Rainfall thresholds for the triggering of landslides considering previous soil moisture conditions (Asturias,NW Spain)

Given its geological and climatic conditions and its rugged orography, Asturias is one of the most landslide prone areas in the North of Spain. Most of the landslides occur during intense rainfall episodes. Thus, precipitation is considered the main triggering factor in the study area, reaching average annual values of 960 mm. Two main precipitation patterns are frequent: (i) long-lasting periods of moderate rainfall during autumn and winter and (ii) heavy short rainfall episodes during spring and early summer. In the present work, soil moisture conditions in the locations of 84 landslides are analysed during two rainfall episodes, which represent the most common precipitation patterns: October–November 2008 and June 2010. Empirical data allowed the definition of available water capacity percentages of 99–100% as critical soil moisture conditions for the landslide triggering. Intensity-duration rainfall thresholds were calculated for each episode, considering the periods with sustained high soil moisture levels before the occurrence of each analysed landslide event. For this purpose, data from daily water balance models and weather stations were used. An inverse relationship between the duration of the precipitation and its intensity, consistent with published intensity-duration thresholds, was observed, showing relevant seasonal differences.     

2018 International Summer School on rockslides and related phenomena in the Kokomeren River valley (Kyrgyzstan)

Information about the next Kokomeren Summer School that will take place on August 15–30, 2018, is provided.     

Precursory slope distress prior to the 2010 Mount Meager landslide,British Columbia

In 2010, the south flank of Mount Meager failed catastrophically, generating the largest (53 ± 3.8 × 10⁶ m³) landslide in Canadian history. We document the slow deformation of the edifice prior to failure using archival historic aerial photographs spanning the period 1948–2006. All photos were processed using Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. We used the SfM products to produce pre-and post-failure geomorphic maps that document changes in the volcanic edifice and Capricorn Glacier at its base. The photographic dataset shows that the Capricorn Glacier re-advanced from a retracted position in the 1980s then rapidly retreated in the lead-up to the 2010 failure. The dataset also documents 60 years of progressive development of faults, toe bulging, and precursory failures in 1998 and 2009. The 2010 collapse was conditioned by glacial retreat and triggered by hot summer weather that caused ice and snow to melt. Meltwater increased pore water pressures in colluvium and fractured rocks at the base of the slope, causing those materials to mobilize, which in turn triggered several secondary failures structurally controlled by lithology and faults. The landslide retrogressed from the base of the slope to near the peak of Mount Meager involving basement rock and the overlying volcanic sequence. Elsewhere on the flanks of Mount Meager, large fractures have developed in recently deglaciated areas, conditioning these slopes for future collapse. Potential failures in these areas have larger volumes than the 2010 landslide. Anticipated atmospheric warming over the next several decades will cause further loss of snow and glacier ice, likely producing additional slope instability. Satellite- and ground-based monitoring of these slopes can provide advanced warning of future landslides to help reduce risk in populated regions downstream.     

Study on the deformation and failure modes of filling slope in loess filling engineering: a case study at a loess mountain airport

Lvliang airport is a typical loess filling engineering located in 20.5 km north of Lvliang City in Shanxi Province, China. By the end of March 2012, 14 fissures extending more than 7.5 m were observed in a loess-filled slope, of which the longest fissure is up to 82 m. Field monitoring and laboratory tests have been performed to investigate the slope failure modes. The test program includes wetting tests on unsaturated compacted samples and stress path tests on saturated samples. Field monitoring and observations show that differential settlement caused by non-homogeneity in compacted loess density might lead to the formation of fissures in the loess-filled slope. It was founded that the wetting deformation contributed to the development of differential settlement. Fissures are the essential factor for the loess-filled slope failure. Four deformation stages exhibit in the loess-filled slope prior final failure including development of the fissures, softening of the compacted loess, creeping of the slope leading edge and fissuring of the trailing edge and formation of the through-sliding surface. Development of the sliding surface mainly includes upward and downward expansion of the fissures. Upward expansion is a wetting failure process in loading condition, while downward expansion is a load-off wetting process. In addition, development of the sliding surface is accelerated by softening of the compacted soils as a result of water infiltration. Therefore, the key for taking countermeasures against filling landslides is to monitor and control the development of differential settlement and fissures in the slope shoulders. Digging out and extra-filling the fissures are an effective way for preventing these landslides.     

Hydrogeochemical Features of Thermal Waters of South Trungbo (Central Vietnam)

The results of studying the features of the hydrogeological structure and chemical and isotope composition of thermal waters from the central part of Vietnam that are characterized by intense manifestations of intrusive magmatism are presented. It is established that low–and high–thermal waters with temperature varying within 30–85°C are developed in the area under study. The value of total mineralization of the hydrotherms ranges from 0.05 to 10.05 g/dm³. It is assumed that the circulation of thermal waters that are different in temperature and chemical composition occurs at two levels. The regular change of the hydrotherm composition in the direction from mineralized chloride sodium, including with increased Ca content, to fresh sodium bicarbonate is revealed. The ratio of δ¹⁸O–δ²H isotopes indicates that the water component is based on meteoric water. In the coastal areas, there is an isotope shift towards the ocean waters, which is also confirmed by the hydrogeochemical data. The key factors for forming the chemical composition of the thermal waters in South Trungbo are their genetic type, the interaction processes in the “water–rock–gas–organic substance” system, and their equilibrium–nonequilibrium state.     

An orthotropic interface damage model for simulating drying processes in soils

The study of drying process in soils has received an increased attention in the last few years. This is very complex phenomenon that generally leads to the formation and propagation of desiccation cracks in the soil mass. In recent engineering applications, high aspect ratio elements have proved to be well suited to tackle this type of problem using finite elements. However, the modeling of interfaces between materials with orthotropic properties that generally exist in this type of problem using standard (isotropic) constitutive model is very complex and challenging in terms of the mesh generation, leading to very fine meshes that are intensive CPU demanding. A novel orthotropic interface mechanical model based on damage mechanics and capable of dealing with interfaces between materials in which the strength depends on the direction of analysis is proposed in this paper. The complete mathematical formulation is presented together with the algorithm suggested for its numerical implementation. Some simple yet challenging synthetic benchmarks are analyzed to explore the model capabilities. Laboratory tests using different textures at the contact surface between materials were conducted to evaluate the strengths of the interface in different directions. These experiments were then used to validate the proposed model. Finally, the approach is applied to simulate an actual desiccation test involving an orthotropic contact surface. In all the application cases the performance of the model was very satisfactory.     

Characterization of the mechanical properties of a claystone by nano-indentation and homogenization

Based on the analyses of mineralogical compositions by X-ray diffraction and microstructure by optical microscopy, the Young’ modulus and hardness of a claystone were characterized by the nano-indentation technique and homogenization method. Three distinct microstructural zones are identified in the claystone: clay matrix, a composite matrix of clay and small mineral grains and imbedded quartz grains. The elastic modulus and hardness of different zones were determined by nano-indentation testing. Based on the statistical analysis of nano-indentation results, the spatial mappings and frequency distributions of elastic modulus and hardness of the different zones were obtained. The elastic moduli of main constituent phases of the claystone are then estimated from the nano-indentation tests. These values were further used for the determination of the macroscopic elastic modulus of the claystone using two different homogenization schemes: the dilute scheme and Mori–Tanaka scheme. The predicted values by the homogenization schemes are compared with experimental data obtained from conventional uniaxial compression tests.     

Correlation analysis between drought indices and terrestrial water storage from 2002 to 2015 in China

Drought monitoring is a key topic in environmental monitoring and assessment although there is still a need to determine the correlation between drought monitoring indices and remote sensing products. We analyzed the correlation between the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (sc_PDSI), the Standardized Precipitation Index and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and terrestrial water storage monitored through the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) on a monthly timescale from 2002 to 2015 in China. As a consequence of anomalies in the soil water budget, the highly significant correlation between the sc_PDSI and the GRACE satellite-observed terrestrial water storage suggested that these two datasets are the most suitable for use in monitoring droughts. In comparing the three drought indices, the sc_PDSI was introduced as a means of drought monitoring in the Yangtze, Pearl, Huaihe, Southeast and Songhua River Basins, whereas the SPEI was found to be more applicable to other major river basins, such as the Inland River Basin. These diverse spatial behaviors are caused by the differences between the hydrological droughts characterized by these three drought indices.     

Efficacy of laser cleaning in the removal of biological patina on the volcanic scoria of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela,Ethiopia

The Lalibela rock-hewn churches are one of the most important religious pilgrimage sites in Ethiopia. These churches are carved from the scoriaceous basalt rock substrate, which has been exposed to attack by biological agents with significant loss of surface material. Particularly, the widespread growth of lichens and other microorganisms on the carved surfaces of the churches has proven to represent a substantial threat for the preservation of the site. In this study, laboratory tests have been conducted to assess the feasibility of using laser technology as an efficient cleaning method of biological patina from polymineralic stone substrates. Multi-analytical techniques were applied for the characterization of the stone samples collected from two of the Lalibela churches: Bete Giyorgis and Bete Amanuel. Stone samples artificially inoculated with bacteria, yeast, fungi isolates, and lichen-encrusted samples were laser cleaned using UV and IR laser wavelengths. The high content of Fe and Ti oxides and the high porosity have made the stone surfaces easily susceptible to low-energy laser treatment. Results indicate that laser cleaning can be applied to polymineralic lithotypes and UV irradiation can successfully remove lichen colonies. Further studies need to be conducted to optimize the laser procedure in polymineralic, high porosity stones.