Travel distance of failed slopes during 2004 Chuetsu earthquake and its evaluation in terms of energy

A number of slope failures during the 2004 Niigataken Chuetsu earthquake were investigated, revealing that the travel distance becomes longer as the slope gets gentler and the failed soil mass gets larger. An energy-based approach, proposed in previous research to evaluate the travel distance of failed slopes, is modified by adding the model test results and introducing a simple evaluation method. The energy approach is then applied to a number of slopes failed during the earthquake to back-calculate mobilized friction coefficients, revealing their strong dependency on initial slope inclinations. The friction coefficient was found to be smaller than the initial slope inclination for gentler slopes, indicating that the failed soil mass tends to accelerate. In contrast, that for steeper slopes was higher than initial slope inclination. The friction coefficient was found to decrease with increasing volume of failed slope, which is quite consistent with previous case studies including large non-seismic landslides.     

Geological setting of the 8 October 2005 Kashmir earthquake

The source of the 8 October 2005 earthquake of M 7.6 was the northwest-striking Balakot–Bagh (B–B) fault, which had been mapped by the Geological Survey of Pakistan prior to the earthquake but had not been recognized as active except for a 16-km section near Muzaffarabad. The fault follows the Indus–Kohistan Seismic Zone (IKSZ); both cut across and locally offset the Hazara–Kashmir Syntaxis defined by the Main Boundary and Panjal thrusts. The fault has no expression in facies of the Miocene–Pleistocene Siwalik Group but does offset late Pleistocene terrace surfaces in Pakistan-administered Jammu-Kashmir. Two en-échelon anticlines near Muzaffarabad and Balakot expose Precambrian Muzaffarabad Limestone and are cut by the B–B fault on their southwest sides, suggesting that folding and exposure of Precambrian rocks by erosion accompanied Quaternary displacement along the fault. The B–B fault has reverse separation, northeast side up; uplift of the northeast side accompanied displacement, producing higher topography and steeper stream gradients northeast of the fault. No surface expression of the B–B fault has been found northwest of the syntaxis, although the IKSZ and steeper stream gradients continue at least as far as the Indus River, the site of the Pattan earthquake of M 6.2 in 1974. To the southeast, northwest-striking faults were mapped by the Geological Survey of Pakistan. One of these faults, the Riasi thrust, cuts across the southwest flank of an anticline exposing Precambrian limestone. Farther southeast, in Indian-administered territory, Holocene activity on the Riasi thrust has been described. In the Kangra reentrant still farther southeast, active faulting may follow the Soan thrust, along which Holocene and Pleistocene offsets have been described. The Soan thrust, rather than the south flank of the Janauri anticline, may represent the surface projection of the 1905 Kangra earthquake of M 7.8.     

Geodynamic Implications for the 8 October 2005 North Pakistan Earthquake

We propose here that the 8 October 2005 North Pakistan earthquake occurred beneath the wedge-top of Balakot Formation in the Hazara-Kashmir syntaxial area. Slip occurred along the Muzaffarabad thrust, a southeast extended part of the Indus-Kohistan seismic zone. Tectonic loading of the high-density wedge/thrust sheet between the wedge-top and the descending Indian lithosphere coupled with continued flexural tectonics provoked this earthquake. The obliquely converging Indian plate along with block rotations led to development of a pinned zone around Northwestern Syntaxis of the Himalayas. Strain adjustment related to the rotational deformation processes resulted in the buckling of the more competent rock-units sandwiched between the less competent rock-units around the Hazara-Kashmir syntaxis. The western limb of the buckled unit gave rise to the development of thrusts and associated oblique slip in the inner arc of the competent rock-unit. The observations demonstrate reactivated tectonic movement along the growing fracture-tip of the buried Riasi thrust.     

南亚(巴基斯坦)地震灾害分布及成因分析

通过对南亚地震震害及其成因的分析表明,南亚地震灾害具有以下特点：①南亚地震的发震构造为喜马拉雅前缘弧形逆冲断层,地震地表破裂带发育的巴拉考特镇为此次地震的极震区,大量建筑物倒塌,造成严重的人员伤亡：②建筑物震害呈有规律分布：③地表破裂带和沿河谷两岸以及山坡的滑坡、建筑物没有抗震设防、建筑物结构不合理等是造成损失惨重的主因。     

Factors Controlling Seismic Susceptibility of the Sele Valley Slopes: The Case of the 1980 Irpinia Earthquake Re-Examined

Most of the documented slope failures triggered by the 1980 Irpinia earthquake (M_s 6.9) occurred in the upper Sele valley epicentral area (southern Italy). The early investigations revealed some puzzling characteristics of the slope failure distribution, i.e., (i) the higher landslide concentration on the valley slopes located farther away from the earthquake fault; (ii) the predominance of re-activations over first-time movements. The analyses of factors controlling the landslide concentrations indicates that the differences in hydrological setting and in slope were the two main causal factors whereas the seismic shaking, according to the radiation pattern modelling, could have been characterised by a relatively low rate of decrease across the valley. The aspect of the slopes did not play a significant role. The differences in groundwater conditions between the western and eastern valley sides were probably enhanced by the earthquake. In addition to the probable pore-water pressure rise, the seismic shaking caused large increases in the flow of springs draining the western aquifer, and this made the adjacent flysch slopes more prone to landsliding. Data from the available literature suggest that the effects of earthquake-induced groundwater release on seismic landslide distribution is especially important for normal-fault events. The Sele valley case also indicates that the slope of the pre-existing landslides is an important factor controlling their susceptibility to seismic re-activations.     

Accretion rates on some debris slopes in the Mt. Rae area,Canadian Rocky Mountains

Accretion of debris was monitored on six slopes in the Mt. Rae area of the Canadian Rocky Mountains for the period 1975–1982. Monitoring was accomplished by measuring annually the accumulated debris on fabric mats which were placed on the long profile of the slopes. Annual rates of accretion were extremely variable between points on the same slope, between slopes, and between years. The data do not show a systematic decrease in accretion downslope but indicate that an absence of accretion is more likely on the lower half of the slopes. In general, annual rates are comparable to previously published values from the Rockies and the maximum rates of 30 to 40 mm per year are comparable to those from Karkevagge in Scandinavia. Extremely high rates of accretion were all related to extreme events such as debris flows or full depth snow avalanches. The variation in accretion rates is not explained by single environmental factors such as lithology and slope exposure.     

考虑劣化屈服老化裂纹后混凝土水库堤坝排水边坡抗震性研究

针对在水库堤坝排水边坡混凝土裂纹的抗震性研究中,未考虑岩土体抗剪强度参数的劣化屈服效应以及混凝土裂纹的老化,存在抗震性判断结果准确率较差等问题,提出水库堤坝排水边坡混凝土考虑老化后产生裂纹的抗震性能研究方法。模拟强震下边坡混凝土的开裂破坏过程,根据D-P屈服准则,实现对闸墩混凝土材料的屈服判断。采用薄层整体单元模拟和分离式裂纹单元,实现混凝土裂纹的数值模拟,加载地震波后,获取混凝土裂纹的强震响应规律与破坏特征。实验结果可知,本文方法对坝体位移变化的研究精度高,得到的混凝土裂纹扩展范围更为准。运用本文方法对水库堤坝排水边坡混凝土的抗震性研究准确率以及可信度较高,说明本文方法具有一定的可取性。     

地震作用下分层土边坡多滑面变形破坏的数值模拟研究

地震引起的滑坡对生命、环境和经济造成了巨大的威胁。目前,对于地震作用下边坡稳定性的研究主要集中在单一滑动面破坏模式,对于具有多个潜在滑动面边坡的地震稳定性研究比较欠缺。基于此,利用有限差分软件FLAC对不同边坡进行地震稳定性数值模拟,对比分析不同强度地震动作用下均质土体、分层土体和含软弱夹层土体边坡的滑动面演化过程和永久变形分布特征。结果表明：对于均质边坡,地震引起的滑动面为单一的整体滑动面,地震动强度的增加仅导致沿滑动面的永久变形量增大;对于非均质边坡,在地震作用下还可能形成通过土层交界面的局部滑动变形,且地震作用下最先形成和发生变形的滑动面与静力条件下得到的最小安全系数对应的最危险滑动面一致;同时,地震引起的边坡浅层和深层变形破坏存在复杂的相互影响,当局部浅层滑动先发生时,地震动的进一步增大很容易诱发更深层的坡体滑动,而当深层滑动先发生时,由于塑性变形影响地震惯性力向上部坡体的传播,浅层坡体的进一步滑动变形相对较难被触发。     

Triggering Mechanisms of Slope Instability and their Relationship to Earthquakes and Tsunamis

— Submarine and shoreline slope failures that accompany large earthquakes and large tsunamis are triggered by several mechanisms. Triggering mechanisms range from direct effects, such as inertial forces from earthquake shaking, to indirect effects, such as rapid drawdown that occurs when an earthquake-generated tsunami first approaches a shoreline. Soil shear strength also plays an important role in earthquake-related slope failures. Earthquakes change the shear strength of the soil by inducing excess pore water pressures. These excess pore water pressures change with time after the earthquake, resulting in changes in shear strength and slope stability with time. This paper reviews earthquake-related triggering mechanisms for submarine and shoreline slope failures. The variation in shear strength with time following an earthquake is examined and it is shown that delayed slope failures after an earthquake can occur as a result of changes in earthquake-induced excess pore water pressures and shear strength with time.     

CHARACTERISTICS AND FORMATION MECHANISM OF LARGE ROCK AVALANCHES TRIGGERED BY THE LUDIAN MS6.5 EARTHQUAKE AT HONGSHIYAN AND GANJIAZHAI

The 3 August 2014 Ludian, Yunnan M_S6.5 earthquake has spawned more than 1, 000 landslides which are from several tens to several millions and over ten millions of cubic meters in volumes. Among them, the Hongshiya and Ganjiazai landslides are the biggest two with volumes over 1 000×10⁴m³. The Hongshiya and Ganjiazai landslides are two typical landslides, the former belongs to tremendous rock avalanche, and the latter belongs to unconsolidated werthering deposit landslide developed in concave mountain slope. Based on field investigations, causes and formation mechanism of the two landslides are discussed in this study. The neotectonic movement in the area maintains sustainable uplifting violently all the time since Cenozoic. The landform process accompanied with the regional tectonic uplifting is the violent downward erosion along the Jinshajiang River and its tributary, forming landforms of high mountains and canyons, deeply cut valleys, with great height difference. The regional seismo-tectonics situation suggests that:Ludian earthquake region is situated on the southern frontier boundary of Daliangshan secondary active block, and is seismically the strongest active area with one earthquake of magnitude greater than M5.0 occurring every 6 years. Frequent and strong seismicity produces accumulated effects on the ground rock to gradually lower the mechanical strength of slopes and their stability, which is the basis condition to generate large-scale collapse and landslide at Hongshiyan and Ganjiazhai. The occurring of Hongshiyan special large rock avalanche is associated with the large terrain height difference, steep slope, soft interlayer structure and unloading fissures and high-angle joints. The formation mechanism of Hongshiyan rock avalanche may have three stages as follows:Stage 1, when P wave arriving, under the situation of free surface, rocks shake violently, the pre-existent joints(in red)parallel to and normal to the river and unloading cracks are opened and connected. Stage 2, on the basis of the first stage, when S wave arriving, the ground movement aggravates. Joints(in green)along beds develop further, resulting in rock masses intersecting each other. Stage 3, rock masses lose stability, sliding downward, collapsing, and moving over a short distance along the sliding surface to the inside of the valley, blocking the river to form the dammed lake. The special large landslide at Ganjiazhai is a weathering layer landslide occurring in the middle-lower of a large concave slope. Its formation process may have two stages as follows:Firstly, under strong ground shaking and gravity, the ground rock-soil body around moves and assembles to the lower of the central axis of the large concave slope, which suffers the largest earthquake inertia force and firstly yields plastic damage to generate compression-expansion deformation, because of the largest water content and volume-weight within the loose soil of it. Secondly, in view of the steep slope, along with the compression, the plastic deformation area enlarges further in the lower of slope, giving rise to a tensional stress area along the middle of the slope. As soon as the tensional stress exceeds the tensile strength of the weathering layer, a tensional fracture will occur and the landslide rolls away immediately making use of momentum. This two large landslides are the basic typical ones triggered by the M_S6.5 Ludian earthquake, and their causes and mechanism have a certain popular implication for the landslides occurring in this earthquake region.     

Rock mass strength and the form of some inselbergs in the central namib desert

A rock mass strength classification, involving eight parameters, has been applied to selected inselbergs in the Namib Desert. The inselbergs are formed of schists, gneiss, granite and marble. Their slope inclinations are in a strength equilibrium with their rocks. The study suggests that the strength classification is consistent and has a general validity, and that rock slopes, undergoing uniform weathering, retreat to form slopes which are adjusted to their rock mass strength: this is a more general statement than the common hypothesis of parallel retreat. The favoured hypothesis of slope evolution in the Namib is one of retreat rather than downwearing.     

一种适用于黄土斜坡地震稳定性快速评估的综合判别方法——以宁夏西吉县为例

选取宁夏西吉县为目标区,对区内1920年海原8.5级特大地震所诱发的347处黄土地震滑坡进行野外调查,获取了详实的基础数据.在此基础上结合遥感影像解译,总结了研究区内黄土地震滑坡的分布特征,并依此提出了宏观、定性的黄土斜坡地震稳定性快速判别方法.基于分布特征选取了坡高、坡角、坡向及地震动强度作为基本参数,应用MLP神经...     

黄土边坡动力响应分析

运用有限差分软件FLAC3D,建立了某一黄土边坡三维模型,首先对其在地震作用下的动力响应规律进行了总结,然后探讨了地震动参数对黄土边坡动力响应的影响。结果表明：黄土边坡对地震波存在垂直放大和临空面放大作用;当输入地震波振幅或频率增加时,坡面监测点加速度放大系数随坡高增加呈＂增加→衰减→增加＂的三段形态;速度放大系数随坡高的增大而增大,并在坡顶达到最大值;位移放大系数随振幅和频率的增加而增加;地震持时对加速度、速度峰值的影响不大,但坡体位移随持时的增加而显著增加。强震作用下的最大剪应变增量区域的位置和形状表明,黄土边坡的破坏模式仍是沿着某一弧形潜在滑动面失稳破坏。研究结果有助于进一步揭示黄土边坡在地震作用下的失稳机制,为黄土地区边坡抗震设计与防灾减灾提供参考。     

The effect of glaciation on the intensity of seismic ground motion

Seismicity is known to contribute to landscape denudation through its role in earthquake‐triggered slope failure; but little is known about how the intensity of seismic ground motions, and therefore triggering of slope failures, may change through time. Topography influences the intensity of seismic shaking – generally steep slopes amplify shaking more than flatter slopes – and because glacial erosion typically steepens and enlarges slopes, glaciation may increase the intensity of seismic shaking of some landforms. However, the effect of this may be limited until after glaciers retreat because valley ice or ice‐caps may damp seismic ground motions. Two‐dimensional numerical models (FLAC 6.0) were used to explore how edifice shape, rock stiffness and various levels of ice inundation affect edifice shaking intensity. The modelling confirmed that earthquake shaking is enhanced with steeper topography and at ridge crests but it showed for the first time that total inundation by ice may reduce shaking intensity at hill crests to about 20–50% of that experienced when no ice is present. The effect is diminished to about 80–95% if glacier ice level reduces to half of the mountain slope height. In general, ice cover reduced shaking most for the steepest‐sided edifices, for wave frequencies higher than 3 Hz, and when ice was thickest and the rock had shear stiffness well in excess of the stiffness of ice. If rock stiffness is low and shear‐wave velocity is similar to that of ice, the presence of ice may amplify the shaking of rock protruding above the ice surface. The modelling supports the idea that topographic amplification of earthquake shaking increases as a result of glacial erosion and deglaciation. It is possible that the effect of this is sufficient to have influenced the distribution of post‐glacial slope failures in glaciated seismically active areas. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic stability of jointed rock slopes under obliquely incident earthquake waves

Seismic stability of slopes has been traditionally analyzed with vertically propagated earthquake waves. However, for rock slopes, the earthquake waves might approach the outcrop still with a evidently oblique direction. To investigate the impact of obliquely incident earthquake excitations, the input method for SV and P waves with arbitrary incident angles is conducted, respectively, by adopting the equivalent nodal force method together with a viscous-spring boundary. Then, the input method is introduced within the framework of ABAQUS software and verified by a numerical example. Both SV and P waves input are considered herein for a 2D jointed rock slope. For the jointed rock mass, the jointed material model in ABAQUS software is employed to simulate its behavior as a continuum. Results of the study show that the earthquake incident angles have significance on the seismic stability of jointed rock slopes. The larger the incident angle, the greater the risk of slope instability. Furthermore, the stability of the jointed rock slopes also is affected by wave types of earthquakes heavily. P waves induce weaker responses and SV waves are shown to be more critical.     

双向地震作用下崩塌堆积体边坡动力模糊可靠性分析

考虑崩塌堆积体边坡岩土体参数随机性和模糊性,以及地震力双向性,建立一种边坡地震动力模糊可靠度计算方法,针对竖向地震力对崩塌堆积体边坡稳定可靠性的影响进行进一步研究。首先,选用动力有限元时程分析法计算出双向地震工况下崩塌堆积体边坡的响应特征,并运用模糊理论对强度参数进行模糊性处理;然后,根据Mohr-Coulumb强度准则构建边坡安全系数与可靠度的时程计算模型;最后,采用边坡地震可靠性评价新方法,通过MATLAB编写相应程序,实现计算和分析结果的快速输出。案例结果表明:新方法计算结果更加合理,对工程而言也更加安全;竖向地震作用均对崩塌堆积体边坡整体可靠性存在影响,但影响程度需根据工程实际情况进行分析。在算例工况下,竖向地震对崩塌堆积体边坡的可靠性影响很小,仅使得可靠度降低3.55%,因此,可仅考虑水平地震的影响。     

Reliability analysis of three-dimensional dynamic slope stability and earthquake-induced permanent displacement

Different models were developed for evaluating the probabilistic three-dimensional (3D) stability analysis of earth slopes and embankments under earthquake loading using both the safety factor and the displacement criteria of slope failure. In the 3D analysis, the critical and total slope widths become two new and important parameters.The probabilistic models evaluate the probability of failure under seismic loading considering the different sources of uncertainties involved in the problem, i.e. uncertainties stemming from the discrepancies between laboratory-measured and in-situ values of shear strength parameters, randomness of earthquake occurrence, and earthquake-induced acceleration. The models also takes into consideration the spatial variabilities and correlations of soil properties.Five probabilistic models of earthquake-induced displacement were developed based on the non-exceedance of a limited value criterion. Moreover, a probabilistic model for dynamic slope stability analysis was developed based on 3D dynamic safety factor.These models are formulated and incorporated within a computer program (PTDDSSA).A sensitivity analysis was conducted on the different parameters involved in the developed models by applying those models to a well-known landslides (Selset landslide) under different levels of seismic hazard.The parametric study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different input parameters on the resulting critical failure width, 3D dynamic safety factor, earthquake-induced displacement and the probability of failure. Input parameters include: average values and coefficients of variations of water table, cohesion and angle of friction for effective stress analysis, scales of fluctuations in both distance and time, hypocentral distance, earthquake magnitude, earthquake strong shaking period, etc.The hypocentral distance and earthquake magnitude were found to have major influence on the earthquake-induced displacement, probability of failure (i.e. probability of allowable displacement exceedance), and dynamic 2D and 3D safety factors.     

Field study on influence of root characteristics on soil suction distribution in slopes vegetated with Cynodon dactylon and Schefflera heptaphylla

Vegetation evapotranspiration (ET) induced soil water suction reduces hydraulic conductivity and increases shear strength of slopes. Several field studies have been conducted to investigate suction distribution in vegetated slopes. However, these studies were conducted on natural slopes, which are prone to heterogeneity in vegetation and soil conditions. Moreover, studies quantifying the effect of different vegetation species, root characteristics (root depth and root area index) and transpiration reduction function (T_rf) on suction in slopes under natural variation are rare. This study investigated the suction distribution and root characteristics in recompacted slopes vegetated with two different species, i.e. Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass) and Schefflera heptaphylla (ivy tree). Bare slope served as a control. Suction distributions during different seasons and rainfall events were monitored. It is found that during the dry season, slope vegetated with young Schefflera heptaphylla seedlings have substantially higher suction within the root zone compared with bare slope and slope vegetated with Cynodon dactylon. This is because Schefflera heptaphylla has a higher root biomass, T_rf and ET than Cynodon dactylon. It was also found that suctions within root zones of vegetated slopes and bare slope were completely destroyed under rainfall events corresponding to 2 years and 20 years return period. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

南海北部陆坡稳定性定量分析

随着海洋工程的发展,海底滑坡作为一种潜在的地质灾害逐渐成为人们关注的热点.本文采用二维极限平衡法计算并分析了海底斜坡稳定性问题.通过对斜坡模型在各种条件下安全系数的计算,定量分析了斜坡内在因素(如斜坡角度、主要土力学参数)和主要触发机制(地震、快速堆积等)对安全系数的影响.理论计算表明,静态条件下,均质斜坡角度小于20°时,均处于稳定状态;对于含软弱层的斜坡,快速堆积等引起的不排水状态下斜坡安全系数明显降低,斜坡角度大于14°时就会发生失稳.拟静态条件下,当地震动峰值加速度(PGA)小于0.15g时,对于角度小于20°的均质斜坡处于稳定状态,但PGA大于0.25g时,角度大于13°的斜坡即处于失稳状态;对于含软弱层斜坡,PGA为0.1g时,角度大于10°的斜坡即处于不稳定状态;当PGA大于0.3g时,3°以上的海底斜坡即处于失稳状态,发生海底滑坡.结合南海北部陆坡海底地形、地貌特征,在静态条件下,均处于稳定状态;但在地震加载的拟静态下,根据南海北部地震动峰值加速度分布,台湾浅滩段则处于不稳定状态.这解释了该区域大陆坡折带处海底滑坡广泛发育的原因,也表明了地震是引发南海北部滑坡最主要的触发机制之一.     

Significance of geomorphological and subsurface drainage controls on failures of peat‐covered hillslopes triggered by extreme rainfall

On 19 September 2003, 40 landslides of 140–18 000 m³ volume occurred within 2·5 km² on the slopes of Dooncarton Mountain (Republic of Ireland) during a storm that may have exceeded 90 mm within 90 minutes. The landslides were investigated to determine the reasons for such a high density of slope failures. All of the landslides were surveyed within four months, and nine of them were investigated in detail. The six largest landslides, all peat failures, accounted for 57% of the more than 100 000 m³ of material displaced during the event. A consistent sequence of superficial materials was found on the failed hillslopes, including an extensive iron pan at the base of a buried soil horizon 0·3 m below the base of the peat. Morphologically, almost all of the landslides occurred on steep planar slopes or around sharp convexities, with the latter failures developing retrogressively upslope. The only significant relationship found from analysis of 371 subsurface pipes and 142 seepage cracks (defined here as contiguous fissures conducting concentrated subsurface flow) across all the failures was that the thinner the peat cover, the deeper the pipes and seepage cracks occurred below the base of peat. It is concluded that most of the landslides were probably caused by a combination of excess water pressures in the buried soil horizon and the thinner overburden of peat or peaty soil associated with the steeper slope segments. Pipes and seepage cracks formed on the iron pan probably existed prior to the failure event and may have contributed to the high water pressures as rainwater inputs exceeded their discharge capacities. One large peat slide was probably triggered by excess water pressures developed within and between artificial tine cuts. The properties of the blanket peat were generally of little consequence in the occurrence of the landslides, but relict desiccation cracks and other structural weaknesses through the peat mass were probably highly significant. Although several aspects of the peat failures correspond to previously published examples, the context of these failures in terms of the topography and upland catena is distinctive. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.