and to better understand the tsunami generation.     

Numerical modeling of the June 24, 2015, Hongyanzi landslide generated impulse waves in Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Subaerial landslides falling into confined water bodies often generate impulsive waves. Damaging landslide tsunamis in Three Gorges Reservoir, China, have struck several times in the last 15 years. On June 24, 2015, a 23?×?10⁴ m³ slope failure occurred on the east bank of the Daning River opposite Wushan Town. The sliding mass intruded into the Three Gorges Reservoir and initiated a reservoir tsunami that resulted in two deaths and significant damage to shipping facilities. A post-event survey revealed the landslide geometry and wave run-up distribution, while an eyewitness video captured most of the landslide motion. Employing these firm constraints, we applied the Tsunami Squares method to simulate the 2015 Hongyanzi landslide and tsunami. The simulation revealed that the landslide experienced a progressive failure in the first few seconds and impacted the water with a maximum velocity of ~?16 m/s. The initial wave propagated to the opposite shore in an arch shape, and the water surface reached a maximum amplitude of ~?11 m near the landslide. Wave amplitude-time curves at four points on the river cross section show that the initial wave reached Wushan town in about 50 s with an average wave velocity of ~?30 m/s. The maximum wave run-ups on the shoreline opposite the landslide are around 6 m and attenuate to less than 1 m beyond 2-km distance. The landslide simulation matches the observed geological profile and the eyewitness video, and the numerical results coincide with the observed wave run-up heights. Nearly 80% of landslide energy is lost due to frictional resistances, but the remaining fraction imparted to the tsunami carried catastrophic consequences to a large region. The numerical results emphasize the efficiency and accuracy of Tsunami Squares method for a “Quick Look” simulation of a potential landslide.     

Numerical simulation of wave generated by landslide incidents in dam reservoirs

In this work, a two-dimensional fourth-order Boussinesq-type numerical model is applied to estimate the impact of landslide-generated waves in dam reservoirs. This numerical model has recently been extended for simulating subaerial landslides. The extended model is validated using available three-dimensional experimental data, and a good agreement is obtained. The numerical model is then employed to investigate the impact of landslide-generated waves in two real cases, the Maku and Shafa-Roud dam reservoirs in the northwestern and the north of Iran, respectively. Generated wave heights, wave run-up, maximum wave height above dam crest, and dam overtopping volume have been estimated for each case. The amplitude of generated waves about 18 and 31 m and the volume of dam overtopping up to 80,000 m³ emphasize the importance of the estimation of the landslide-generated waves in dam sites.     

Analysis of waves generated by Gongjiafang landslide in Wu Gorge, three Gorges reservoir, on November 23, 2008

At 4:40p.m. on November 23, 2008, the Gongjiafang slope collapsed on the north bank of Yangtze River in Wu Gorge of Three Gorges Reservoir. The 380,000-m³ sliding mass consisted mainly of cataclastic rock. A video record of the major sliding incident was analyzed using the general laws of physical motion. The analysis indicated that the maximum speed and maximum acceleration of the sliding mass were 11.65?m/s and 2.23?m/s², respectively, and that the maximum amplitude and the propagation velocity of the water wave near the landslide were 31.8?m and 18.36?m/s, respectively. Wave run-up investigation indicated that the maximum run-up on shore was 13.1?m, which declined to 1.1?m at Wushan dock 4?km away. The incident causes no casualties, but did result in economic losses of RMB five million. The numerical simulation model GEOWAVE was used to simulate and reproduced the impulse wave generated by the landslide; the results were in good agreement with the observed incident. The numerical simulation data were then applied to analyze the decay and amplification effects of the landslide wave in the river course. The field investigations and witness information provide valuable materials for the studies of landslide kinematics and impulse waves generated by landslides. In addition, the research results provide a useful reference for future similar waves generated by landslides in reservoirs.     

The Zymoetz River landslide, British Columbia, Canada: description and dynamic analysis of a rock slide–debris flow

The Zymoetz River landslide is a recent example of an extremely mobile type of landslide known as a rock slide–debris flow. It began as a failure of 900,000 m³ of bedrock, which mobilized an additional 500,000 m³ of surficial material in its path, transforming into a large debris flow that traveled over 4 km from its source. Seasonal snow and meltwater in the proximal part of the path were important factors. A recently developed dynamic model that accounts for material entrainment, DAN3D, was used to back-analyze this event. The two distinct phases of motion were modeled using different basal rheologies: a frictional model in the proximal path and a Voellmy model in the distal path, following the initiation of significant entrainment. Very good agreement between the observed and simulated results was achieved, suggesting that entrainment capabilities are essential for the successful simulation of this type of landslide.