Effect of antecedent-hydrological conditions on rainfall triggering of debris flows in ash-fall pyroclastic mantled slopes of Campania (southern Italy)

Mountainous areas surrounding the Campanian Plain and the Somma-Vesuvius volcano (southern Italy) are among the most risky areas of Italy due to the repeated occurrence of rainfall-induced debris flows along ash-fall pyroclastic soil-mantled slopes. In this geomorphological framework, rainfall patterns, hydrological processes taking place within multi-layered ash-fall pyroclastic deposits and soil antecedent moisture status are the principal factors to be taken into account to assess triggering rainfall conditions and the related hazard. This paper presents the outcomes of an experimental study based on integrated analyses consisting of the reconstruction of physical models of landslides, in situ hydrological monitoring, and hydrological and slope stability modeling, carried out on four representative source areas of debris flows that occurred in May 1998 in the Sarno Mountain Range. The hydrological monitoring was carried out during 2011 using nests of tensiometers and Watermark pressure head sensors and also through a rainfall and air temperature recording station. Time series of measured pressure head were used to calibrate a hydrological numerical model of the pyroclastic soil mantle for 2011, which was re-run for a 12-year period beginning in 2000, given the availability of rainfall and air temperature monitoring data. Such an approach allowed us to reconstruct the regime of pressure head at a daily time scale for a long period, which is representative of about 11 hydrologic years with different meteorological conditions. Based on this simulated time series, average winter and summer hydrological conditions were chosen to carry out hydrological and stability modeling of sample slopes and to identify Intensity-Duration rainfall thresholds by a deterministic approach. Among principal results, the opposing winter and summer antecedent pressure head (soil moisture) conditions were found to exert a significant control on intensity and duration of rainfall triggering events. Going from winter to summer conditions requires a strong increase of intensity and/or duration to induce landslides. The results identify an approach to account for different hazard conditions related to seasonality of hydrological processes inside the ash-fall pyroclastic soil mantle. Moreover, they highlight another important factor of uncertainty that potentially affects rainfall thresholds triggering shallow landslides reconstructed by empirical approaches.     

Velocity and runout simulation of destructive debris flows and debris avalanches in pyroclastic deposits,Campania region,Italy

The Campanian Apennines are characterized by the presence of monocline ridges, mainly formed by limestone. During the periods of volcanic activity of the Somma-Vesuvius and Phlegrean Fields, the ridges were mantled with pyroclastic materials in varying thickness. The pyroclastics have been involved in destructive landslides both in historical time and in the recent past (1997, 1998, 1999). The landslides occur following intense and prolonged rainfalls. In some cases, landslides extended up to 4 km into the surrounding lowlands and reached towns, causing severe destruction and over 200 deaths. Generally, the landslides begin as small debris slides that develop into large, shallow debris avalanches or debris flows involving pyroclastic horizons and colluvial soils (0.5–2 m thick) on steep and vegetated slopes, often at the heads of gullies. During motion, the landslide materials eroded vegetation and soils from the slope, so that the moving material volume tended to increase. Then, proceeding towards and beyond the base of the slopes, the phenomena evolved into hyperconcentrated streamflow due to dilution by incorporating water. The results of motion analyses are described. An empirical rheological relationship was used including two principal terms that depend on the total normal stress and on the flow velocity. On this basis, the model has simulated the velocity and duration of debris avalanches and the distribution of the deposits. The selected areas were those of Sarno/Quindici and Cervinara, where a large amount of data is available both on the material properties and geomorphological setting. It was found that the majority of the cases at the two sites can be simulated successfully with only one specific pair of rheologic parameters. This provides the possibility for first-order predictions to be made of the motion of future landslides. Such predictions will be a valuable tool for outlining potential hazard areas and designing remedial measures.     

Deterministic estimation of hydrological thresholds for shallow landslide initiation and slope stability models: case study from the Somma-Vesuvius area of southern Italy

Rainfall-induced debris flows involving ash-fall pyroclastic deposits that cover steep mountain slopes surrounding the Somma-Vesuvius volcano are natural events and a source of risk for urban settlements located at footslopes in the area. This paper describes experimental methods and modelling results of shallow landslides that occurred on 5–6 May 1998 in selected areas of the Sarno Mountain Range. Stratigraphical surveys carried out in initiation areas show that ash-fall pyroclastic deposits are discontinuously distributed along slopes, with total thicknesses that vary from a maximum value on slopes inclined less than 30° to near zero thickness on slopes inclined greater than 50°. This distribution of cover thickness influences the stratigraphical setting and leads to downward thinning and the pinching out of pyroclastic horizons. Three engineering geological settings were identified, in which most of the initial landslides that triggered debris flows occurred in May 1998 can be classified as (1) knickpoints, characterised by a downward progressive thinning of the pyroclastic mantle; (2) rocky scarps that abruptly interrupt the pyroclastic mantle; and (3) road cuts in the pyroclastic mantle that occur in a critical range of slope angle. Detailed topographic and stratigraphical surveys coupled with field and laboratory tests were conducted to define geometric, hydraulic and mechanical features of pyroclastic soil horizons in the source areas and to carry out hydrological numerical modelling of hillslopes under different rainfall conditions. The slope stability for three representative cases was calculated considering the real sliding surface of the initial landslides and the pore pressures during the infiltration process. The hydrological modelling of hillslopes demonstrated localised increase of pore pressure, up to saturation, where pyroclastic horizons with higher hydraulic conductivity pinch out and the thickness of pyroclastic mantle reduces or is interrupted. These results lead to the identification of a comprehensive hydrogeomorphological model of susceptibility to initial landslides that links morphological, stratigraphical and hydrological conditions. The calculation of intensities and durations of rainfall necessary for slope instability allowed the identification of deterministic hydrological thresholds that account for uncertainty in properties and observed rainfall intensities.     

The Stogovce landslide in SW Slovenia triggered during the September 2010 extreme rainfall event

From September 16 to September 20, 2010, a cold weather front went across Slovenia. A heavy 4-day rainfall totaling between 300 and 520 mm caused large floods and triggered numerous rainfall-induced landslides. The damage due to the floods and landslides is estimated over 250 million Euros. One of the largest landslides covering the area of approximately 15 ha was triggered on flysch bedrock, just below a limestone overthrust zone. The sliding material properties, the inclinations of the slope, and the water catchment area indicate that the landslide may transform into a fast moving debris flow. The necessary protective measures were taken to protect inhabitants and the infrastructure against the disaster. The Stogovce landslide is one of the numerous rainfall-induced landslides that have occurred in Slovenia on flysch bedrock in the last 10 years. It proves that landslide risk on flysch territory is increasing. Special program of monitoring and protective measures will have to be developed in near future to protect densely populated areas against landslides as a consequence of weather extremes.     

The formation and evolution of a coastal alluvial fan in eastern Taiwan caused by rainfall-induced landslides

The formation and evolution of a coastal fan in eastern Taiwan associated with a sequence of rainfall-induced landslides during the 2009–2013 period are explored in this study. The evolution of these landslides is mainly attributed to the head-cutting process initiated by Typhoon Parma in October 2009. During the attack of Typhoon Megi in October, 2010, a subaerial coastal fan with a surface slope of 8.9° was formed after the mobilization of the rainfall-induced landslides. The geomorphic features both in the steep gully and on the coastal fan were categorized as the sequence of granular debris flows and sheet floods. Severe fan toe erosion occurred thereafter due to the wind-wave forcing. Even if the variations of both the cumulative rainfalls and the drainage areas are one or two orders of magnitude among devastating fan-forming landslides worldwide, the mean annual precipitation and the basin ruggedness index (Melton ratio) are effective indicators to normalize the rainfall threshold and to characterize the fan surface slope, respectively. Severe catastrophic landslides generally occur when the normalized cumulative rainfalls with respect to mean annual precipitation are greater than 0.1. The fan slope generally increases with the increasing Melton ratio for the catchment. Uchiogi’s empirical model is applicable for predicting the rainfall-induced area ratio of newly generated landslides. In this case study, the relationship of the fan area to the total landslide area follows a linear regressive curve when the ratio of landslide area with respect to the drainage area exceeds 0.0056.     

Analysis of the relationship of landslide occurrence with rainfall: a case study of Wudu County,China

Landslides are a significant hazard in many parts of the world and represent an important geohazard in China. Rainfall is the primary triggering agent for landslides and often used for prediction slope failures. However, the relationship between rainfall and landslide occurrences is very complex. Great efforts have been made on the study of regional rainfall-induced landslide forecasting models in recent years; still, there is no commonly accepted method for rainfall-induced landslide prediction. In this paper, the quantitative antecedent soil water status (ASWS) model is applied to investigate the influence of daily and antecedent rainfall on the triggering of landslides and debris flows. The study area is Wudu County in Gansu Province, an area which exhibits frequent landslide occurrences. The results demonstrate a significant influence of high intensity rainfall events on landslide triggering. Still, antecedent rainfall conditions are very important and once a threshold of approximately 20 mm is exceeded, landslides and debris flows can occur even without additional rainfall. The study presented could also facilitate the implementation of a regional forecasting scheme once additional validation has been carried out.     

台风暴雨型滑坡降雨阈值曲线研究以福建地区为例

台风暴雨型滑坡具有群发性、规模小、爆发性强的特点,容易造成严重的人员伤亡和巨大的财产损失。本文应用极值理论分析,以极端降雨重现期的极大值作为标准并计算有效的降雨区间,通过统计分析,确定触发暴雨型滑坡的降雨阈值曲线。应用模型对福建地区台风暴雨型滑坡进行了分析,福建省3个灾害高发区为:南平三明地区、泉州地区和宁德地区。南平三明地区降雨阈值较高,但发生的滑坡数量较多,主要以3d的降雨为主;泉州地区小于3d的连续降雨和大于8d的连续降雨是触发该地滑坡的主要降雨区间;宁德地区对短期降雨较为敏感,滑坡主要由1d的降雨引起。比较分析研究表明,台风地区触发滑坡的降雨阈值要高于非台风地区。降雨型滑坡阈值主要受气候,地质和土壤厚度影响,气候因素为主控因素。     

降雨型滑坡时间概率的逻辑回归拟合及连续概率滑坡危险性建模

提高降雨型滑坡危险性预警精度和空间辨识度具有重要意义.以江西宁都县1980—2001年156个降雨型滑坡为例,首先基于传统的EE-D(early effective rainfall-rainfall duration)阈值法计算不同降雨诱发滑坡的时间概率级别;然后以各级别临界降雨阈值曲线对应的时间概率为因变量,并以对应的前期有效降雨量(early effective rainfall,EE)和降雨历时(D)为自变量,采用逻辑回归拟合出上述因变量与自变量之间的非线性关系,得到降雨诱发滑坡的连续概率值;之后对比C5.0决策树和多层感知器的滑坡易发性预测性能;最后利用降雨诱发滑坡的连续概率值与易发性图相耦合以实现连续概率滑坡危险性预警.结果显示：(1)宁都降雨型滑坡连续概率值的逻辑回归方程为1/P=1+e^{4.062+0.747 4×D-0.079 44×EE},其拟合优度为0.983;(2)2002—2003年的20处用于连续概率阈值测试的降雨型滑坡大都落在连续概率值大于0.7的区域,只有4处落在小于0.7的区域;(3)C5.0决策树预测滑坡易发性的精度显著高于多层感知...     

A Simplified Numerical Approach for the Prediction of Rainfall-Induced Retrogressive Landslides

Retrogressive landslides are common geological phenomena in mountainous areas and on onshore and offshore slopes. The impact of retrogressive landslides is different from that of other landslide types due to the phenomenon of retrogression. The hazards caused by retrogressive landslides may be increased because retrogressive landslides usually affect housing, facilities, and infrastructure located far from the original slopes. Additionally, substantial geomorphic evidence shows that the abundant supply of loose sediment in the source area of a debris flow is usually provided by retrogressive landslides that are triggered by the undercutting of water. Moreover, according to historic case studies, some large landslides are the evolution result of retrogressive landslides. Hence the ability to understand and predict the evolution of retrogressive landslides is crucial for the purpose of hazard mitigation. This paper discusses the phenomenon of a retrogressive landslide by using a model experiment and suggests a reasonably simplified numerical approach for the prediction of rainfall-induced retrogressive landslides. The simplified numerical approach, which combines the finite element method for seepage analysis, the shear strength reduction finite element method, and the analysis criterion for the retrogression and accumulation effect, is presented and used to predict the characteristics of a retrogressive landslide. The results show that this numerical approach is capable of reasonably predicting the characteristics of retrogressive landslides under rainfall infiltration, particularly the magnitude of each landslide, the position of the slip surface, and the development processes of the retrogressive landslide. Therefore, this approach is expected to be a practical method for the mitigation of damage caused by rainfall-induced retrogressive landslides.     

Landslide hazard and cascading effects following the extreme rainfall event on Madeira Island (February 2010)

Heavy rainfall on February 20, 2010, triggered numerous shallow rapid landslides across Madeira Island, a Portuguese archipelago in the North Atlantic. Two days after the extreme rainfall event, a field campaign was started which involved describing and mapping a variety of landslide types and the related losses at 120 different locations throughout the Island. Most of the failures started as debris slides or avalanches at high elevations and transformed into debris flows which rushed downslope into populated coastal areas. Over half of the mapped landslides were located in the central and southern area of the island. A further 1,257 landslide locations were revealed in these areas using remote sensing data which were then assembled in a spatial database. Due to anthropogenic influences caused by urban development and population expansion, the event demonstrated the increased vulnerability of the island??s infrastructure. In order to mitigate future losses, it is important to quantify the typical preparatory factors which contribute to rainfall-induced landslides. This increases our understanding of the hazards and associated risks. The analysis shows that based on their spatial frequency, distribution and in the context of the drainage system, three main factors contribute to the triggering of the landslides due to the heavy rainfall event in February 2010: the characteristic soil type, the land cover and the slope gradient. It can now be recognized that the distribution of landslides is highly dependent on the temporal and spatial distribution of these factors. Furthermore, the anthropogenic impact on the extent of the hazard becomes obvious due to poor settlement planning and drainage system modification.     

Influence of man-made cuts on the stability of pyroclastic covers (Campania,southern Italy): a numerical modelling approach

Intense rainfall in May 1998 and December 1999 caused disastrous landslides in the Sarno-Quindici and Cervinara areas (Campania, southern Italy). The landslides began with slips of the local pyroclastic covers mantling the carbonate relief and then evolved into debris flows/avalanches. The study discussed in this paper used a numerical modelling approach to assess the influence of man-made cuts on the stability conditions of pyroclastic covers. The model that was developed took into account initial failure conditions in order to better simulate the impact of man-made cuts along the slopes, with or without water seepage into the permeable pumiceous layers of the pyroclastic multilayer. Numerical analysis of stress-strain field clearly showed that tracks or geomorphological discontinuities had a negative impact on the multilayer stability conditions. Consequently, preservation of this vulnerable environment requires correct forest management practices.     

Rainfall-induced landslides in Hulu Kelang area, Malaysia

Hulu Kelang is known as one of the most landslide-prone areas in Malaysia. The area has been constantly hit by landslide hazards since 1990s. This paper provides an insight into the mechanism of rainfall-induced landslide in the Hulu Kelang area. Rainfall patterns prior to the occurrences of five selected case studies were first analyzed. The results showed that daily rainfall information is insufficient for predicting landslides in the area. Rainfalls of longer durations, i.e., 3–30 days prior to the landslides should be incorporated into the prediction model. Numerical simulations on a selected case study demonstrated that both matric suction and factor of safety decreased steadily over time until they reached the lowest values on the day of landslide occurrence. Redistribution of infiltrated rainwater in the soil mass could be a reason for the slow response of failure mechanism to rainfall. Based on 21 rainfall-induced landslides that had occurred in the area, three rainfall thresholds were developed as attempts to predict the occurrence of rainfall-induced landslide. The rainfall intensity–duration threshold developed based on the local rainfall conditions provided a reasonably good prediction to the landslide occurrence. The cumulative 3- versus 30-day antecedent precipitation index threshold chart was capable of giving the most reliable prediction with the limiting threshold line for major landslide yielded a reliability of 97.6 %.     

国道212线甘肃段地貌特征与滑坡泥石流关系研究

国道212线甘肃段是甘肃省南北向的主要通道,在甘肃境内全长707km,公路沿线是我国滑坡、泥石流的主要发育区,特别是陇南市的宕昌武都段是我国最主要的滑坡、泥石流灾害区之一。线路通过地区的自然地理条件迥异,造成滑坡、泥石流类型和性质有很大差别。本文分析了该区地形地貌时、时空规律性及其与滑坡、泥石流的关系,为未来的高速公路建设提供理论依据。     

基于Fisher判别法的台风暴雨泥石流预测模型

对台风暴雨泥石流发生的可能性进行定量预测,有助于减少危险区内的人员伤亡、降低经济损失。以台湾地区南投县陈有兰溪流域的47条泥石流沟为研究对象,从泥石流形成所需的地形地貌、物源和降雨条件中,初步选取台风暴雨泥石流发生的影响因子,包括沟床平均坡度、有效流域面积、形状系数、主沟长度、岩性、崩滑比和平均雨强。根据因子重要性排序结果,选择崩滑比和平均雨强作为模型的预测因子,基于Fisher判别法建立了台风暴雨泥石流预测模型。采用随机取样技术,选取70%的数据用于构建模型,剩余30%的数据用于验证模型。以精确度、准确率、漏报率和误报率指标,定量评价模型的预测效果,并确定最优的预测模型。结果表明:基于Fisher判别法构建的台风暴雨泥石流预测模型,综合考虑了泥石流形成所需的物源条件和降雨条件,弥补了降雨阈值模型仅依靠降雨资料分析的不足,预测效果更好。     

东南沿海残积土地区降雨诱发型滑坡预报雨强-历时曲线的影响因素分析

东南沿海山地丘陵地区每年雨季期间有大量土质滑坡发生,如何对由降雨诱发的滑坡进行预报一直都是一个热点研究课题,雨强-历时曲线（简称I-D曲线）是目前国内外常用的降雨型滑坡预报的降雨量临界值曲线。针对东南沿海地区的浅层残积土滑坡,根据相关勘察数据及资料,概化得到了该类型边坡的地质剖面及岩土层性质,然后应用Geo-Studio软件分析了边坡初始湿润条件、土体抗剪强度、饱和渗透系数、边坡坡角、残坡积土层厚度及雨型等参数对I-D曲线的影响规律。分析结果表明：残坡积土抗剪强度参数、饱和渗透系数、边坡坡角、雨型等因素对I-D曲线的影响显著,边坡安全系数降至临界值所需降雨历时随抗剪强度参数值降低、表层残积土渗透系数增加或坡角增大而减少;当雨强较小时,初始湿润条件对I-D曲线的影响显著;当雨强大于残坡积土层饱和渗透系数时,入渗量主要由渗透系数控制,边坡安全系数降至临界值所需降雨历时不随雨强增大而变化。该研究结果为I-D曲线在东南沿海残积土地区降雨诱发滑坡预警预报中的应用奠定了基础。     

中国滑坡降雨试验的研究现状与发展趋势

滑坡降雨试验是降雨型滑坡形成机理研究的重要方法之一。20世纪90年代以来,我国的工程地质学家对降雨型滑坡的关注与研究日益深入,更加注重通过试验的方法研究降雨型滑坡。本文对我国的降雨型滑坡的研究现状与发展趋势进行了评述。     

蒋家沟砾石土的特性及其对斜坡失稳的意义

云南蒋家沟是世界上著名的由降雨导致泥石流、浅层滑坡频发的沟谷之一。组成蒋家沟斜坡表层的砾石土具有孔隙度高、级配宽、不均匀系数大等特点,级配曲线为上凹型或双峰型,为内在不稳定性土。X射线衍射分析表明,粒径小于1 mm 的细粒部分主要由绿泥石和伊利石等黏土矿物及次生石英组成,黏土矿物会影响砾石土的物理力学性质。在环境电镜扫描中观测了砾石土的微观结构,发现一种特殊的“桥式”胶结结构,并在遇水条件下发生断裂,不仅降低了微弱黏聚力,而且土颗粒容易分离成粒径为数十微米的散微粒。这与砾石土中黏性部分具有高分散性有关。此外这些散微粒在自滤过程中会能发生运移,并在孔喉等处积聚而堵塞孔隙,会降低砾石土的渗透性以及有利于斜坡中暂态上层滞水的积聚。     

汶川地震强震区地震诱发滑坡与后期降雨诱发滑坡控制因子耦合分析

本文以汶川地震强震区北川县典型研究区为例,利用高分辨率航片、SPOT5卫星图像对北川县典型研究区进行了512地震之后和924降雨之后诱发的滑坡解译,解译结果显示:512地震诱发滑坡1999个,924强降雨诱发滑坡828个,924强降雨导致原有地震滑坡面积扩大的滑坡150个。研究表明:地震和强降雨都是诱发滑坡的动力成因,924强降雨诱发的滑坡面积是512地震诱发滑坡面积的1/4倍,强降雨诱发滑坡的数量增加了41.4%; 强降雨不仅诱发新的滑坡,而且促使原来地震滑坡复活,并扩大其面积,强降雨导致地震诱发的滑坡面积扩大了原面积的68.7%。同时,在遥感解译数据基础之上,开展地震诱发滑坡与降雨诱发滑坡规模对比和控制因子耦合分析及地震与降雨耦合灾害链模式研究,为进一步分析研究地震灾区滑坡的产生、发展趋势、危险性和风险评价等预测预报提供科学依据,也为汶川震区恢复重建中的减灾防灾提供决策参考。     

Flow-type landslides in pyroclastic soils on flysch bedrock in southern Italy: the Bosco de’ Preti case study

In the last 20 years, major efforts have been made to investigate shallow flow-type landslides. Such phenomena are usually rainfall-induced and in the geological context of Campania (Southern Italy) occur in pyroclastic soils resting on steep slopes mainly constituted by carbonate or volcanic bedrock and by flysch deposits. They are generally complex landslides with an early soil slide and a subsequent flow evolution. In this paper, a database of flowslides occurring in recent years within the flysch deposits of Avellino (Campanian Apennines) is first discussed and then the case study of Bosco de’ Preti landslide on March 4, 2005, is described. The geological and geotechnical characteristics of the soils involved are described and the monitoring of the groundwater heads collected over 1 year from June 2005 to June 2006 is also shown. The last part of the paper illustrates the results of numerical modelling of the landslide triggering to gain insights into such phenomena. Slope stability analyses are preceded by hydrological modelling of the slope based on the monitoring data. Numerical analysis demonstrated that the rainfall during the 2 months preceding the event was able to fully saturate the pyroclastic cover and to establish positive pore water pressure at the depth of the surface of rupture, a soil condition never witnessed in carbonatic contexts. Hence, a combination of antecedent (predisposing factors) and single rainfall events (triggering factors) led to slope failure, as usually happens in pyroclastic soils in carbonatic and volcanic contexts. Finally, analysis of the historical landslides together with detailed investigation of the Bosco de’ Preti case study permitted comparison between flow-type landslides in pyroclastic soils on carbonatic/volcanic bedrock and those on flysch.     

降雨诱发浅层滑坡稳定性的计算模型研究

我国是一个滑坡灾害频发的国家,众多事实表明：降雨是影响边坡稳定性,导致边坡失稳的最主要和最普遍的环境因素,是浅层滑坡的触发因素。为了更好地对降雨诱发浅层滑坡进行研究,采用非饱和土VG模型与改进的Green-Ampt入渗模型对Mein-Larson降雨入渗模型进行改进,并结合无限边坡提出了一个降雨诱发浅层滑坡的简化计算模型。与以往提出的简化计算模型相比,该模型既考虑了坡面倾斜的影响,又考虑了非饱和土的特性,并可用于两种降雨形式下的边坡浅层稳定性估算,具有更广的应用范围。通过与有限元得到的结果进行比较可得：在不同降雨条件下,该计算模型得到的各项结果与数值解是接近的,安全系数计算结果是偏于安全的,因此,可将该计算模型用于降雨诱发浅层滑坡的近似估算;该计算模型公式简单,便于计算,计算效率较高。