大别造山带岳西县斜坡变形破坏演化模式

岳西县自然斜坡在地球内、外动力共同作用下,容易变形并遭到破坏,造成人员伤亡和财产损失,严重制约了当地的经济发展。通过系统的工程地质调查和浅表生改造理论分析,查明了岳西县斜坡变形破坏特征及其成因,并探讨了其演化模式。结果表明,岳西县不同岩组的抗风化能力和力学特性存在差异,斜坡发生地质灾害的机理也不相同。根据斜坡结构特征,岳西县滑坡分为全风化层滑坡、强风化层滑坡和顺层岩质滑坡：全风化层滑坡的滑面位于全风化层中或全风化层与强风化层的分界线处;强风化层滑坡的滑面主要发育于强风化层与中风化层的分界线处;顺层岩质滑坡主要发育于片麻岩发育的顺向坡中。根据变形破坏方式,岳西县崩塌可分为滑移式崩塌、倾倒式崩塌和坠落式崩塌：滑移式崩塌主要由一组缓倾坡外结构面和另一组陡倾(坡外或者坡内)结构面控制;倾倒式崩塌主要由一组陡倾坡内结构面和另一组近水平发育的结构面控制;坠落式崩塌主要由一组结构面陡倾或近直立发育的结构面控制。岳西县滑坡多发育于风化壳厚度较大、岩体较松散、结构面强度低的地区;崩塌多发育于斜坡高陡、岩质风化程度低、结构面发育的地区。研究成果对岳西县乃至整个大别山地区地质灾害的研究及防治工作具有一定的借...     

不同裸岩率下我国西南喀斯特山区土壤侵蚀的室内模拟

以我国西南喀斯特地区作为研究区域,通过资料查询、野外考察,设计加工满足西南喀斯特地区雨强范围的针管式人工降雨装置,针对不同坡度条件下不同裸岩率坡面土壤侵蚀进行12场室内模拟试验。结果显示:（1）径流率在180～300 s之后保持稳定,坡面径流率随着坡度的增大变化较小。（2）输沙率的变化可分为五个阶段:迅速增大、减小、增大、缓慢减小和趋于稳定;同一坡度或不同坡度条件下坡面输沙率均随裸岩率的增大而减小,这种变化量随着坡度的增大而减小,其减小量在40.2%到1%之间。（3）同一坡度或不同坡度的不同裸岩率坡面总侵蚀量均随裸岩率的增大而减小,其变化量随坡度的增大而减弱。      

Landscape response to tipping points in granite weathering: The case of stepped topography in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

The dynamics of granitic landscapes are modulated by bimodal weathering, which produces patchy granular soils and expanses of bare rock ranging from meter-scale boulders to mountain-scale domes. We used terrain analysis and with cosmogenic nuclide measurements of erosion rates to quantitatively explore Wahrhaftig’s decades-old hypothesis for the development of “stepped topography” by differential weathering of bare and soil-mantled granite. According to Wahrhaftig’s hypothesis, bare granite weathers slower than soil-mantled granite; thus random erosional exposure of bare rock leads to an alternating sequence of steep, slowly weathering bedrock “steps” and gently sloped, but rapidly weathering, soil-mantled “treads.” Our investigation focused on the terrain surrounding the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (CZO), which is underlain by granitic bedrock and lies outside the limits of recent glaciation, in the heart of the stepped topography described by Wahrhaftig. Our digital terrain analysis confirms that steep steps often grade into gentle treads, consistent with Wahrhaftig’s hypothesis. However, we observe a mix-and-match of soil and bare rock on treads and steps, contrary to one of the hypothesis’ major underpinnings – that bare rock should be much more common on steps than on treads. Moreover, the data show that bare rock is not as common as expected at step tops; Wahrhaftig’s hypothesis dictates that step tops should act as slowly eroding base levels for the treads above them. The data indicate that, within each landscape class (i.e., the steps and treads), bare rock erodes more slowly than surrounding soil. This suggests that the coupling between soil production and denudation in granitic landscapes harbors a tipping point wherein erosion rates decrease when soils are stripped to bedrock. Although broadly consistent with the differential weathering invoked by Wahrhaftig, the data also show that steps are eroding faster than treads, undermining Wahrhaftig’s explanation for the origins of the steps. The revised interpretation proposed here is that the landscape evolves by back-wearing of steps in addition to differential erosion due to differences in weathering of bare and soil-mantled granite.     

Geochemistry of red residua underlying dolomites in karst terrains of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau: II. The mobility of rare earth elements during weathering

The aim of this study is to characterize the evolution of the rare earth elements (REE) in the Pingba red residua on karst terrain of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The in-situ weathering and the two-stage development of the profile had been inferred from REE criterions. The REE were significantly fractionated, and Ce was less mobilized and separated from the other REEs at the highly enriched top of the profile. This is consistent with the increase of oxidation degree in the regolith. And it is also suggested that the wet/dry climate change during chemical weathering caused Ce alternative change between enrichment and invariance in the upper regolith. Chondrite-normalized REE distribution patterns for samples from dolomites and the lower regolith are characteristic of MREE enrichment and remarkable negative Ce-anomalies patterns (similar to the convex-up REE patterns). The following processes are interpreted for the patterns in this study: (1) the accumulation of MRRE-rich minerals in dolomite dissolution, (2) water–rock interaction in the weathering front, and (3) more leaching MREE from the upper part of the profile. The latter two explanations are considered as the dominant process for the formation of the REE patterns. Samples from the soil horizon exhibit typical REE distribution patterns of the upper crust, i.e., La_N/Yb_N=10 and Eu/Eu*=0.65. All data indicate that the leaching process is very important for pedogenesis in this region. The experiments demonstrating that abnormal enrichment of REE at the upper regolith–bedrock interface is caused by a combination of volume change, accumulation of REE-bearing minerals, leaching of REE from the upper regolith, and water–rock interaction during rock–soil alteration processes. Our results support the conclusion that the weathering profile represents a large, continental elemental storage reservoir, whereas REE enrichment occurs under favorable conditions in terms of stable tectonics, low erosion and rapid weathering over sufficiently long time.     

Occurrence of landslides during the approach of tropical cyclone Juliette (2001) to Baja California Sur,Mexico

The approach of tropical cyclone (TC) Juliette, in 2001, to the Baja California Peninsula triggered at least 419 landslides. Most of the landslides were shallow slips and debris slides of limited areal extent, which were converted rapidly into debris flows to be exported quickly out of the mountain areas towards the lowlands. Main factors affecting landslide occurrence were total storm rainfall and intensity, aspect, geology and vegetation association. Two processes can be distinguished as initiating slope failure. Accumulation of rainfall from exposed bedrock slopes, generating excess overland flow, was the main process linked to failures in concave topography. A combination of wind and excess overland flow in the more convex or planar upper slopes was a secondary process related to heterogeneity of vegetation associations in the oak-dry tropical forests ecotone, as uprooted trees dislodged large regolith and bedrock blocks, priming hillslopes for further runoff concentration. An estimative threshold curve for triggering landslides in this region is sketched. From the analysis of historical information, storms like Juliette approach the southern peninsula on average once every 100 years. Denudation estimates are in the higher end of the spectrum for a tectonically passive margin. These estimates should be considered when taking decisions regarding management of water resources in this area through damming of streams. The results emphasize the need for a more detailed representation of the spatial distribution of the rainfall and winds for this mountainous region affected by TCs.     

Regolith-landform processes and geochemical exploration for base metal deposits in regolith-dominated terrains of the Mt Isa region,northwest Queensland,Australia

The regolith in the Mt Isa region of Queensland consists of a variety of saprolites and duricrusts developed on Proterozoic basement rocks and fresh to weathered Mesozoic, Tertiary and Quaternary cover, all of which has impeded base metals exploration. This paper presents an overview of some of the regolith-geochemical work conducted in the Mt Isa region as part of an industry-supported three year CRC LEME/AMIRA Project. A complex weathering and landscape history has produced a landscape of (a) continuously exposed and exhumed basement rocks that have undergone varying intensities of weathering and partial stripping; (b) weathered and locally eroded Mesozoic cover sequences and (c) areas with younger transported cover concealing basement and Mesozoic cover. Various regolith sample media have been evaluated at a number of prospects and deposits which represent different regolith-landform terrains and landscape history. Geochemical dispersion processes and models are presented and false anomalies explained.Where ferruginous duricrust or ferruginous nodular gravel are preserved on weathered bedrock on an eroded plateau, they exhibit large (> 500 m) multi-element (As, Pb, Sb) dispersion haloes and are useful sampling media. Dispersion haloes in truncated profiles on weathered bedrock covered with colluvium are restricted, are limited to tens of metres from subcrop of the source, and contrast to the extensive anomalies in ferruginous duricrust and nodules. Geochemical exploration in covered areas depends on the possible presence of dispersion through the sediments or leakage along faults or fractures, but may be complicated by high metal backgrounds in the sediments themselves. Some of the most prominent anomalies occur in ferruginous materials and soils representing emergent residual terrain developed on Mesozoic sediments. These are largely due to weathering of sulfide mineralization that continued during submergence in a marine environment, with hydromorphic dispersion into the sediments as they accumulated. Multi-element (Cu, As, Zn, Sb, Au) anomalies occur in basal sediments and at the unconformity, due to a combination of clastic and hydromorphic dispersion and represent a useful sample target. Metal-rich horizons in weathered sediments, higher in the sequence, can also be targeted, particularly by specifically sampling ferruginous units and fragments. However, these are less certainly related to mineralization. Zinc and Cu, concentrated in Fe (and Mn) oxides at redox fronts, may be derived by leaching from the sediments with concentration in the sesquioxides, and be unrelated to any proximal basement mineralization. In all these regolith-dominated terrains, a clear understanding of local geomorphology, regolith framework, topography of unconformities and the origins of ferruginous materials is essential to sample medium selection and data interpretation.     

岷江上游流域裂点分布及成因分析

均衡状态时的基岩河道纵剖面表现为平滑形态,然而自然界的河道纵剖面常因地球各种内外动力作用的影响而呈现出以裂点为特征的不均衡状态,因此不均衡的河道剖面及裂点的特征可以用于指示外界环境的扰动。位于青藏高原东缘造山带的岷江上游流域水系普遍呈现不均衡的特征,且广泛发育有裂点。文章基于数字高程模型,提取裂点空间分布特征,通过裂点成因分析后发现,这些裂点的形成受到岩性、冰川作用、构造等因素的影响：因岩性形成的裂点主要位于花岗岩与其他地层的交界线上;而高海拔裂点主要受到冰川作用的控制,位于地形起伏度较低的区域;流域内低海拔区域成层分布的坡断型裂点可能主要因多期次区域构造隆升而形成;岷江上游下段流域的阶梯状垂阶型裂点则主要因地震滑坡形成。这一结果增进了对岷江流域的河流地貌发育及其影响因素的理解。此外,研究结果也说明在对河道纵剖面分析时有必要更多考虑到滑坡及冰川等因素对现代河道纵剖面产生的重要影响,为进一步理解造山带地貌演化及控制因素提供了参考视角。     

Etch and intracutaneous landforms and their implications

Many landforms, major and minor, and including plains of various types, inselbergs, boulders, flared slopes, Rillen and rock basins, are initiated beneath the land surface, at the weathering front. They have evolved in various lithological settings. Most are formed by differential moisture attack, either controlled, or strongly influenced, by bedrock structure. Such forms of subsurface derivation may be differentiated into etch or subcutaneous features that were initiated at the base of the regolith, and intracutaneous forms that had their origin within the weathering zone. Although the agent or agents responsible for eroding the regolith and exposing the bedrock forms have varied in space and time, the similarity of etch and intracutaneous forms is such that their basic morphology persists regardless of the climatic regime in which they now occur. As the regolith is widely developed on the land surface, the forms initiated beneath and within it cannot be taken as climatic indicators. Indeed, like structural forms, these convergent forms represent a varied but significant azonal element in the physiographic landscape.     

Afforestation by slope terracing accelerates erosion. A case study in the Barranco de Barcedana (Conca de Tremp, NE Spain)

. The dam of Cellers, situated in the south of Tremp (Lleida Province), is undergoing progressive filling as a consequence of the heavy erosion which affects the lutitic formations of its hydrographic basin. Several actions have been carried out in order to reduce erosion; the most widely used is the afforestation of extensive areas. In certain areas, however, the restoration works have had negative effects, the afforestation leading to an even greater erosion than that which was originally occurring. This peculiar response is caused both by the modification of the morphologic and hydrologic characteristics of the slopes and by having left uncovered the clayey bedrock of the zone. These clayey materials have a considerable swelling and dispersive potential, which the aforementioned activities have tended to develop.     

Basal Waitemata Group lithofacies: rapid subsidence in an early Miocene interarc basin, New Zealand

The abrupt transition from coastal and shallow shelf sediments to bathyal sediments provides a record of rapid subsidence and deepening of the early Miocene Waitemata basin. Basal shallow marine strata (Kawau Subgroup) accumulated upon a highly dissected surface that overlies deformed Mesozoic metagreywacke. The early Miocene coast was characterized by an embayed and cliffed shoreline with numerous sea stacks and islands. Kawau Subgroup lithofacies, which include pocket beach, shallow shelf and base-of-cliff talus deposits, reflect rapidly changing coastline configuration and water depths as the rugged bedrock surface was buried. The response to continued rapid subsidence and transgression in Waitemata basin was a decrease in the supply of coarse clastic sediment. Beach gravels were locally displaced to greater water depths by avalanching down steep bedrock slopes. The first bathyal turbidite facies, which abruptly overlie the shallow-water Kawau Subgroup, include locally derived sediment gravity flows commonly ponded by remnant bedrock submarine highs. When this local supply of sediment had been exhausted, coarse sediment starvation ensued and bathyal muds accumulated. With the resumption of sediment supply and gradual burial of submarine bedrock relief, submarine fans coalesced and increased in lateral extent. Subsidence of the Waitemata basin to bathyal depths is thought to have occurred in less than a million years. From the above hypothesis, a general model of sedimentation is proposed.     

Rapid runoff via shallow throughflow and deeper preferential flow in a boreal catchment underlain by frozen silt (Alaska, USA)

In high-latitude catchments where permafrost is present, runoff dynamics are complicated by seasonal active-layer thaw, which may cause a change in the dominant flowpaths as water increasingly contacts mineral soils of low hydraulic conductivity. A 2-year study, conducted in an upland catchment in Alaska (USA) underlain by frozen, well-sorted eolian silt, examined changes in infiltration and runoff with thaw. It was hypothesized that rapid runoff would be maintained by flow through shallow soils during the early summer and deeper preferential flow later in the summer. Seasonal changes in soil moisture, infiltration, and runoff magnitude, location, and chemistry suggest that transport is rapid, even when soils are thawed to their maximum extent. Between June and September, a shift occurred in the location of runoff, consistent with subsurface preferential flow in steep and wet areas. Uranium isotopes suggest that late summer runoff erodes permafrost, indicating that substantial rapid flow may occur along the frozen boundary. Together, throughflow and deep preferential flow may limit upland boreal catchment water and solute storage, and subsequently biogeochemical cycling on seasonal to annual timescales. Deep preferential flow may be important for stream incision, network drainage development, and the release of ancient carbon to ecosystems.     

Influence of upwelling on the shallow water chemistry in a small wetland riparian zone (Basque Country)

Many hydrologic conceptual models in riparian areas assume that the alluvial deposits zone is hydraulically more active than the fractured bedrock below. Therefore, these models undervalue the possible contribution of deeper groundwater from the fractured bedrock system. A hydrochemical study, under various hydrological conditions, has been carried out in a small riparian zone of the Salburua wetland (Basque Country) in order to highlight the conceptual model. This wetland is included in a wide Quaternary aquifer, which has been declared a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone. The results of this study suggest that the fractured bedrock is at least as dynamic as the upper clayey deposits. The presence of more fractured zones, which act as hydraulic “windows”, allow the upwelling of deeper groundwater and, consequently, make the upper alluvial deposits and the fractured bedrock water systems to be cross-connected. Nevertheless, this upwelling is limited to some small areas in the riparian zone. As a result of this local interaction, several chemical reactions have been observed and the hydrochemical characteristics of shallow groundwater undergo seasonal variations. The study shows that a hydrologic conceptual model, which does not consider the hydraulic activity of the fractured bedrock, can be too simplistic. The presence of hydraulic windows could be considered throughout the entire Quaternary aquifer, knowledge of which could help the managers of the Vulnerable Zone and the wetland to take more effective measures for regulation and conservation.     

季节性冻土区水文特性及模型研究进展

简要评述了寒区冻土水文的研究进展情况,在分析季节性冻土的冻融水文过程和特点的基础上,系统归纳与总结了季节性冻融土壤条件下的融雪径流的产流模型、入渗规律及预报模型、对非寒区水文模型改进后应用到寒区的探讨及定量研究冻土水分迁移运动的数值模拟方法,并提出未来研究方向:开发更加逼近真实情况的水文水利模型;野外大田实验数据的监测采集并确定水文模型的参数;将水文模型与冻土水分迁移模型的完善结合.     

Groundwater in the Broken Hill region,Australia: recognising interaction with bedrock and mineralisation using S,Sr and Pb isotopes

The supergiant Pb–Zn–Ag Broken Hill orebody and numerous other minor mineral deposits occur within the limited outcrop of the Proterozoic Curnamona Province of Australia. The vast majority of this Province is concealed by up to 200 m of transported regolith, hampering conventional exploration strategies. Approximately 300 groundwater samples were collected over the southern Curnamona Province to test whether this medium could be helpful in the search for hidden mineral deposits. Sulphur, Sr and Pb isotope composition of the groundwaters were determined and S excess (S_XS), i.e., the amount of S that can be ascribed neither to evaporation nor to mixing, was calculated. Many samples were recognised to have undergone an addition of ³⁴S-depleted S, which can be attributed to oxidation of sulfides with a Broken Hill type δ³⁴S signature (average ∼0‰ V-CDT). Furthermore, Sr isotopes identify the broad types of bedrock that the groundwater has been interacting with, from the less radiogenic Adelaidean rocks (and minerals) in the west (groundwater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio as low as 0.708) to the highly radiogenic Willyama Supergroup in the east (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio up to 0.737). The groundwaters have ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios comparable to, or intermediate between, various mineralisation types recognised in the area (Broken Hill, Rupee, Thackaringa, etc., types). The few samples taken in the vicinity of known mineralisation yield positive indicators (positive S_XS, low δ³⁴S, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr signature of bedrock type and Pb isotope fingerprinting of mineralisation type). This study also highlights several new locations under sedimentary cover where these indicators suggest interaction with mineralisation.     

Response of a dryland fluvial system to climate–tectonic perturbations during the Late Quaternary: Evidence from Rukmawati River basin,Kachchh, western India

Dryland rivers, dominated by short-lived, localised and highly variable flow due to discrete precipitation events, have characteristic preservation potential, which serves as suitable archives towards understanding the climate–tectonic coupling. In the present study, we have investigated the fluvial records of a major, southerly-draining river – the Rukmawati River in the dryland terrain of southern Kachchh, in western India. The sediment records along the bedrock rivers of Kachchh register imprints of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM), which is the major source of moisture to the fluvial system in western India. The Rukmawati River originates from the Katrol Hill Range in the north and flows towards the south, into the Gulf of Kachchh. The field stratigraphy, sedimentology, along with the optical chronology suggests that a braided-meandering system existed during 37 ka period due to an overall strengthened monsoon. A gradual decline in the monsoon strength with fluctuation facilitated the development of a braided channel system between 20 and 15 ka. A renewed phase of strengthened monsoon with seasonality after around 15 ka which persisted until around 11 ka, is implicated in the development of floodplain sequences. Two zones of relatively high bedrock uplift are identified based on the geomorphometry and morphology of the fluvial landform. These zones are located in the vicinity of the North Katrol Hill Fault (NKHF) and South Katrol Hill Fault (SKHF). Geomorphic expression of high bedrock uplift is manifested by the development of beveled bedrock prior to or around 20 ka during weak monsoon. The study suggests that the terrain in the vicinity of NKHF and SKHF is uplifting at around 0.8 and >0.3 mm/a, respectively. Simultaneously, the incision in the Rukmawati River basin, post 11 ka, is ascribed to have occurred due to lowered sea level during the LGM and early Holocene period.     

Ribbon sandstones in the Pennsylvanian Waddens Cove Formation, Sydney Basin, Atlantic Canada: the influence of siliceous duricrusts on channel-body geometry

Channelized bodies up to 9 m thick in the Pennsylvanian Waddens Cove Formation show low width: thickness ratios (8:1 to 14:1), up to four vertically stacked storeys, and deep incision into associated floodplain strata. The presence of lateral accretion sets up to 6 m thick indicates that the migration of bank-attached bars was a major channel-filling process. The progressive rise in elevation of the basal part of the accretion surfaces where the sets adjoin the steeply inclined sides of the channel bodies shows that the channel floor aggraded progressively as the bars approached the channel sides. In planform, the river system probably showed a low-sinuosity, incised valley within which the channel followed a more sinuous and partially confined course. The alluvium surrounding the channel bodies includes sandstone sheets attributed to crevasse splay and levee accumulation. The upper strata of many sheet's and some channel bodies contain siliceous duricrusts (ganisters) which formed by pedogenic lithification of sandy material commencing shortly after the landforms became inactive. The channel bodies contain duricrust-bearing slumpblocks and show stepped margins over duricrusts. The stepped nature of the banks suggests that duricrusts were an important factor in confining the reach, and we suggest that channel-body geometry was influenced, although not necessarily controlled, by the presence of the lithified layers. Alternation in the Waddens Cove Formation of grey, coal-bearing zones with red, duricrust-rich zones is attributed to water-table fluctuation in response to base-level changes. The low width: thickness ratios and aggradation mode'of the channel bodies may in part reflect channel incision and subsequent aggradation resulting from these allocyclic events.     

Spatial distribution and geochemical baselines of major/trace elements in soils of Medak district,Andhra Pradesh,India

Regional-scale variations in soil geochemistry were investigated with special reference to differences among soil groups and lithology in an area of 9,699 km² in Medak district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The concentrations of 29 elements (major: Si, Al, Fe, Mn, Mg, Ca, Na, K, Ti, P and trace: As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb, Se, Sr, Th, U, V, Y, Zn, Zr) in 878 soil samples collected (557-topsoil, 321-subsoil) at a sampling density of 1 site/17 km² from 557 sites representative of all the soil types present in studied area were determined, and their elemental composition are discussed. The baseline levels of these elements in soils are determined over different lithological units for the identification of anomalous values relative to these. For the first time, geochemical maps for Medak district are prepared on 1:50,000 scale and the lithogeochemical database generated provides information on the lateral and vertical distribution of elements in soil. The spatial variations in the distribution of elements reflect underlying geologic characteristics. Box-plots reveal that the concentration of most of the elements in soils were not strongly dependent on the soil group but the soil-geochemistry abruptly changes with the change in the soil parent materials indicating that the distribution of elements is mostly influenced by the bedrock lithology and other natural processes acting on them. For instance, the concentrations of Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ti, V and Zn are high in soils developed on basaltic terrain while the soils developed on granitic and gneissic terrain exhibit high elemental concentrations of K, Pb, Rb, Si, Th and Y. Alfisols had relatively high contents of elements while entisols had lower concentrations of most of the elements. The database can be used in the chemical characterisation of different geological units as well as applications in various environmental and agricultural fields. The results indicate that regional geology is an important determinant of soil geochemical baselines for soil pollution assessment and further emphasizes the importance of determining background levels locally. The defined baselines can be used to establish background values for future soil surveys.     

Terrestrial sensitivity to abrupt cooling recorded by aeolian activity in northwest Ohio, USA

Lower slopes of the Sandia Mountains are characterized by granitic corestone topography and weathering-limited slopes with thin grusy colluvium and weakly developed soils. In contrast, thick soils with illuvial clay and pedogenic carbonate have developed below aplite outcrops. Aplite is resistant to chemical decomposition, but physically weathers to blocky clasts that enhance surface roughness and erosional resistance of colluvium, promoting accumulation of eolian fines. Thick B horizons on aplite slopes indicate limited erosion and prolonged periods of stability and soil development. Accretion of eolian material limits runoff and prevents attainment of a steady-state balance between soil production and downslope transport.     

Landslides in the Tandayapa Valley, northern Andes, Ecuador: implications for landform development in humid and tectonically active mountain ranges

Landslides are common throughout the Ecuadorian Andes, but their causal and controlling factors and their roles in landform development have not yet been systematically investigated. This paper reports observations and hypotheses arising from a reconnaissance study of the Tandayapa Valley in the Cordillera Occidental, approximately 30 km west of Quito. This study area is characterised by high local relief (ca. 800 m) associated with dissected mountainous terrain, high annual rainfall (>2,000 mm), and secondary-succession wet montane ‘cloud forest’. Regolith cover is extremely thin on the very steep (45 to >60°) upper main valley slopes, but there are thick accumulations of tephra on the slope crests and ridgetops. These deposits show periods of soil development separated by deposition events. Natural landslides in this environment comprise rare large deep-seated bedrock failures and occasional shallow failures on the steep upper slopes where potentially unstable thicknesses of tephra have accumulated. Landslides associated with construction of roads and forest trails are more common. Back-analysis of one road-cut landslide, using field and laboratory data to characterise the in situ weathered material where possible, indicated that natural shallow failures are unlikely in the absence of a surficial cover of tephra. By analogy with another mountainous tropical landscape, it is suggested that long-term landform development can be explained in terms of channel incision, driven by uplift, producing steep lower valley slopes that eventually exceed bedrock failure thresholds. Therefore, large deep-seated landslides appear to control valley slope form development, whilst the shallow landslides contribute to general denudation.     

Storm runoff processes in a small forested drainage basin

A brief review was made of storm runoff processes and the mechanisms of its generation in relation to subsurface water behaviors in a small forested drainage basin located in the western suburbs of Tokyo, Japan. The results of field investigations showed that the main source of storm runoff was groundwater flow and that the rapid and large amounts of groundwater discharge during a storm event could not be explained solely by the traditional concept of Darcian matrix flow. Several mechanisms such as pipe flow, air pressure effect, and capillary barrier effect were recognized that would induce a rapid response of groundwater to storm events depending on differences in local hydrologic conditions. All of these mechanisms were chiefly attributed to inhomogeneities of the soil deposits. The importance of dynamic behaviors of subsurface water during a storm event was emphasized in considering the mechanism of storm runoff generation.