Geophysical, geotechnical and hydrological investigations of a small landslide in the French Alps

Geophysical, geotechnical and hydrological surveys were conducted in the French Alps on a small landslide in black marl material to assess the stability. The geophysical survey, consisting of electromagnetic, geo-electric and relative differences in water content.

The data on the basal slip surface, together with geotechnical parameters (cohesion and angle of internal friction), were used to make a stability analysis. This analysis revealed that a groundwater level of 4 m below the ground surface is the critical threshold for reactivating the landslide.

The hydrological investigation, which entailed measurements of saturated permeability and pressure heads, indicated that instability depended on long-term wet conditions with little evapotranspiration.     

Differential single-frequency GPS monitoring of the La Valette landslide (French Alps)

Recently, Global Positioning System (GPS) surveying techniques have been increasingly employed to monitor landslide movement. Here we present an application of GPS to monitor the La Valette landslide, located in the Ubaye Valley in the southern French Alps. This complex landslide is composed by an upper rotational part, a central part with generally translational movement and a lower part, which occasionally transforms into mud flows during intense rainfall events. Displacement rates average a few centimeters per month, with velocity peaks of some centimeters per day during periods of strong activity. GPS data presented in this study were acquired with two single-frequency GPS receivers Magellan connected to multipath-resistant antennas. The data were processed with the Magellan software MSTAR. Nine points have been set in the studied area, seven of them in the moving area, one in a stable area near the landslide and one on the facing slope, which is used as reference point. For each observation, one GPS receiver is placed on the reference point for the whole day and the second one is placed on each monitored point for 1-h sessions. The distance between the base and monitored point ranges from 480 to 1660 m. Eight survey campaigns were made between October 2000 and October 2002, to follow the evolution of the surface displacements. The maximum cumulative 3-D displacement observed in the area was about 21 m during the period in the center part of the landslide, corresponding to an average rate of movement of about 3 cm/day. The accuracy achieved during the GPS measurements has been evaluated to be about 2.4 cm in E–W direction, about 11 cm in N–S direction and about 7.4 cm in elevation in the worst case. The GPS results have been compared with traditional surveying techniques (EDM) carried out on the same site by RTM Service (Restauration des Terrains en Montagne). The velocities obtained by the two methods are similar. The advantage of the GPS technique is the collection of data for the three spatial coordinates (x, y, z) of each point, which allow to calculate the 3-D displacement vector. These measurements have been combined with SAR interferometric data in order to analyse the temporal evolution of the different landslide sectors.     

A multidisciplinary investigation of deep-seated landslide reactivation triggered by an extreme rainfall event: a case study of the Monesi di Mendatica landslide,Ligurian Alps

Landslides - In November 2016, an extreme rainfall event affected the Ligurian Alps (NW Italy). Consequently, several landslides and debris flows occurred in the upper Tanarello stream basin. In...     

Long-term monitoring of a large deep-seated landslide (La Clapiere,South-East French Alps): initial study

The large-scale deformation of high mountain slopes finds its origin in many phenomena (inherent parameters, external stresses) with very different time constants (instantaneous to geological scale). Gravitational effect, tectonic forces and water infiltration are generally the principal causes of slope instability. However, it can be very difficult to distinguish which cause is dominant and which are their respective effects. To gain a better understanding of the complex processes taking place during the evolution of an unstable slope and separate the causes responsible of the landslide dynamic, an observational study based on geodetic, meteorological, seismological and electrical data has been performed on the La Clapière rockslide (Southern French Alps). This deep-seated landslide (DSL) is known for many years as one of the largest and fastest rock slide in Europe (60 million m³ of highly weathered metamorphic material, moving at 1 to 3 m year^?1). The set-up of the “Observatoire Multidisciplinaire des Instabilités de Versants” (OMIV, http://omiv.osug.fr) in 2011 has allowed the production and availability of an important and original data set over several years of accurate monitoring. Thus, for the first time, the long-term study of geodetic data permitted us to highlight acceleration phases in the general movement of the landslide that affect its dynamic. These modifications are associated with variations of the velocity by a factor 3 to 6. The characterization of the origin of these variations was possible due to the comparison with meteorological, electrical and seismological data. Based on these various signals, we were able to establish correlations and contributions of meteorological water infiltration in the dynamic evolution of the La Clapière slope. We determine several response times to the meteorological stress for seismic endogenous events (mainly rockfalls), the resistivity of the ground (quasi-instantaneous) and the kinematics of the slope (from 2 weeks to 2.5 months). Moreover, our results strongly suggest the existence of rainfall threshold of 3.5?±?1 mm day^?1 from which the number of seismic endogenous events is highly increased.     

Geophysical characterization of the lithological control on the kinematic pattern in a large clayey landslide (Avignonet,French Alps)

Lithology variation is known to have a major control on landslide kinematics, but this effect may remain unnoticed due to low spatial coverage during investigation. The large clayey Avignonet landslide (French Alps) has been widely studied for more than 35 years. Displacement measurements at 38 geodetic stations over the landslide showed that the slide surface velocity dramatically increases below an elevation of about 700 m and that the more active zones are located at the bottom and the south of the landslide. Most of the geotechnical investigation was carried out in the southern part of the landslide where housing development occurred on lacustrine clay layers. In this study, new electrical prospecting all across the unstable area revealed the unexpected presence of a thick resistive layer covering the more elevated area and overlying the laminated clays, which is interpreted as the lower part of moraine deposits. The downslope lithological boundary of this layer was found at around 700 m asl. This boundary coincides with the observed changes in slide velocity and in surface roughness values computed from a LiDAR DTM acquired in 2006. This thick permeable upper layer constitutes a water reservoir, which is likely to influence the hydromechanical mechanism of the landslide. The study suggests a major control of vertical lithological variations on the landslide kinematics, which is highlighted by the relation between slide velocity and electrical resistivity.     

Snowmelt-triggered reactivation of a loess landslide in Yili,Xinjiang, China: mode and mechanism

Landslides - As the global climate warms, the frequency of soil slope failures induced by snowmelt is gradually increasing, especially loess landslide disasters in seasonally frozen areas....     

Impact of predicted climate change on landslide reactivation: case study of Mam Tor, UK

Global change is expected to result in worldwide increases in temperature and alteration of rainfall patterns. Such changes have the potential to modify stability of slopes, both natural and constructed. This paper discusses the potential effect of global climate change on reactivation of landslides through examination of predicted changes in rainfall pattern on the active landslide at Mam Tor, Derbyshire, UK. This landslide is of Pleistocene origin and is crossed by a road that is now abandoned. Damaging winter movement is known to occur when precipitation reaches both 1-month triggering and 6-month antecedent thresholds. Return periods for threshold exceedence is modelled statistically, and the climate change data from the UKCIP 2002 report (Hulme et al. 2002) is applied to this model. For the predicted changes in precipitation, it is shown that the instability threshold could decrease from 4 to 3.5 years by the 2080s for the medium–high climate change scenario. However, predicted temperature changes could influence the response of the landslide through increased evapotranspiration leading to a change in the triggering precipitation thresholds, and this will help counter the impact of changes in precipitation. Analysis of sources of uncertainty in the model has been used to establish the factors that contribute to the predicted changes in stability. Assessment of these factors can provide an indication of the potential impact of climate change on landslides in other areas of the UK.     

四川巴塘扎马古滑坡发育特征与复活趋势

扎马古滑坡是位于川西巴塘断裂带内的一个大型古滑坡,通过遥感解译、现场调查、钻探等手段,揭示扎马古滑坡体积约2840×104m3.研究表明,扎马古滑坡局部具有复活特征,在平面上可分为滑坡后壁(Ⅰ)和滑坡体(Ⅱ)2个分区;根据滑坡变形情况将该区划分为中部局部稳定区(Ⅱ1)和前缘强变形区(Ⅱ2、Ⅱ3),Ⅱ2和Ⅱ3以坡体前缘的...     

Landslide kinematics inferred from in situ measurements: the Cliets rock-slide (Savoie,French Alps)

This paper presents an analysis of two large rock toppling/sliding events which occurred in January 2014 and February 2019 at the Cliets unstable slope (Savoie, French Alps). To understand the mechanism involved and its control by external forcings, a multi-technique analysis approach is used combining geological observations, meteorological data analysis, topographic measurements and simple physical modeling. The pre-failure stage of the events is more particularly analyzed. No direct relationships are found between triggering factors and surface motion though a kinematics analysis highlights the transition toppling-sliding. It showed that, at first order, this transition occurred 4 years before the first failure of 2014, while it happened 2 months before the second failure of 2019. From this date, the environment is considered like a block sliding on an inclined plane. By applying a frictional model (Helmstetter et al. in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 109(B2), 2004), we illustrated that the two events belong to an unstable velocity-weakening sliding regime. The time to failure (Voight in Science 243(4888):200–203, 1989) is forecasted with the model, and the results are consistent with the observations. They confirm that the gravitational factor is predominant over the triggering factors for the two events.

     

南京市浦口区某山前缓坡滑坡复活机制再分析

南京猪头山滑坡属于典型的覆盖层滑坡,2003年5月边坡发生缓慢变形失稳,没有对周围造成很大的危害,故未引起足够重视,2016年6~7月间受强降雨的影响再次发生大规模的滑动。研究发现,该滑体的地层具有特殊地质结构,在强降雨条件下会产生暂时性承压水,在其承压水的渗透力及浮托力作用下,其稳定性将会大大下降,因此该滑坡的再滑动与降雨密切相关。本文运用数值模拟方法分析了滑坡变形过程与降雨时长及降雨强度之间的关系,结果表明猪头山山前缓坡的稳定性随降雨时长和降雨强度增大逐渐降低,且具有一定的突变性,其滑坡面的位置位于坡体填土层的下部,较好地揭示了猪头山降雨型滑坡形成的机理以及滑坡再滑动机制。这一研究为所在地区的降雨性滑坡预报和治理提供了科学依据。     

Within-Plate type Meta-Volcaniclastic Deposits of Maastrichtian-Paleogene age in the Grande Motte unit (French Alps,Vanoise) : a first record in the Western Alps and some implications

Abstract

Metamorphosed mafic rocks probably corresponding lo ancient basaltic ashes (meta-tuffs) have been discovered in Kastern Vanoise. These rocks are interbedded within the Maastrichtian-paleocene formations of the Grande Motte unit. Their geochemícal characteristics are consistent with a within-plate affinity. A remote origin of these materials, as airfall ashes, is possible. These volcanic rocks arc coeval with eruptive alkaline products known is the Southern Alps. They have formed in a local extensional and/or strike-slip environment involving the internal Alpine realms around the Cretaceous-Tertiary boudary.     

甘肃舟曲垭豁口滑坡复活机理及成因探讨

2019年7月19日18时许,甘肃舟曲县垭豁口滑坡复活,约3.92×106 m3的滑体顺坡而下,迅速流入岷江,堵塞河道,造成河道水位上升,江边公路中断,滑坡变形持续至8月中旬。基于野外勘察、遥感解译、钻孔勘探等方法获取了滑坡变形的基本特征,并开展了滑坡监测工作,并结合气象资料,探讨了该滑坡复活原因及启动机制。初步研究认为,该滑坡为降雨诱发。通过对滑坡变形历史进行梳理,结合滑带证据,滑坡复活机理可概括为:首先上部块体缓慢蠕变,降雨后发生塑性流滑;其次,因上部滑体堆积在滑坡中部,造成中部平台堆载,引发中部滑体变形;最终一滑而下,刮产连带下部滑体坠入河道。滑坡的上中下三部分滑体逐步被激活,最初缓慢变形,随后加速启动。滑坡变形模式为蠕滑—拉裂—流滑。对滑坡变形过程和机理的初步判断为滑坡灾害应急处置提供了科学依据。     

Dating the Tethyan Ocean in the Western Alps with radiolarite pebbles from synorogenic Oligocene molasse basins (southeast France)

For the first time in the Western Alps, radiolarite pebbles collected from Tertiary foreland molasse conglomerates are treated for microfossil extraction and dated. Among forty pebbles collected in the field, seven of them released diagnostic radiolarian assemblages ranging in age from Late Bajocian?CEarly Callovian to Middle Oxfordian?CEarly Tithonian. These ages overlap previous biochronological data obtained from in situ localities of the Schistes Lustrés Piemont zone of the French-Italian Alps and triple the number of diagnostic radiolarite samples known so far in this segment of the chain. The diagnostic pebbles are characterized by low grade metamorphism, showing that some eroded thrust-sheets from the oldest parts of the ocean escaped any tectonic burial during the Alpine convergence. Mixing of low and high-grade radiolarites, mafics and ultramafics pebbles implies that various ocean-derived units were exposed. This tectonic scenario involves tight refolding and severe uplift of the Eocene subduction wedge in the Early Oligocene.     

Application of sky view factor technique to the interpretation and reactivation assessment of landslide activity

High-resolution digital elevation models are crucial to the investigation of natural disasters, and a variety of methods based on visualization and relief map compilations have been proposed. In this study, the sky view factor (SVF) is applied to slope maps and a digital elevation model (DEM) of the Oso landslide, a deadly landslide that occurred in Washington State on March 22, 2014, to demonstrate the effectiveness of SVF-enhanced relief maps in mapping and evaluating large-scale or deep-seated landslide hazards. A procedure for combining the SVF-enhanced DEM with slope and elevation maps is also presented. Then the maps are used to extract the landslide-prone areas and perform a reactivation analysis of the post-Oso landslide using an analytic hierarchy process (AHP). By using the SVF-enhanced DEM to perform the AHP assessment on multi-period images, we accurately evaluate hazard of the landslide for both pre and post-2014 conditions. Finally, different visualization maps, limitation and recommend parameters for generating SVF relief map are presented in the paper.     

Historical reconstruction and evolution of the large landslide of Inza (Navarra,Spain)

Natural Hazards - In the winter of 1714–1715, a large rotational landslide originated on the northern slope of the Sierra de Aralar (Navarra, Spain), generating an earthflow that slowly...     

Accuracy assessment of InSAR derived input maps for landslide susceptibility analysis: a case study from the Swiss Alps

In recent years SAR interferometry has become a widely used technique for measuring altitude and displacement of the surface of the earth. Both these capabilities are highly relevant for landslide susceptibility studies. Although there are many problems that make the use of SAR interferometry less suitable for landslide inventory mapping, it’s use in landslide monitoring and in the generation of input maps for landslide susceptibility assessment looks very promising. The present work attempts to evaluate the usefulness and limitations of this technique based on a case study in the Swiss Alps. Input maps were generated from ERS repeat pass data using SAR interferometry. A land cover map has been generated by image classification of multi-temporal SAR intensity images. An InSAR DEM was generated and a number of maps were derived from it, such as slope-, aspect, altitude- and slope form classes. These maps were used to generate landslide and rockfall susceptibility maps, which give fairly well acceptable results. However, a comparison of the InSAR DEM with the conventional Swisstopo DEM, indicated significant errors in the absolute height and slope angles derived from InSAR, especially along the ridges and in the valleys. These errors are caused by low coherence mostly due to layover and shadow effects. Visual comparison of stereo images created from hillshading maps and corresponding DEMs demonstrate that a considerable amount of topographic details have been lost in the InSAR-derived DEM. It is concluded that InSAR derived input maps are not ideal for landslide susceptibility assessment, but could be used if more accurate data is lacking.