A toppled structure with sliding in the Siwalik Hills, midwestern Nepal

Not only the high mountainous regions but also the southern hilly regions of Nepal frequently suffer from landslides and debris flows. An interesting toppled structure with sliding was distinguished on an excavated slope facing the major highway in one such region, the Siwalik Hills. These hills are mostly composed of alternating beds of sandstones and mudstones of the Siwalik Group. A distinct contrast in the direction of dip of the strata was recognized on the excavated slope; the strata in the upper portion of the slope dipped southward, whereas those of the foot slope dipped northward. This indicated that toppling of strata had occurred. The northward direction of toppling and the angle and axis of rotation of the block were determined by examining the distribution of the attitudes of the strata.

Steeply dipping strata influenced by southward thrusting along the major tectonic line, contrasting rigidity between sandstone and mudstone, and rapid dissection by a river were the major causes of the toppling. The bottom surface of the toppled part dipped gently not only northward but also partially westward, showing that the toppled block slid westward after toppling. Evidence for tension cracking and scarplets on the top slope indicated that the block was still actively sliding.

Because steeply dipping sandstone and mudstone strata are widely distributed in the Siwalik Hills, similar structures are inferred to exist in many places. Therefore, the investigation of such slope structures is important, and their instability must be evaluated before road construction and excavation projects are carried out in Nepal.