Spatial Distribution of Large-scale Landslides Induced by the 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake

The 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008 induced hundreds of large-scale landslides. This paper systematically analyzes 112 large-scale landslides (surface area > 50000 m2), which were identified by interpretation of remote sensing imagery and field investigations. The analysis suggests that the distribution of large-scale landslides is affected by the following four factors: (a) distance effect: 80% of studied large-scale landslides are located within a distance of 5 km from the seismic faults. The farther the distance to the faults, the lower the number of large-scale landslides; (b) locked segment effect: the large-scale landslides are mainly located in five concentration zones closely related with the crossing, staggering and transfer sections between one seismic fault section and the next one, as well as the end of the NE fault section. The zone with the highest concentration was the Hongbai-Chaping segment, where a great number of large-scale landslides including the two largest landslides were located. The second highest concentration of large-scale landslides was observed in the Nanba-Donghekou segment at the end of NE fault, where the Donghekou landslide and the Woqian landslide occurred; (c) Hanging wall effect: about 70% of the large-scale landslides occurred on the hanging wall of the seismic faults; and (d) direction effect: in valleys perpendicular to the seismic faults, the density of large-scale landslides on the slopes facing the seismic wave is obviously higher than that on the slopes dipping in the same direction as the direction of propagation of the seismic wave. Meanwhile, it is found that the sliding and moving directions of large-scale landslides are related to the staggering direction of the faults in each section. In Qingchuan County where the main fault activity was horizontal twisting and staggering, a considerable number of landslides showed the feature of sliding and moving in NE direction which coincides with the staggering direction of the seismic faults.

Mechanism and Geo-mechanics Models of Landslides Triggered by 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake

Due to the extremely high magnitude, long duration, and the complicated geo-environment in the disaster area, the great 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake not only produced a huge number of landslides and rockfalls, but also involved complicated dynamic processes. These processes are quite different from the characteristics of landslides and rockfalls under general gravitational force, and presently human knowledge is very poor in this field. In order to describe the special dynamic processes, some terms such as shattering-cracking, shattering-sliding, shattering-falls and ejection are defined in this paper. Combined with slope structures, a mechanism classification system of strong earthquake-triggered landslide and rockfall is suggested, which is divided into 5 categories and 14 types. This paper also analyzes the basic characteristics, dynamic processes and geo-mechanics conceptual models of some typologies, especial the type of shattering-sliding for most large-scales landsides. This paper initially reveals the formation mechanism, geo-mechanics models and dynamic features of landslides and rockfalls triggered by the great Wenchuan Earthquake.

Preliminary analysis of the hanging wall effect and velocity pulse of the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake

A preliminary study of the PGA attenuation, hanging wall effect and velocity pulse characteristics from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake ofMS -8.0 is described in this paper. The study was carried out through analyses in the time and frequency domains of main earthquake records. In the PGA attenuation study, records from 316 stations less than 1000 km from the surface rupture of the fault were used as a database and attenuation relationships were developed and compared with some existing relationships that are widely used in China's Mainland, Chinese Taiwan and the US. At the same time, records from 28 stations less than 100 km from the fault were used to study the hanging wall effect and velocity pulse characteristics of this earthquake based on the distribution of PGA, PGV, spectral acceleration, and the velocity pulse peak, and the results are compared with the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake. In addition, the large PGAs of the UD components observed in this event are also discussed in this paper. From the results of the preliminary study, some conclusions are developed and suggestions for further research are proposed.

Seismic damage of mountain tunnels during the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake

A number of mountain tunnels suffered significant damage to various extent during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China.Damage ranging from small to heavy cracking was observed both at the portal and inside the tunnels,while some sections close to the faults completely collapsed.A summary of qualitative data collected from reports and papers is presented regarding the behavior of the 55 mountain tunnels near the epicenter during the earthquake.Based on the seismic investigation and data collection of mountain tunnels,the tunnel damage is classified into six most common damage models involving cracking,spalling,shear failure,dislocation,pavement uplift and collapse.Detailed study and discussion are then carried out on the damage models.In order to examine the influencing factors of the damage magnitude of the mountain tunnels,the correlations between epicentral distance,earthquake intensity,overburden depth,geological condition and damage levels are analyzed.The relationships between earthquake parameters and different damagemodels are developed and discussed.Also,suggestions are provided to improve the seismic resistance of mountain tunnels.

Analysis on the Dynamical Process of Donghekou Rockslide-Debris Flow Triggered by 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake

Among the geo-hazards caused by the great Wenchuan Earthquake, the rapid and long runout rockslide-debris flow is of primary concern due to the large volume of displaced material and the resultant catastrophic impacts to the landscape and socioeconomic structure. In order to analyze the dynamical process of this kind of geo-hazard, the Donghekou rockslide-debris flow is given as an example in this paper. This event, which killed 780 people, initiated at an elevation of 1300 m with a total long run-out distance of more than 2400 m. The slide mass is mainly composed of dolomite limestone and siliceous limestone of Sinian system, together with carbon slate and phyllite of Cambrian. During the processes from slide initiation to the final cessation of slide movement, five dynamic stages took place, here identified as the initiation stage, the acceleration of movement stage, the air-blast effect stage, the impact and redirection stage and the long runout slidematerial accumulation stage. Field investigations indicate that due to the effects of the earthquake, the dynamics of the Donghekou rockslide-debris flow are apparently controlled by geologic and tectonic conditions, the local geomorphological aspects of the terrain, and the microstructural and macroscopic mechanical properties of rocks which compose the slide mass. These three main factors which dictate the Donghekou rockslide-debris flow dynamics are discussed in detail in this paper, and significant results of field investigations and tests of materials are presented. The above dynamical processes are analyzed in this paper, and some useful conclusions have been gained.

A contrast study of the traumatic condition between the wounded in 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake and 4.25 Nepal earthquake

Purpose： 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake and 4.25 Nepal earthquake are of the similar magnitude, but the climate and geographic environment are totally different. Our team carried out medical rescue in both disasters, so we would like to compare the different traumatic conditions of the wounded in two earthquakes. Methods： The clinical data of the wounded respectively in 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake and 4.25 Nepal earthquake rescued by Chengdu Military General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Then a contrast study between the wounded was conducted in terms of age, sex, injury mechanisms, traumatic conditions, complications and prognosis. Results： Three clays after 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake, 465 cases of the wounded were hospitalized in Chengdu Military General Hospital, including 245 males （52.7%） and 220 females （47.3%） with the average age of （47.6 ±22.7） years. Our team carried out humanitarian relief in Ratmandu after 4.25 Nepal earthquake. Three days after this disaster, 71 cases were treated in our field hospital, including 37 males （52.1%） and 34 females （47.9%） with the mean age of （44.8 ± 22.9） years. There was no obvious difference in sex and mean age between two groups, but the age distribution was a little different： there were more wounded people at the age over 60 years in 4.25 Nepal earthquake （p 〈 0.01） while more wounded people at the age between 21 and 60 years in 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake （p 〈 0.05）. The main cause of injury in both disasters was bruise by heavy drops but 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake had a higher rate of bruise injury and crush injury （p 〈 0.05） while 4.25 Nepal earthquake had a higher rate of falling injury （p 〈 0.01 ）. Limb fracture was the most common injury type in both disasters. However, compared with 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake, 4.25 Nepal earthquake has a much higher incidence of limb fractures （p 〈 0.01 ）, lung infection （p 〈 0.01 ） and malnutrition （p 〈 0.05）, but a lower incidence of thoracic injury （p 〈 0.05） and multiple injury （p 〈 0.05）. The other complications and death rate showed no significant differences. Conclusion： Major earthquakes of the similar magnitude can cause different injury mechanisms, traumatic conditions and complications in the wounded under different climate and geographic environment. When an earthquake occurs in a poor traffic area of high altitude and large temperature difference, early medical rescue, injury control and wounded evacuation as well as sufficient warmth retention and food supply are of vital significance.

Development and distribution of geohazards triggered by the 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake in China

As the Wenchuan Earthquake was of high magnitude and shallow seismic focus, it caused great dam- age and serious geohazards. By the field investigation and the interpretation of remote-sensing infor- mation after the earthquake and by using means of GIS technology, the distribution of geohazards triggered by the earthquake are analyzed and the conclusions are as follows: (1) The earthquake geo- hazards showed the feature of zonal distribution along the earthquake fault zone and linear distribution along the rivers; (2) the distribution of earthquake geohazards had a marked hanging wall effect, for the development density of geohazards in the hanging wall of earthquake fault zone was obviously higher than that in the foot wall and the width of strong development zone in the hanging wall was about 10 km; (3) the topographical slope was a main factor which controlled the development of earthquake geo- hazards and a vast majority of hazards were distributed on the slopes of 20° to 50°; (4) the earthquake geohazards had a corresponding relationship with the elevation and micro-landform, for most hazards happened in the river valleys and canyon sections below the elevation of 1500 to 2000 m, particularly in the upper segment of canyon sections (namely, the turning point from the dale to the canyon). Thin ridge, isolated or full-face space mountains were most sensitive to the seismic wave, and had a striking amplifying effect. In these areas, collapses and landslides were most likely to develop; (5) the study also showed that different lithologies determined the types of geohazards, and usually, landslides oc- curred in soft rocks, while collapses occurred in hard rocks.

Analysis of debris flow control effect and hazard assessment in Xinqiao Gully,Wenchuan M_(s)8.0 earthquake area based on numerical simulation

Xinqiao Gully is located in the area of the 2008 Wenchuan M_(s)8.0 earthquake in Sichuan province,China.Based on the investigation of the 2023"6-26"Xinqiao Gully debris flow event,this study assessed the effectiveness of the debris flow control project and evaluated the debris flow hazards.Through field investigation and numerical simulation methods,the indicators of flow intensity reduction rate and storage capacity fullness were proposed to quantify the effectiveness of the engineering measures in the debris flow event.The simulation results show that the debris flow control project reduced the flow intensity by41.05%to 64.61%.The storage capacity of the dam decreases gradually from upstream to the mouth of the gully,thus effectively intercepting and controlling the debris flow.By evaluating the debris flow of different recurrence intervals,further measures are recommended for managing debris flow events.

Lessons learned from the “5.12” Wenchuan Earthquake:evaluation of earthquake performance objectives and the importance of seismic conceptual design principles

Many different types of buildings were severely damaged or collapsed during the May 12, 2008 Great Wenchuan Earthquake. Based on survey data collected in regions that were subjected to moderate to severe earthquake intensities, a comparison between the observed building damage, and the three earthquake performance objectives and seismic conceptual design principles specified by the national ＂Code for Seismic Design of Buildings GB50011-2001,＂ was carried out. Actual damage and predicted damage for a given earthquake level for different types of structures is compared. Discussions on seismic conceptual design principles, with respect to multiple defense lines, strong column-weak beam, link beam of shear walls, ductility detailing of masonry structures, exits and staircases, and nonstructural elements, etc. are carried out. Suggestions for improving the seismic design of structures are also proposed. It is concluded that the seismic performance objectives for three earthquake levels, i.e., ＂no failure under minor earthquake level, ＂＂repairable damage under moderate earthquake level＂ and ＂no collapse under major earthquake level＂ can be achieved if seismic design principles are carried out by strictly following the code requirements and ensuring construction quality.

Revision of seismic design codes corresponding to building damagesin the “5.12” Wenchuan earthquake

A large number of buildings were seriously damaged or collapsed in the "5.12" Wenchuan earthquake. Based on field surveys and studies of damage to different types of buildings, seismic design codes have been updated. This paper briefly summarizes some of the major revisions that have been incorporated into the "Standard for classification of seismic protection of building constructions GB50223-2008" and "Code for Seismic Design of Buildings GB50011-2001." The definition of seismic fortification class for buildings has been revisited, and as a result, the seismic classifications for schools, hospitals and other buildings that hold large populations such as evacuation shelters and information centers have been upgraded in the GB50223-2008 Code. The main aspects of the revised GB50011-2001 code include: (a) modification of the seismic intensity specified for the Provinces of Sichuan, Shanxi and Gansu; (b) basic conceptual design for retaining walls and building foundations in mountainous areas; (c) regularity of building configuration; (d) integration of masonry structures and precast RC floors; (e) requirements for calculating and detailing stair shafts; and (f) limiting the use of single-bay RC frame structures. Some significant examples of damage in the epicenter areas are provided as a reference in the discussion on the consequences of collapse, the importance of duplicate structural systems, and the integration of RC and masonry structures.

Emergency aero-photo survey after the 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake, China

After the 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake which took place on May 12, 2008, aerial remote sensing has rapidly covered all the influence sites of the earthquake, emergency aero-photo interpretation has re- vealed the disaster distribution limitation, and captured the information of location, dimension of the destroyed houses, roads and other structures, blocked rivers, etc, which provided destroying condi- tions of the time for rescuing lives, rebuilding traffic lines and estimating disaster situation. The further interpretation and analysis indicate that large scale second growth geological disasters mainly dis- tribute in the distance of 0―300 km and 45°―50° orientation from the epicenter. About 137 latent large-scale landslides and debris-flows will occur in this rain season and coming several years, so how to avoid current geological disasters as well as the latent large disasters should be considered in making rebuilding and developing plan.

Identifying drivers of urban landuse changes in the Wenchuan earthquake- affected area by using night-time light data

To learn the process of urban land evolution before and after an earthquake is vital to formulate the urban reconstruction control policies and recovery measures in the earthquake-stricken areas.However,spatiotemporal evolution and its driving factors of urban land in earthquake-prone areas remains limited due to the scarcity of ground observation data.This research,leveraging night-time light remote sensing imagery and land cover data,conducted a comprehensive analysis of the long-term evolution characteristics of urban land in earthquake-prone areas.It introduced methodologies for assessing the socio-economic impact and the primary natural environmental factors driving urban land evolution in these regions.To validate the proposed methods,the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake-affected area in China was selected as a representative study area.The results indicated that the average Digital Number(DN)values in socio-economically impacted areas showed a trend of rising,falling,and then rising again after the earthquake.DN values in three types of damaged areas including Type Ⅱ,Type Ⅲ,and Type Ⅳ exceeded pre-earthquake levels.The analysis of determinative factors influencing urban land evolution revealed that slope and elevation were key elements in controlling urban land expansion before the earthquake,whereas factors such as slope,elevation,lithology,and faults had a stronger influence on urban land expansion after the earthquake.It can be seen that,in view of the differences in the natural conditions of regions for post-disaster reconstruction,the local government need to actively adjust and adapt to urban spatial planning,so as to leverage the scale effect of large-scale inputs of funds,facilities,human resources and other factors after the disaster,thus enhancing resilience and recovery efficiency in response to disaster impacts.

Determination of HCH and DDT in soils following Wenchuan 5.12 Violent Earthquake in China

A large number of disinfectants and insecticides were used on a large scale after the Wenchuan 5.12 Violent Earthquake. The disinfectants and insecticides, including HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) and DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichoroethane) as representative OCPs, could lead to serious environmental problems. In order to disclose the residues of HCH and DDT in soils following the Wenchuan 5.12 Violent Earthquake, surface soils in Dujiangyan City and Beichuan County were sampled in 2009. The samples were analyzed by GC/MS after pre- treatment by ultrasonic solvent extraction. It has been found that the concentra-tions of γ-HCH, β-HCH and 4,4'-DDT in soils of Beichuan County were 94–102.4, 14.1–36.1 and 2.9–4.3 times high their concentrations in those of the Wolong Nature Reserve, and the concentrations in soils of Dujiangyan City were 52.4–61.6, 8.8 –45.3 and 5.4–6.2 times high their concentrations in soils of the Wolong Nature Reserve, respectively. According to the isomers of HCHs and metabolites of DDTs, it could be concluded that these areas may have additional inputs of lindane and 4,4'-DDT.

Airblast evolution initiated by Wangjiayan landslides in the M_(s)8.0 Wenchuan earthquake and its destructive capacity analysis

Airblasts,as one common phenomenon accompanied by rapid movements of landslides or rock/snow avalanches,commonly result in catastrophic damages and are attracting more and more scientific attention.To quantitatively analyze the intensity of airblast initiated by landslides,the Wangjiayan landslide,occurred in the Wenchuan earthquake,is selected here with the landslide propagation and airblast evolution being studied using FLUENT by introducing the Voellmy rheological law.The results reveal that:(1)For the Wangjiayan landslide,its whole travelling duration is only 12 s with its maximum velocity reaching 36 m/s at t=10 s;(2)corresponding to the landslide propagation,the maximum velocity,28 m/s,of the airblast initiated by the landslide also appears at t=10 s with its maximum pressure reaching594.8 Pa,which is equivalent to violent storm;(3)under the attack of airblast,the load suffered by buildings in the airblast zone increases to 1300 Pa at t=9.4 s and sharply decreased to-7000 Pa as the rapid decrease of the velocity of the sliding mass at t=10 s,which is seriously unfavorable for buildings and might be the key reason for the destructive collapse of buildings in the airblast zone of the Wangjiayan landslide.

Empirical-Statistical Models Based on Remote Sensing for Estimating the Volume of Landslides Induced by the Wenchuan Earthquake

The Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake on May 12, 2008 induced a huge number of landslides. The distribution and volume of the landslides are very important for assessing risks and understanding the landslide - debris flow - barrier lake - bursts flood disaster chain. The number and the area of landslides in a wide region can be easily obtained by remote sensing technique, while the volume is relatively difficult to obtain because it requires some detailed geometric information of slope failure surface and sub-surface. Different empirical models for estimating landslide volume were discussed based on the data of 107 landslides in the earthquake-stricken area. The volume data of these landslides were collected by field survey. Their areas were obtained by interpreting remote sensing images while their apparent friction coefficients and height were extracted from the images unifying DEM (digital elevation model). By analyzing the relationships between the volume and the area, apparent friction coefficients, and the height, two models were established, one for the adaptation of a magnitude scale landslide events in a wide range of region, another for the adaptation in a small scope. The correlation coefficients (R2) are 0.7977 and 0.8913, respectively. The results estimated by the two models agree well with the measurement data.

Characteristics and Prevention of Secondary Geological Disasters of Wenchuan Earthquake

In the research, secondary geological disasters of Wenchuan earthquake were defined and the consequences were illustrated based on geological disasters, such as collapse, landslide and debris flow, and threats of barrier lakes. In addition, the characteristics of secondary disasters were analyzed, as follows： Rupture of geological faults lays foundation in terms of geological structure; loose solids provide resources of an earthquake; abundant rainfall and large runoffs are driving forces of an earthquake; rainstorm, flood, and long-term high temperature are major inducing factors. Furthermore, suggestions on prevention of secondary disasters were proposed in terms of prevention before, at and after an earthquake. Finally, the scientific and practical significances of secondary disasters were illustrated.

The Genetic Mechanism of Wenchuan Earthquake

The genetic mechanism of the 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake is still being debated and there is still no convincing general explanation for most of the phenomena. This is because researchers have ignored the important role of the Minshan block in the seismogenic process. The authors present a new opinion based on geological survey and comprehensive analyses. The Minshan block is a key tectonic element of the earthquake occurrence in the northwest triangle faulty block of Sichuan Province. The Minshan block is bordered by Longmen Mountain Range fractures in the south, the Huya fracture in the east, the Tazang fracture in the north and the Mounigou Valley fracture in the west. The rigidity of the block is relatively larger than those of the adjacent regions. The block's eastward movement pushed by regional maximum main geo-stress is limited when it suddenly tapers off near the east triangle end with a bottle-neck effect, and this causes geo-stress concentration around it. The shape of the block is coffin-like, wide in the upper part and narrow in the lower part. When a strong earthquake occurs along the block margins, the lock-up effect temporarily released, resulting in geo-stress transmitted to the Pingwu-Qingchuan (Motianling block) region. This transmission caused the Wenchuan earthquake's aftershocks to be concentrated in Qingchuan region. As the block moved eastward, the back of the block, i.e. the south segment of Mounigou Valley fracture, became active after the Wenchuan Earthquake. Therefore the aftershocks were concentrated along the south segment of Mounigou Valley fracture. Because the south margin is composed of the front range fracture, the geo-stress gradually released, causing many aftershocks along the Guanxian-Anxian fracture. The geological survey made after the Wenchuan Earthquake reveals that the surface ruptures in the south margin of Minshan block occur not along the Beichuan-Yingxiu fracture (central fracture) also along the front range fracture. The length of the surface rupture in the south margin ranges from several meters to several kilometers and it is distributed in en echelon (closely-spaced, parallel or subparallel, step-like surface ruptures). The vertical and horizontal displacements range from place to place and the thrusting component is dominant in the middle segment of Longmen Mountain Range structure belt. Nevertheless, the strike slip of the surface ruptures is dominant in the north segment of Longmen Mountain Range structure belt. Therefore the south margin is the original seismic structure. The sudden thrusting of the south margin of the Minshan block is the source event for the Wenchuan Earthquake.

Pupils in Wenchuan Earthquake

A great earthquake broke out in WenChuan. A lot of people were killed, but somany people were rescused by soldiers.Here are stories about three recused pupils.Langzhen, aged three, was rescusedby the soldiers after being buried in ruinsfor 10 hours.

Seismic damage of highway bridges during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

Many highway bridges were severely damaged or completely collapsed during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. A field investigation was carried out in the strongly affected areas and over 320 bridges were examined. Damage to some representative highway bridges is briefly described and a preliminary analysis of the probable causes of the damage is presented in this paper. The most common damage included shear-flexural failure of the pier columns, expansion joint failure, shear key failure, and girder sliding in the transversal or longitudinal directions due to weak connections between girder and bearings. Lessons learned from this earthquake are described and recommendations related to the design of curved and skewed bridges, design of bearings and devices to prevent girder collapse, and ductility of bridge piers are presented. Suggestions for future seismic design and retrofitting techniques for bridges in moderate to severe earthquake areas are also proposed.

Strong motion observations and recordings from the great Wenchuan Earthquake

The National Strong Motion Observation Network System （NSMONS） of China is briefly introduced in this paper. The NSMONS consists of permanent free-field stations, special observation arrays, mobile observatories and a network management system. During the Wenchuan Earthquake, over 1,400 components of acceleration records were obtained from 460 permanent free-field stations and three arrays for topographical effect and structural response observation in the network system from the main shock, and over 20,000 components of acceleration records from strong aftershocks occurred before August 1, 2008 were also obtained by permanent free-field stations of the NSMONS and 59 mobile instruments quickly deployed after the main shock. The strong motion recordings from the main shock and strong aftershocks are summarized in this paper. In the ground motion recordings, there are over 560 components with peak ground acceleration （PGA） over 10 Gal, the largest being 957.7 Gal. The largest PGA recorded during the aftershock exceeds 300 Gal.