Hybrid simulation of the initiation and runout characteristics of a catastrophic debris flow

On 13 August 2010, a catastrophic debris flow with a volume of 1.17 million m³ occurred in Xiaojiagou Ravine near Yingxiu town of Wenchuan county in Sichuan Province, China. The main source material was the landslide deposits retained in the ravine during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. This paper describes a two-dimensional hybrid numerical method that simulates the entire process of the debris flow from initiation to transportation and finally to deposition. The study area is discretized into a grid of square zones. A two dimensional finite difference method is then applied to simulate the rainfall-runoff and debris flow runout processes. The analysis is divided into three steps; namely, rainfall-runoff simulation, mixing water and solid materials, and debris flow runout simulation. The rainfall-runoff simulation is firstly conducted to obtain the cumulative runoff near the location of main source material and at the outlet of the first branch. The water and solid materials are then mixed to create an inflow hydrograph for the debris flow runout simulation. The occurrence time and volume of the debris flow can be estimated in this step. Finally the runout process of the debris flow is simulated. When the yield stress is high, it controls the deposition zone. When the yield stress is medium or low, both yield stress and viscosity influence the deposition zone. The flow velocity is largely influenced by the viscosity. The estimated yield stress by the equation, τ _y = ρghsin θ, and the estimated viscosity by the equation established by Bisantino et al. (2010) provide good estimates of the area of the debris flow fan and the distribution of deposition depth.     

Characteristics of grain size distribution and the shear strength analysis of Chenjiaba long runout coseismic landslide

Study on the grain size distribution characteristics and the frictional strength behavior of the slide deposits are helpful to disclose the landslide runout process and understand the mechanism of a long runout landslide. We performed grain size distribution analysis on samples collected from Chenjiaba landslide induced by Wenchuan earthquake. The grain size distribution of samples from the landslide sections quantitatively depicts a gradual coarsening upward grading from shear zone to the top section. Then a multistage-multiphase ring shearing approach was used to determine a comparative shear strength behavior of samples from each landslide section. In this method, a sample was sheared continuously for large displacement and fast rate on different normal stress conditions. The multiphase shear mode with a maximum of 105 mm/min rate has allowed observing the qualitative change and patterns of the frictional resistance behaviors of soils under different normal stresses. The results of coefficient of friction values under multiphase shear mode have shown substantial post peak shear weakening behaviors after large shear displacement that can be narrated with long runout processes. The shear strength test results indicate that the shear zone samples have developed higher friction angle values compared to overlying section samples, on the last phase of shear process, which may be very important to understand the braking mechanism of a long runout landslide.     

Effect of rainfall on a colluvial landslide in a debris flow valley

A colluvial landslide in a debris flow valley is a typical phenomena and is easily influenced by rainfall. The direct destructiveness of this kind of landslide is small, however, if failure occurs the resulting blocking of the channel may lead to a series of magnified secondary hazards. For this reason it is important to investigate the potential response of this type of landslide to rainfall. In the present paper, the Goulingping landslide, one of the colluvial landslides in the Goulingping valley in the middle of the Bailong River catchment in Gansu Province, China, was chosen for the study. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), together with traditional monitoring methods, were used to monitor changes in water content and the deformation of the landslide caused by rainfall. ERT was used to detect changes in soil water content induced by rainfall. The most significant findings were as follows:(1) the water content in the centralupper part (0~41 m) of the landslide was greater than in the central-front part (41~84 m) and (2) there was a relatively high resistivity zone at depth within the sliding zone. The deformation characteristics at the surface of the landslide were monitored by TLS and the results revealed that rainstorms caused three types of deformation and failure: (1) gully erosion at the slope surface; (2) shallow sliding failure; (3) and slope foot erosion. Subsequent monitoring of continuous changes in pore-water pressure, soil pressure and displacement (using traditional methods) indicated that long duration light rainfall (average 2.22 mm/d) caused the entire landslide to enter a state of creeping deformation at the beginning of the rainy season. Shear-induced dilation occurred for the fast sliding (30.09 mm/d) during the critical failure sub-phase (EF). Pore-water pressure in the sliding zone was affected by rainfall. In addition, the sliding L1 parts of the landslide exerted a discontinuous pressure on the L2 part. Through the monitoring and analysis, we conclude that this kind of landslide may have large deformation at the beginning and the late of the rainy season.     

Experimental investigation on the failure mechanism of a rock landslide controlled by a steep-gentle discontinuity pair

A type of rock landslide is very common in practical engineering, whose stability is mainly controlled by the rock bridge between the steep tensile crack at the crest and the low-inclination weak discontinuities at the toe(namely, ligament is the term for the locking section in the slope). To obtain a deeper understanding into the failure process of this kind of landslide, twenty-four physical slope models containing a steep-gentle discontinuity pair(a steep crack in the upper part and a low-inclination discontinuity in the lower part) were tested by applying vertical loads at the crests. The results indicate that the inclination angle of the ligament(θ) has great influence on the failure and stability of this type of rock slope. With the change of θ, three failure patterns(five subtypes) concerning the tested slopes can be observed, i.e., tensile failure of the ligament(Type 1), tension-shear failure of the ligament(Type 2) and two-stage failure of the main body(Type 3). The failure process of each failure mode presents five stages in terms of crack development, vertical load, horizontal/vertical displacements and strains in the ligaments. The specific range of the ligament angle between different failure patterns is summarized. The discussion on the failure resistances and ductility of different failure patterns, and the guiding significances of the experimental findings to the stability evaluation and the reinforcement were conducted.     

Effects of river flow velocity on the formation of landslide dams

Natural dams are formed when landslides are triggered by heavy rainfall during extreme weather events in the mountainous areas of Taiwan.During landslide debris movement, two processes occur simultaneously: the movement of landslide debris from a slope onto the riverbed and the erosion of the debris under the action of high-velocity river flow. When the rate of landslide deposition in a river channel is higher than the rate of landslide debris erosion by the river flow, the landslide forms a natural dam by blocking the river channel. In this study, the effects of the rates of river flow erosion and landslide deposition(termed the erosive capacity and depositional capacity, respectively) on the formation of natural dams are quantified using a physics-based approach and are tested using a scaled physical model.We define a dimensionless velocity index vde as the ratio between the depositional capacity of landslide debris(vd) and the erosive capacity of water flow(ve).The experimental test results show that a landslidedam forms when landslide debris moves at high velocity into a river channel where the river-flow velocity is low, that is, the dimensionless velocity index vde 54. Landslide debris will not have sufficient depositional capacity to block stream flow when the dimensionless velocity index vde 47. The depositional capacity of a landslide can be determined from the slope angle and the friction of the sliding surface, while the erosive capacity of a dam can be determined using river flow velocity and rainfall conditions. The methodology described in this paper was applied to seven landslide dams that formed in Taiwan on 8 August 2009 during Typhoon Morakot,the Tangjiashan landslide dam case, and the YingxiuWolong highway K24 landslide case. The dimensionless velocity index presented in this paper can be used before a rainstorm event occurs to determine if the formation of a landslide dam is possible.     

Failure mechanism and stability analysis of the Zhenggang landslide in Yunnan Province of China using 3D particle flow code simulation

Based on the principle of 3D particle flow code, a numerical landslide run-out model is presented to simulate the failure process of the Zhenggang landslide (in southwestern China) under the effect of water after a rainfall. The relationship between the micro-mechanical parameters and the macro-shear strength of the grain material is determined through numerical calibrations. Then the rainfall effect is considered in numerical simulations and rain-induced sliding processes are performed, which help us to discuss the mechanism of deformation and failure of this landslide together with field observations. It shows the Zhenggang landslide would most likely be activated in Zone I and would gain momentum in Zone II. In order to prevent the potential disaster, a tailing dam is advised to be designed about 175 m downstream from the current landslide boundary of Zone II. Verified by field observations, the presented landslide model can reflect the failure mechanism after rainfall. It can also provide a method to predict the potential disaster and draft disaster prevention measures.     

Field investigations and numerical modeling of a giant landslide in the region of Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis:Jiaobunong landslide

Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis (EHS) is a tectonically active region that undergoes continuous geomorphic changes.Large landslides are predominant in this region.A ...     

The formation of the Wulipo landslide and the resulting debris flow in Dujiangyan City,China

The Wulipo landslide, triggered by heavy rainfall on July 10, 2013, transformed into debris flow,resulted in the destruction of 12 houses, 44 deaths, and 117 missing. Our systematic investigation has led to the following results and to a new understanding about the formation and evolution process of this hazard. The fundamental factors of the formation of the landslide are a high-steep free surface at the front of the slide mass and the sandstone-mudstone mixed stratum structure of the slope. The inducing factor of the landslide is hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressure change caused by heavy continuous rainfall. The geological mechanical model of the landslide can be summarized as "instability-translational slide-tension fracture-collapse" and the formation mechanism as "translational landslide induced by heavy rainfall". The total volume of the landslide is 124.6×104 m3, and 16.3% of the sliding mass was dropped down from the cliff and transformed into debris flow during the sliding process, which enlarged 46.7% of the original sliding deposit area. The final accumulation area is found to be 9.2×104 m2. The hazard is a typical example of a disaster chain involving landslide and its induced debris flow. The concealment and disaster chain effect is the main reason for the heavy damage. In future risk assessment, it is suggested to enhance the research onpotential landslide identification for weakly intercalated slopes. By considering the influence of the behaviors of landslide-induced debris flow, the disaster area could be determined more reasonably.     

Landslide initiation and runout susceptibility modeling in the context of hill cutting and rapid urbanization: a combined approach of weights of evidence and spatial multi-criteria

Rainfall induced landslides are a common threat to the communities living on dangerous hill-slopes in Chittagong Metropolitan Area, Bangladesh. Extreme population pressure, indiscriminate hill cutting, increased precipitation events due to global warming and associated unplanned urbanization in the hills are exaggerating landslide events. The aim of this article is to prepare a scientifically accurate landslide susceptibility map by combining landslide initiation and runout maps. Land cover, slope, soil permeability, surface geology, precipitation, aspect, and distance to hill cut, road cut, drainage and stream network factor maps were selected by conditional independence test. The locations of 56 landslides were collected by field surveying. A weight of evidence (WoE) method was applied to calculate the positive (presence of landslides) and negative (absence of landslides) factor weights. A combination of analytical hierarchical process (AHP) and fuzzy membership standardization (weighs from 0 to 1) was applied for performing a spatial multi-criteria evaluation. Expert opinion guided the decision rule for AHP. The Flow-R tool that allows modeling landslide runout from the initiation sources was applied. The flow direction was calculated using the modified Holmgren’s algorithm. The AHP landslide initiation and runout susceptibility maps were used to prepare a combined landslide susceptibility map. The relative operating characteristic curve was used for model validation purpose. The accuracy of WoE, AHP, and combined susceptibility map was calculated 96%, 97%, and 98%, respectively.     

An easy approach to assess the susceptibility of a landslide by utilizing simple raster overlay methods: A case study on Huangtupo landslide (P.R. China)

Semi qualitative index based methods using rankings and ratings are commonly used in susceptibility estimations over a wide area. However, generalized ranking and ratings are not applicable for one single landslide. This paper gives an easy and transferable approach to a susceptibility assessment of Huangtupo landslide (P.R. China), using raster addition without taking account for ranking and ratings. Slope, aspect, curvature, location and drainage buffer distance raster data sets have been obtained out of open source digital elevation models using ESRI’s ArcGIS. These conditioning factor raster data sets have been translated into raster data sets including simple yes or no criteria, referring to triggering or not. Subsequently they have been added by raster math to acquire a simple raster overlay map. After that this map is compared to initial displacement measurements, obtained by using a ground based synthetic aperture radar device. Acquired data is recalculated to a raster data set using the same spatial extent, to provide the possibility of comparison of the two raster data sets. The results reveal, that 76.35% of all measured movements occur in areas where raster cells include three or more conditioning factors, indicating that easy raster math operations can lead to satisfying results in local scale.     

Characteristics and interpretation of the seismic signal of a field-scale landslide dam failure experiment

Outburst floods caused by breaches of landslide dams may cause serious damages and loss of lives in downstream areas; for this reason the study of the dynamic of the process is of particular interest for hazard and risk assessment. In this paper we report a field-scale landslide dam failure experiment conducted in Nantou County, in the central of Taiwan.The seismic signal generated during the dam failure was monitored using a broadband seismometer and the signal was used to study the dam failure process.We used the short-time Fourier transform(STFT) to obtain the time–frequency characteristics of the signal and analyzed the correlation between the power spectrum density(PSD) of the signal and the water level. The results indicate that the seismic signal generated during the process consisted of three components: a low-frequency band(0–1.5 Hz), an intermediate-frequency band(1.5–10 Hz) and a highfrequency band(10–45 Hz). We obtained the characteristics of each frequency band and the variations of the signal in various stages of the landslide dam failure process. We determined the cause for the signal changes in each frequency band and its relationship with the dam failure process. The PSD sediment flux estimation model was used to interpret the causes of variations in the signal energy before the dam failure and the clockwise hysteresis during the failure. Our results show that the seismic signal reflects the physical characteristics of the landslide dam failure process. The method and equipment used in this study may be used to monitor landslide dams and providing early warnings for dam failures.     

The spatial distribution characteristics of shallow fissures of a landslide in the Wenchuan earthquake area

Shallow fissures, being the main infiltration paths of fluid on the surface of a slope, played an important role in the whole process of a landslide. However, the spatial distribution characteristics of fissures in the slope are difficult to be determined. In this study, we attempted to characterize the variation pattern of slope fissures along depth in the Wenchuan earthquake area in Sichuan Province by combining engineering geological investigation, geomorphologic analysis and geophysical investigation. The geophysical methods that were used in this study include Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). The results suggested that geophysical parameters (shear wave velocity, electromagnetic signals attenuation and resistivity) could provide valuable information for the spatial network of shallow fissures. Through the verification by engineering geological survey and geophysical sensitivity analysis, this work highlighted that MASW was the most appropriate technique to delineate the propagation of shallow fissures in a gravel soil slope.     

Evaluating effectiveness of frequency ratio,fuzzy logic and logistic regression models in assessing landslide susceptibility: a case from Rudraprayag district,India

Rudraprayag in Garhwal Himalayan division is one of the most vulnerable districts to landslides in India. Heavy rainfall, steep slope and developmental activities are important factors for the occurrence of landslides in the district. Therefore, specific assessment of landslide susceptibility and its accuracy at regional level is essential for disaster management and proper land use planning. The article evaluates effectiveness of frequency ratio, fuzzy logic and logistic regression models for assessing landslide susceptibility in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand state, India. A landslide inventory map was prepared and verified by field data. Fourteen landslide parameters and generated inventory map were utilized to prepare landslide susceptibility maps through frequency ratio, fuzzy logic and logistic regression models. Landslide susceptibility maps generated through these models were classified into very high, high, medium, low and very low categories using natural breaks classification. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, spatially agreed area approach and seed cell area index (SCAI) method were used to validate the landslide models. Validation results revealed that fuzzy logic model was found to be more effective in assessing landslide susceptibility in the study area. The landslide susceptibility map generated through fuzzy logic model can be best utilized for landslide disaster management and effective land use planning.     

Dynamic features of near-inertial oscillations in the Northwestern Pacific derived from mooring observations from 2015 to 2018

Near-inertial oscillation is an important physical process transferring surface wind energy into deep ocean.We investigated the near-inertial kinetic energy(NIKE) variability using acoustic Doppler current profiler measurements from a mooring array deployed in the tropical western Pacific Ocean along130°E at 8.5°N,11°N,12.6°N,15°N,and 17.5°N from September 2015 to January 2018.Spatial features,decay timescales,and significant seasonal variability of the observed NIKE were described.At the mooring sites of 17.5°N,15°N,and 12.6°N,the NIKE peaks occurred in boreal autumn and the NIKE troughs were observed in boreal spring.By contrast,the NIKE at 11°N and 8.5°N showed peaks in winter and troughs in summer.Tropical cyclones and strong wind events played an important role in the emergence of high-NIKE events and explained the seasonality and latitudinal characteristics of the observed NIKE.     

Dynamic process simulation with a Savage-Hutter type model for the intrusion of landslide into river

Natural damming of rivers by mass movements is a very common and potentially dangerous phenomena which has been documented all over the world. In this paper, a two-layer model of Savage-Hutter type is presented to simulate the dynamic procedure for the intrusion of landslide into rivers. The two-layer shallow water system is derived by depth averaging the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations with the hydrostatic assumption. A high order accuracy scheme based on the finite volume method is proposed to solve the presented model equations. Several numerical tests are performed to verify the realiability and feasibility of the proposed model. The numerical results indicate that the proposed method can be competent for simulating the dynamic process of landslide intrusion into the river. The interaction effect between both layers has a significant impact on the landslide movement, water fluctuation and wave propagation.     

Decadal variability of chlorophyll a in the South China Sea: a possible mechanism

Four climatologies on a monthly scale (January, April, May and November) of chlorophyll a within the South China Sea (SCS) were calculated using a Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) (1979-1983) and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) (1998-2002). We analyzed decadal variability of chlorophyll a by comparing the products of the two observation periods. The relationships of variability in chlorophyll a with sea surface wind speed (SSW), sea surface temperature (SST), wind stress (WS), and mixed layer depth (MLD) were determined. The results indicate that there is obvious chlorophyll a decadal variability in the SCS. The decadal chlorophyll a presents distinct seasonal variability in characteristics, which may be as a result of various different dynamic processes. The negative chlorophyll a concentration anomaly in January was associated with the warming of SST and a shallower MLD. Generally, there were higher chlorophyll a concentrations in spring during the SeaWiFS period compared with the CZCS period. However, the chlorophyll a concentration exhibits some regional differences during this season, leading to an explanation being difficult. The deepened MLD may have contributed to the positive chlorophyll a concentration anomalies from the northwestern Luzon Island to the northeastern region of Vietnam during April and May. The increases of chlorophyll a concentration in northwestern Borneo during May may be because the stronger SSW and higher WS produce a deeper mixed layer and convective mixing, leading to high levels of nutrient concentrations. The higher chlorophyll a off southeastern Vietnam may be associated with the advective transport of the colder water extending from the Karimata Strait to southeastern Vietnam.     

The use of UAVs for landslide disaster risk research and disaster risk management: a literature review

On a global scale,from 2005 to 2019,there were 275 high-magnitude,low-frequency disasters that involved 14,172 fatalities and four million affected people.Similar patterns have taken place during longer periods of time in recent decades.This paper aims to analyse the contribution of the international landslide research community to disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management in reference to the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs)in a literature review.The first section notes the relevance of disaster risk research contributions for the implementation of initiatives and strategies concerning disaster risk management.The second section highlights background information and current applications of drones in the field of hazards and risk.The methodology,which included a systematic peer review of journals in the ISI Web of Science and SCOPUS,was presented in the third section,where the results include analyses of the considered data.This study concludes that most current scholarly efforts remain rooted in hazards and post-disaster evaluation and response.Future landslide disaster risk research should be transdisciplinary in order to strengthen participation of the various relevant stakeholders in contributing to integrated disaster risk management at local,subnational,national,regional and global levels.     

A new approach to plane failure of rock slope stability based on water flow velocity in discontinuities for the Latian dam reservoir landslide

The stability of slopes is always of great concern in the field of rock engineering. The geometry and orientation of pre-existing discontinuities show a larger impact on the behavior of slopes that is often used to describe the measurement of the steepness, incline, gradient, or grade of a straight line. One of the structurally controlled modes of failure in jointed rock slopes is plane failure. There are numerous analytical methods for the rock slope stability including limit equilibrium, stress analysis and stereographic methods. The limiting equilibrium methods for slopes under various conditions against plane failure have been previously proposed by several investigators. However, these methods do not involve water pressure on sliding surfaces assessments due to water velocity and have not yet been validated by case study results. This paper has tried to explore the effects of forces due to water pressure on discontinuity surfaces in plane failure through applying the improved equations. It has studied the effect of water flow velocity on sliding surfaces in safety factor, as well. New equations for considering water velocity (fluid dynamics) are presented. To check the validity of the suggested equations, safety factor for a case study has been determined. Results show that velocity of water flow had significant effect on the amount of safety factor. Also, the suggested equations have higher validity rate compared to the current equations.     

On the initiation,movement and deposition of a large landslide in Maoxian County,China

At 5 am 24 th June 2017, a catastrophic landslide hit Xinmo Village, Maoxian County, Sichuan Province, China. The slide mass rushed down from an altitude of 3400 m and traveled 2700 m in a high velocity. The 13 million m~3 deposition buried the whole village and caused about 100 deaths. The source area of the landslide is located in a high steep slope, average slope angle is 40o and maximal angle is 65o. The strata are interbedded Triassic Zagunao Formation metamorphic sandstone and slate with the dip slope angle of 45°. Based on high-resolution satellite remote sensing image, UAV image, DEM data, and field investigation, failure mechanism, travel features, and deposit characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that this landslide was influenced by Songpinggou Fault zone. According to the topography before the failure, the landslide is located in the back scarp of an antecedent landslide induced by Diexi Earthquake in 1933. The bedding slope provided potential rupture surface. Historical seismic activities and long-term gravitational deformation caused rock mass accumulated damages. Weathering and precipitation weakened the rock mass and finally induced shearing and tension failure. A huge block detached from the top rock slope, pushed the past landslide deposits in the middle part, rushed out of the slope bottom in a high velocity and buried the Xinmo Village. The rapid movement entrained and brought the soil into the Songping Gully which recoiled with and bounced back from the opposite mountain.