Precipitation isotopes in the Tianshan Mountains as a key to water cycle in arid central Asia

The Tianshan Mountains is a wet island in arid central Asia, and precipitation amount across the mountains is much larger than that in the surrounding low-lying areas. To investigate the regional water cycle in arid central Asia, stable isotope composition in precipitation has received increased attention during the past decades. This paper reviewed current knowledge of observed and simulated stable isotope ratios in precipitation across the Tianshan Mountains. The temperature effect of stable isotopes in precipitation has been widely accepted in arid central Asia and can be applied to paleoclimate reconstruction using ice cores. The seasonality of precipitation isotopically enriched in summer months and depleted in winter months is usually attributed to westerly-dominated moisture, but different trajectory paths to the northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains can still be modelled. The proportional contribution and its uncertainty of surface evaporation and transpiration to local precipitation can be estimated using the isotope approach, and transpiration plays a dominant role in recycled moisture for oasis sites. The impact of below-cloud evaporation on precipitation stable isotopes on the southern slope is usually larger than that on the northern slope.     

Slope stability and landslides in proglacial varved clays of western Estonia

During the last decade the frequency of landslides at river valley slopes eroding into the glaciolacustrine plain in western Estonia has grown considerably. We studied in detail nine recent landslides out of 25 known and recorded sliding events in the area. All landslides occurred at the river banks in otherwise almost entirely flat areas of proglacial deposits capped with marine sands. Glaciolacustrine varved clay is the weakest soil type in the area and holds the largest landslides. Slope stability modelling shows that critical slope gradient for the clay is ≥ 10° and for the marine sand ≥ 20°. Fluvial erosion is the main process in decreasing slope stability at the outer bends of the river meanders. An extra shear stress generated by groundwater flow following the high stand of the groundwater level or rapid water level drawdown in the river channels are responsible for triggering the landslides. Consecutive occurrence of small-scale slides has a direct effect in triggering the large, retrogressive complexes of slides in the glaciolacustrine clay. A landslide hazard zonation map was composed based on digital elevation model and the data on spatial distribution of glaciolacustrine clays and marine sands, and on existing and critical slope angles of these deposits.     

金沙江水电站工程区典型单体滑坡风险评价探讨

在对金沙江流域内的部分大型水电站工程区内的滑坡分析基础上,以两个滑坡为例,针对水电站工程区讨论了单体滑坡的风险评价方法。选取滑坡稳定性,规模和可能造成的涌浪高度3个指标进行危险性评价;并且定性地将大坝的易损性确定为高、中、低三个等级。在此基础上,对研究区的牛滚函滑坡和东岳庙滑坡进行了危险性分析和易损性评价,得出这两个单体滑坡的风险分析结果：牛滚函滑坡为低度风险,东岳庙滑坡为中度风险。研究成果为水电站工程区滑坡减灾防灾与风险管理提供了科学依据。     

Water table control on rill initiation and implications for erosional response

On sloping sandy agricultural soil sites near Toronto, Canada, summer storms adequate to generate runoff occur frequently, but rill development occurs mainly in spring when snowmelt or rainfall-induced runoff occurs above frozen subsoil. This suggests that on low and moderate slopes on these soils rill initiation is controlled primarily by hydraulic impedance close to the surface, rather than critical hydraulic conditions in runoff. Laboratory flume experiments were carried out on 10 m slopes at 1.5°, 5° and 9° with loamy sand/clay composite soil sample to test this hypothesis. Runoff with hydraulic conditions adequate for rill initiation occurred rapidly in most tests, but on 1.5° and 5° slopes little knickpoint scour or sediment transport occurred before water table development. This coincided with reduced surface soil strength, knickpoint scour and marked increase in sediment discharge, particularly on 5° slopes where increase was 20- to 30-fold. Further increase in sediment discharge occurred when water tables reached the surface. On 9° slopes runoff occurred more quickly, with higher hydraulic values. Significant rill incision and sediment discharge occurred well before water table development, and ultimately reached much higher values than on lower slopes. Results show that soil erodibility can change dramatically over short time periods during storms due to soil moisture conditions, and that the presence of a hydraulic impedance close to the surface which causes a perched water table to develop can strongly influence rill incision and sediment transport. The influence is unlikely to be marked on soils which are very erodible regardless of moisture conditions, or on extremely resistant soils. It will also be limited on very gentle or steep sites, but can be a significant factor in rill development on intermediate slopes.     

Probabilistic landslide risk analysis considering direct costs in the area north of Lisbon (Portugal)

The purpose of the present study is the analysis of landslide risk for roads and buildings in a small test site (20 km²) in the area north of Lisbon (Portugal). For this purpose, an evaluation is performed integrating into a GIS information obtained from multiple sources: (i) landslide hazard; (ii) elements at risk; and (iii) vulnerability. Landslide hazard is assessed on a probabilistic basis for three different types of slope movement (shallow translational slides, translational slides and rotational slides), based on some assumptions such as: (i) the likelihood of future landslide occurrence can be measured through statistical relationships between past landslide distribution and specified spatial data sets considered as landslide predisposing factors; and (ii) the rainfall combination (amount–duration) responsible for past slope instability within the test site will produce the same effects (i.e. same type of landslides and similar total affected area), each time they occur in the future. When the return period of rainfall triggering events is known, different scenarios can be modelled, each one ascribed to a specific return period. Therefore, landslide hazard is quantitatively assessed on a raster basis, and is expressed as the probability for each pixel (25 m²) to be affected by a future landslide, considering a rainfall triggering scenario with a specific return period. Elements at risk within the test site include 2561 buildings and roads amounting to 169 km. Values attributed to elements at risk were defined considering reconstruction costs, following the guidelines of the Portuguese Insurance Institute. Vulnerability is considered as the degree of loss to a given element resulting from the occurrence of a landslide of a given magnitude. Vulnerability depends not only on structural properties of exposed elements, but also on the type of process, and its magnitude; i.e., vulnerability cannot be defined in absolute terms, but only with respect to a specific process (e.g. vulnerability to shallow translational slides). Therefore, vulnerability was classified for the three landslide groups considered on hazard assessment, taking into account: (i) landslide magnitude (mean depth, volume, velocity); (ii) damage levels produced by past landslide events in the study area; and (iii) literature. Finally, a landslide risk analysis considering direct costs was made in an automatic way crossing the following three layers: (i) Probabilistic hazard map for a landslide type Z, considering a particular rainfall triggering scenario whose return period is known; (ii) Vulnerability map (values from 0 to 1) of the exposed elements to landslide type Z; and (iii) Value map of the exposed elements, considering reconstruction costs.     

秦岭陕西段南北坡植被对干湿变化响应敏感性及空间差异

秦岭位于暖温带与亚热带交界处,也是中国南北地理分界线,秦岭南北坡植被对干湿变化响应敏感性,可以折射出暖温带、亚热带地区主要植被类型对于湿变化的响应规律和机制特征,对深入理解不同气候带植被变化规律具有重要意义.本文利用秦岭山地32个气象站点的气象数据和MODIS NDVI时间序列数据集,探讨了2000-2018年秦岭南北...     

Sensitivity and areal differentiation of vegetation responses to hydrothermal dynamics on the northern and southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi province

The Qinling Mountains, located at the junction of warm temperate and subtropical zones, serve as the boundary between north and south China. Exploring the sensitivity of the response of vegetation there to hydrothermal dynamics elucidates the dynamics and mechanisms of the main vegetation types in the context of changes in temperature and moisture. Importance should be attached to changes in vegetation in different climate zones. To reveal the sensitivity and areal differentiation of vegetation responses to hydrothermal dynamics, the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of the normalized vegetation index(NDVI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI) on the northern and southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains from 2000 to 2018 are explored using the meteorological data of 32 meteorological stations and the MODIS NDVI datasets. The results show that: 1) The overall vegetation coverage of the Qinling Mountains improved significantly from 2000 to 2018. The NDVI rise rate and area ratio on the southern slope were higher than those on the northern slope, and the vegetation on the southern slope improved more than that on the northern slope. The Qinling Mountains showed an insignificant humidification trend. The humidification rate and humidification area of the northern slope were greater than those on the southern slope. 2) Vegetation on the northern slope of the Qinling Mountains was more sensitive to hydrothermal dynamics than that on the southern slope. Vegetation was most sensitive to hydrothermal dynamics from March to June on the northern slope, and from March to May(spring) on the southern slope. The vegetation on the northern and southern slopes was mainly affected by hydrothermal dynamics on a scale of 3–7 months, responding weakly to hydrothermal dynamics on a scale of 11–12 months. 3) Some 90.34% of NDVI and SPEI was positively correlated in the Qinling Mountains. Spring humidification in most parts of the study area promoted the growth of vegetation all the year round. The sensitivity of vegetation responses to hydrothermal dynamics with increasing altitude increased first and then decreased. Elevations of 800 to 1200 m were the most sensitive range for vegetation response to hydrothermal dynamics. The sensitivity of the vegetation response at elevations of 1200–3000 m decreased with increasing altitude. As regards to vegetation type, grass was most sensitive to hydrothermal dynamics on both the northern and southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains; but most other vegetation types on the northern slope were more sensitive to hydrothermal dynamics than those on the southern slope.     

Nature and Dynamics of an Active Block Stream, Kunlun Pass, Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China

Active block streams are common on the slopes of mountains on the northern, drier portion of the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau. Between 1990 and 1995, the authors studied a block stream northeast of the crest of the Kunlun Pass at latitude 35°50’N, longitude 94°05’ E. It occurs on a 31° slope facing southwest at 4800 m altitude and consists of a 15 cm layer of blocks moving downslope over a sandy loam of lacustrine origin. The blocks are derived from both frost shattering of exposed bedrock and by ejection of blocks from the till capping the hill. No water flows in the block stream and its surface is level with the surrounding slope. Mean annual air temperature is –6°C and mean annual precipitation is about 320 mm. The few plants growing between the blocks exhibit elongated stems and/or roots, indicating movement of the upper layers of blocks relative to the underlying materials. Average mean annual downslope movement of the surface blocks ranges up to 95 cm but varies both across the block stream and also along its long axis. The blocks are gradually extending further downslope. Comparison of movement of lines painted on stones in summer and winter shows that most of the movement occurs in winter. The stones usually rotate randomly as they move, probably by sliding on ice. There is no obvious sorting or rounding of the blocks during movement downslope. The deposits produced differ from talus/scree sediments as they have a dip of less than the maximum angle of rest of dry sediment (c. 33°) and also show no sorting downslope. The movement of material takes place predominantly in winter, rather than in summer and the deposits occur in areas of negligible snow cover. Ground temperatures suggest exceptionally rapid temperature changes under the blocks, indicating air exchange in the voids. Mean ground temperatures in the loams beneath the blocks are about 7°C colder than in the adjacent soils. Winter snow covers are noticeably absent, and summer precipitation is often in the form of snow, which soon melts. Permafrost is present beneath the block stream but is absent in the sandy loam soils. The ground is also moister beneath the blocks. It appears that the surface blocks tend to slide downslope on the icy surface of the underlying blocks, perhaps aided by water from melting snow. This and the lack of sorting by clast size clearly differentiates them from talus slopes or avalanche deposits.     

Topography-Controlled Soil Water Content and the Coexistence of Forest and Steppe in Northern China

The semi-arid forest-steppe ecotone in China is characterized by a patchy pattern of forest and steppe, with forest patches restricted to shady slopes. To address the effect of topography on forest distribution through regulation of available water, we calculated evaporation as a function of slope aspect and inclination. Field vegetation records from randomly selected sites with minimum slope inclination were used to test the simulated forest distribution. Seasonal and diurnal changes of surface soil temperature and moisture of shady and sunny slopes were recorded. Soil water content was measured during two growing seasons on both sunny and shady slopes with the same forest type at three sites located along the mean annual precipitation (MAP) gradient. Evaporation decreases with slope inclination on shady slopes, but increases with inclination on sunny slopes. The shady slope received 35% of the annual direct solar radiation received by the sunny slope when the slope inclination was 25°, and the contrast in annual direct solar radiation between the shady and sunny slopes further widens as slope inclination increases. Steeper shady slopes can support forests in dryer climates, with log-linear regression revealing a minimum slope inclination for forest distribution along the MAP gradient. The simulated minimum slope inclination for forest growth was larger than the observed minimum inclination, and the difference was greater in wetter conditions. A larger forest area fraction was considered to lead to a reduction in soil temperature and evaporation, as verified by soil temperature and moisture records and soil water content measurements. The slope-specific forest distribution in the semi-arid region of China can be explained by a topography-controlled soil water supply. Lower evaporation, resulting from lower direct solar radiation on shady slopes, allows shady slopes to retain a water supply sufficient for sustaining forests, and the existence of forests on shady slopes further reduces evaporation. Different tree species coexist at the xeric timberline due to regulation by slope inclination and aspect.     

Landslide hazard in the Nebrodi Mountains (Northeastern Sicily)

The eastern sector of the Nebrodi Mountains (NE Sicily), a part of the Apenninic-Maghrebian orogenic chain, is characterized by an high landslide hazard. The village of S. Domenica Vittoria, which lies in the area, has been particularly affected by various landslide phenomena, with resulting damage to buildings and infrastructure.The rocks outcropping in the area belong to the Cretaceous Monte Soro Flysch; they consist of an alternation of argillaceous and calcareous beds at the base and argillaceous and quartzarenitic beds at the top. The lithotechnical characteristics of the formation and the steepness of the slopes in the area lead to an elevated instability, as testified by the widespread occurrence of sub-vertical arcuate cliffs (landslide scarps) and sub-horizontal areas (landslide terraces), typical of a landslide-controlled morphology. From a kinematics point of view, the observed phenomena can be referred to multiple rotational slides, flows, and complex landslides, often with a retrogressive development and enlargement. Triggering causes lie principally in the intense rainfalls that determine the decay of the geomechanical properties of the terrain and supply discontinuos groundwater circulation that is evident in seasonal springs. Human activity, such as the construction of roads and buildings on steep slopes and dispersal of water from supply systems and sewers has a significant impact as well.Due to the instability of the area, expansion of the village, which is already limited by the morphological conditions, is made difficult by the high hazard level, especially in the areas at higher elevations, where the principal landslide scarps are located, and even more on the rims of the scarps. Considering the high hazard level, S. Domenica Vittoria has been inserted by the National Geological Service among the sites in Sicily to be monitored by means of a GPS network. The survey carried out along the entire slope hosting the village has furnished the base for geological and geomorphological knowledge needed for the planning of the network, to identify the areas at landslide risk, where parts of the village lie, including the areas of expansion of the village, the main roads, and a portion of the Favoscuro river bed.     

西南山地滑坡灾害生态风险评价——以大理白族自治州为例

本文以云南省大理白族自治州为例,综合考量生态风险源、受体、暴露响应过程及生态终点,采用信息量模型评估滑坡灾害危险性,基于景观格局指数表征生态脆弱性,并将生态系统服务纳入风险损失的定量表征,定量评估流域滑坡灾害生态风险。结果表明：① 低于1800 m高程、15°~25°坡度、小于0.31植被覆盖指数等10方面因素构成了诱发大理州滑坡灾害的最佳信息量组合,全州普遍处于滑坡灾害危险性中高水平,且西北低、东南高;② 生态脆弱性高值区主要集中在红河流域南部、金沙江流域东南部、澜沧江流域中部;③ 低生态损失流域的水源涵养、粮食供给服务相对较差,生态损失中等流域的净初级生产、土壤保持服务优势明显,高生态损失流域则具有较强的粮食供给和水源涵养服务;④ 基于高中低3种生态风险等级和“高危险—低脆弱—低损失”等8种风险结构,全州367个小流域可划分出避让监测预警区、生态保护恢复区、避让保护兼顾区、自然适应调控区等4种风险防范类型区。     

A large landslide on the urban fringe of metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona

A granitic rock avalanche, one of the largest Quaternary landslides in Arizona outside the Grand Canyon with a volume of approximately 5.25 M m³ and a width a little under 0.5 km, ran 1 km from the eastern McDowell Mountains. With lateral levees and pressure ridges, the rock avalanche deposit displays many features found on classic sturzstroms. Failure occurred along a major joint plane paralleling the slope with a dip of 44°, when a major base level lowering event in the Salt River system would have undermined the base of the failed slope, and probably during a period of more moisture than normally available in the present-day arid climate. Failure at the subsurface weathering front highlights the importance of the dramatic permeability change between grussified regolith and relatively fresh bedrock. Rock varnish microlaminations (VMLs) dating, in concert with other geomorphic evidence, suggests that the rock avalanche deposit is slightly older than 500 ka. The rock vanish results also have important implications for sampling strategies designed to use cosmogenic nuclide to date Quaternary landslide deposits. Discovery of a large landslide in close proximity to the extending urban fringe of metropolitan Phoenix argues for a more careful analysis of landslide hazards in the region, especially where rapid development excavates bedrock at the base of steep mountain slopes and where the subsurface weathering front is near the surface.     

Qualitative landslide susceptibility assessment by multicriteria analysis: A case study from San Antonio del Sur, Guantánamo, Cuba

Geomorphological information can be combined with decision-support tools to assess landslide hazard and risk. A heuristic model was applied to a rural municipality in eastern Cuba. The study is based on a terrain mapping units (TMU) map, generated at 1:50,000 scale by interpretation of aerial photos, satellite images and field data. Information describing 603 terrain units was collected in a database. Landslide areas were mapped in detail to classify the different failure types and parts. Three major landslide regions are recognized in the study area: coastal hills with rockfalls, shallow debris flows and old rotational rockslides denudational slopes in limestone, with very large deep-seated rockslides related to tectonic activity and the Sierra de Caujerí scarp, with large rockslides. The Caujerí scarp presents the highest hazard, with recent landslides and various signs of active processes. The different landforms and the causative factors for landslides were analyzed and used to develop the heuristic model. The model is based on weights assigned by expert judgment and organized in a number of components such as slope angle, internal relief, slope shape, geological formation, active faults, distance to drainage, distance to springs, geomorphological subunits and existing landslide zones. From these variables a hierarchical heuristic model was applied in which three levels of weights were designed for classes, variables, and criteria. The model combines all weights into a single hazard value for each pixel of the landslide hazard map. The hazard map was then divided by two scales, one with three classes for disaster managers and one with 10 detailed hazard classes for technical staff. The range of weight values and the number of existing landslides is registered for each class. The resulting increasing landslide density with higher hazard classes indicates that the output map is reliable. The landslide hazard map was used in combination with existing information on buildings and infrastructure to prepare a qualitative risk map. The complete lack of historical landslide information and geotechnical data precludes the development of quantitative deterministic or probabilistic models.     

秦岭太白山气温直减率时空差异性研究

在评估山地生态系统对气候变化响应的过程中,作为气温要素的重要输入参数,气温直减率（γ）的精确性直接影响到相关科研工作的真实性和可靠性。本文基于秦岭主峰太白山（3771.2 m）11个分布于南北坡和不同海拔的标准气象站点2013-2015年连续3年实测日均温资料和25 m×25 m空间分辨率的DEM数据,研究了太白山气温直减率在不同时间尺度上的变化规律及不同坡向上的空间分布特征。结果表明：① 2013-2015年太白山年均γ北坡均大于南坡,北坡为0.513 ℃/100m,南坡为0.499 ℃/100m;北坡年均γ随海拔变化表现出一定的差异性,而南坡相对稳定。② 年内γ在不同时间尺度上均存在明显差异,且南北坡变化趋势不一致。在季尺度上,γ最大值北坡为夏季,为0.619 ℃/100m,而南坡最大出现在春季,为0.546 ℃/100m,最小值均为冬季,南北坡分别为0.449 ℃/100m和0.390 ℃/100m;春季和夏季,北坡γ均大于南坡,而冬季相反,北坡小于南坡,秋季几乎无差异。在月尺度上,气温相对高的月份γ亦较高,北坡γ变化幅度大于南坡;年始和年末（11-12月、1-2月）北坡γ小于南坡,而5-9月北坡大于南坡,且南北坡γ相差较大。③ 经数据可信度分析,所获得的γ可较为客观地反映太白山气温随海拔变化的规律性,将为山地气温空间分布规律及其生态系统响应等定量研究提供理论基础。     

台风“海马”对洞庭湖流域降水同位素的影响研究

基于2011年第4号台风“海马”登陆前后洞庭湖流域内长沙降水同位素资料,分析了降水同位素的变化特征以及水汽输送对降水同位素的影响。结果表明：台风“海马”在洞庭湖流域内长沙所形成降水的大气水线的斜率和截距均小于长沙夏季大气水线,这与根据同位素分馏理论做出的推测相吻合。台风天气系统影响下的流域降水δ ¹⁸O值为研究时段内的最低值,即降水同位素被显著贫化,而降水过量氘（deuterium excess,记为d）波动明显要小于其他时段,后者反映了形成台风降水的水汽来源较为单一。研究时段内长沙降水d指示台风降水前、台风降水中两个阶段水汽来源于西太平洋,水汽输送轨迹也印证了降水d所指示的水汽来源情况,如流域台风降水的水汽主要来自前期台风输送至南海北部的西太平洋水汽。台风降水后这一阶段降水中d指示海洋水汽来源的效果降低,其原因在于海洋水汽输送减少、陆地蒸发旺盛以及下落雨滴蒸发强烈所致。     

LiDAR-derived DEM evaluation of deep-seated landslides in a steep and rocky region of Japan

In steep and rocky terrains, their rough surfaces make it difficult to create landslide inventories even with detailed maps/images produced from airborne LiDAR data. To provide objective clues in locating deep-seated landslides, the surface textures of a 5 km² steepland area in Japan was investigated using the eigenvalue ratio and slope filters calculated from a very high resolution LiDAR-derived DEM. The range of filter values was determined for each of a number of surface features mapped in the field and these included: cracked bedrock outcrops, coarse colluvial deposits, gently undulating surfaces, and smooth surfaces. Recently active slides commonly contained patches of ground in which deposition and erosion occurred together near the erosion front, or where cracked bedrock outcrops and coarse colluvial deposits coexisted under a gently undulating surface. The characteristic eigenvalue and slope filter values representing this sliding process were applied to maps of the DEM derived filter values to extract potential sites of recent landslide activity. In addition, the relationships between the filter values of deep-seated landslides at various stages of evolution within the field mapped area were extended to the entire study area, to assess the contribution that landslide evolution makes to change in the landscape as a whole. While landslide components made up the steepest as well as the gentlest parts of the landscape depending on their evolutionary stage, landslides were constantly coarsened and steepened by progressive erosion, probably initiated by river bank erosion at the foot of slopes.     

Morphology and internal structure of a dormant landslide in a hilly area: The Collinabos landslide (Belgium)

This study attempts to reconstruct the history of the Collinabos landslide, a landslide with a fresh morphology that is representative for more than 150 dormant, deep-seated (> 3 m) landslides in the Flemish Ardennes (Belgium). A geomorphological map was created based on LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)-derived maps and detailed field surveys. The map showed that the landslide consisted of three zones with significant differences in surface topography. The northern landslide zone 1 is characterised by at least five reverse slopes, whereas zones 2 and 3, the southern landslide zones, have only two reverse slopes and a convex foot. Electric resistivity profiles measured in zones 1 and 2 revealed that the differences in surface topography were not related to differences in internal structure as both parts of the landslide were initiated as a rotational earth slide with a surface of rupture at 15 m deep, where the displaced material broke apart in two blocks. However, two shear surfaces of reactivations within landslide debris were only distinguished in the accumulation area of zone 1. The observed differences in surface morphology can be caused by a temporary conversion of a forest into cropland in zone 2. It is suggested that reverse slopes of smaller reactivations within landslide debris were obliterated during the agricultural activities. AMS radiocarbon dating of organic material found in ponds located in reverse slopes generally resulted in relatively recent dates (i.e. 1400–1950 Cal AD) suggesting that several of the small local reactivations occurred in that period. One dating at 8700–8440 Cal BP of organic matter collected in a reverse slope in zone 1 suggests that an initiation under periglacial conditions cannot be excluded for the Collinabos landslide. By combining different technologies, this study provides valuable information for a better understanding of dormant landslides.     

GIS支持下的黄土高原地震滑坡区划研究

分析了影响黄土滑坡的各项影响因子,利用层次分析法(AHP)确定各影响因子的权重。在GIS支持下,建立包括各因子图的空间数据库,对各因子进行分级赋值,然后进行因子加权叠加分析,完成三种超越概率下(50年超越概率2%、10%和63.5%)黄土高原地震滑坡区划图。黄土地震滑坡灾害最严重地区一个是宁夏南部及与其相邻的甘肃白银地区,另一个是甘肃天水地区。     

三峡库区坡地地貌过程的速率

在重庆奉节至湖北巴东一带三峡库区,存在两类坡地,分别是深层风化坡地与崩积—残坡积坡地。这两类坡地上,堆积物的稳定性差,表现为剥蚀、堆积的速率大。堆积物的累积速率可粗略地依据热释光年龄来估计。据此我们推测深层风化坡地的浅层滑坡周期大约是1.5ka,对应的堆积速率大约是33cm/ka。崩积—残坡积坡地上主要的陡崖崩塌发生周期是40ka⁶0ka,坡地中部的累积速率大约是4cm/ka。在崩积—残坡积坡地上常见生长的树木因堆积物蠕滑而变形,树木变形程度反映了蠕滑速率,据此估算的蠕滑速率是非常可观的,这既是坡地中部的剥蚀速率,可能也在一定程度上反映了坡地下部堆积物的物质供应速率。这些认识可能对滑坡与水土流失的治理有参考价值。     

Spatial patterns of old, deep-seated landslides: A case-study in the northern Ethiopian highlands

During the last decade, slope failures were reported in a 500 km² study area in the Geba–Werei catchment, northern Ethiopia, a region where landslides were not considered an important hazard before. Field observations, however, revealed that many of the failures were actually reactivations of old deep-seated landslides after land use changes. Therefore, this study was conducted (1) to explore the importance of environmental factors controlling landslide occurrence and (2) to estimate future landslide susceptibility. A landslide inventory map of the study area derived from aerial photograph interpretation and field checks shows the location of 57 landslides and six zones with multiple landslides, mainly complex slides and debris flows. In total 14.8% of the area is affected by an old landslide. For the landslide susceptibility modelling, weights of evidence (WofE), was applied and five different models were produced. After comparison of the models and spatial validation using Receiver Operating Characteristic curves and Kappa values, a model combining data on elevation, hillslope gradient, aspect, geology and distance to faults was selected. This model confirmed our hypothesis that deep-seated landslides are located on hillslopes with a moderate slope gradient (i.e. 5°–13°). The depletion areas are expected on and along the border of plateaus where weathered basalts rich in smectite clays are found, and the landslide debris is expected to accumulate on the Amba Aradam sandstone and upper Antalo limestone. As future landslides are believed to occur on inherently unstable hillslopes similar to those where deep-seated landslides occurred, the classified landslide susceptibility map allows delineating zones where human interventions decreasing slope stability might cause slope failures. The results obtained demonstrate that the applied methodology could be used in similar areas where information on the location of landslides is essential for present-day hazard analysis.