Geological Characteristics and Numerical Simulation of Badong Fault in TGP Reservoir Area

The new county-seat town of Badong in the reservoir area of the Three Gorges Project is located on a huge arcuate slope with a convex bank toward north. The slope is cut by a fault, Badong fault, trending in east-west in its back part. It is concerned if the huge arcuate slope is related to mass rock creep, and what is the role of the Badong fault in the formation of the huge arc slope? The Badong fault was put into main consideration in this paper. The data from field investigation were reviewed. Three main features of the Badong fault were summarized: a bedding fault between the Jialingjiang formation (T\-1j) and Badong formation (T\-2b), breccias with compound component, and multiple stages of activity. It was proposed that most of the breccias were formed by fracture-filling. To understand the state of stress and behavior of deformation of the fault during the incision of the Yangtze River as well as the initiation and development of the slope, numerical simulation was conducted. Results indicate that there is a tensional stress zone in the upper part of the fault, and that activity of the fault is dominated by bedding sliding. Opening was also noted in the upper part of the fault in the late periods. The results are consistent with the field observation of the fault. The displacement in the slope is small, which makes us conclude that there is no certain relation between the formation of the arcuate slope and the Badong fault.