Centrifugal model test on a riverine landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir induced by rainfall and water level fluctuation

Frequent soil landslide events are recorded in the Three Gorges Reservoir area,China,making it necessary to investigate the failure mode of such riverside landslides.Geotechnical centrifugal test is considered to be the most realistic laboratory model,which can reconstruct the required geo-stress.In this study,the Liangshuijing landslide in the Three Gorgers Reservoir area is selected for a scaled centrifugal model experiment,and a water pump system is employed to retain the rainfall condition.Using the techniques of digital photography and pore water pressure transducers,water level fluctuation is controlled,and multi-physical data are thus obtained,including the pore water pressure,earth pressure,surface displacement and deep displacement.The analysis results indicate that:Three stages were set in the test(waterflooding stage,rainfall stage and drainage stage).Seven transverse cracks with wide of 1–5 mm appeared during the model test,of which 3 cracks at the toe landslide were caused by reservoir water fluctuation,and the cracks at the middle and rear part were caused by rainfall.During rainfall process,the maximum displacement of landslide model reaches 3 cm.And the maximum deformation of the model exceeds 12 cm at the drainage stage.The failure process of the slope model can be divided into four stages:microcracks appearance and propagation stage,thrust-type failure stage,retrogressive failure stage,and holistic failure stage.When the thrust-type zone caused by rainfall was connected or even overlapped with the retrogressive failure zone caused by the drainage,the landslide would start,which displayed a typical composite failure pattern.The failure mode and deformation mechanism under the coupling actions of water level fluctuation and rainfall are revealed in the model test,which could appropriately guide for the analysis and evaluation of riverside landslides.

Deformation and failure mechanism of Yanjiao rock slope influenced by rainfall and water level fluctuation of the Xiluodu hydropower station reservoir

With the construction of the Xiluodu hydropower station on the Jinsha River,the reservoir impoundment began in 2013 and the water level fluctuates annually between 540 m and 600 m above sea level.The Yanjiao rock slope which is located on the left bank of the Jinsha River 75 km upstream of the Xiluodu dam site,began to deform in 2014.The potential failure of the slope not only threatens Yanjiao town but also affects the safe operation of the Xiluodu reservoir.This paper is to find the factors influencing the Yanjiao slope deformation through field investigation,geotechnical reconnaissance,and monitoring.Results show that the Yanjiao slope can be divided into a bank collapse area(BCA)and a strong deformation area(SDA)based on the crack distribution characteristics of the slope.The rear area of the slope has been experiencing persistent deformation with a maximum cumulative displacement(GPS monitoring point G4)of 505 mm and 399 mm in the horizontal and vertical directions,respectively.The potential failure surface of the slope is formed 36 m below the surface based on the borehole inclinometer.The bank collapses of the Yanjiao slope are directly caused by the reservoir impoundment while the deformation area of the slope is affected by the combination of the rainfall and reservoir water level fluctuation.Based on mechanism of the Yanjiao slope,prestressed anchor combined with the surface drainage and slope unloading are recommended to prevent potential deformation.

Vertical and horizontal displacements of a reservoir slope due to slope aging effect,rainfall,and reservoir water

Landslides are common hazards in reservoir areas and significantly affect dam operation and human lives.For the prevention and management of landslides,accurate assessment of the factors influencing their generation is essential.This study evaluated the key external factors influencing horizontal and vertical displacements of Luobogang Reservoir Slope in Hanyuan County,China.Displacements had been monitored by a surface-displacement-monitoring system consisting of 118 GPS stations during 2012-2015.To identify the external driving factors,their influence zones,and slope responses,we analyzed 32 months of displacement measurements and other multi-source datasets using the empirical orthogonal function.Overall,the results show that slope aging effect,rainfall,and reservoir water levels are three main driving factors.For horizontal displacement,aging effect is the most critical factor and predominantly affects the edges of landslides,the gob cave,and the public building zones.The secondary factor is the reservoir water level,which mainly acts on the boundary between the slope and reservoir water surface.The closer the slope zone is to the reservoir water,the more significant the impact is.Regarding vertical displacement,the most important factor is rainfall.The vertical displacement caused by rainfall accounts for 56.76% of the total vertical displacements.However,rainfall induces elastic displacements that generally cause less damage to the slope.The secondary factor is aging effect,and the vertical displacement caused by aging effect accounts for 9.42%.However,seven individual zones are highly affected by slope aging effect,which is consistent with the distribution of public buildings.

Effects of water level fluctuation on sedimentary characteristics and reservoir architecture of a lake, river dominated delta

The hydrodynamic conditions present in a river delta's formation are a highly important factor in the variation between its sedimentary regulation and characteristics. In the case of the lacustrine basin river-dominated delta, water level fluctuations and fluviation, are both important controlling factors of the sedimentary characteristics and reservoir architecture. To discuss the effects of water level fluctuation on sediment characteristics and reservoir architecture of this delta, the Fangniugou section in the east of the Songliao Basin was selected for study. Based on an outcrop investigation of the lacustrine basin river-dominated delta, combining with an analysis of the major and trace chemical elements in the sediments to determine the relative water depth, through architecture bounding surfaces and lithofacies division, sedimentary microfacies recognition and architectural element research, this work illustrated the effects of water level fluctuation on the reservoir architecture and established sedimentary models for the lacustrine basin river-dominated delta under various water level conditions. The results show that there are 8 lithofacies in the Fangniugou section. The fan delta front, which is the main object of this study, develops four sedimentary microfacies that include the underwater distributary channel, river mouth bar, sheet sand and interdistributary bay. The effects of water level fluctuation on different orders geographic architecture elements are respectively reflected in the vertical combination of the composite sand bodies, the plane combination of the single sand bodies, the particle size changes in the vertical of hyperplasia in the single sand body, the coset and lamina. In the case of the sand body development of the petroliferous basin, varying water level conditions and research locations resulted in significant variation in the distribution and combination of the sand bodies in the lacustrine basin.

Soil anti-scourability enhanced by herbaceous species roots in a reservoir water level fluctuation zone

Revegetation is one of the successful approaches to soil consolidation and streambank protection in reservoir water level fluctuation zones(WLFZs).However,little research has been conducted to explore the impact of herbaceous species roots on soil anti-scourability during different growth stages and under different degrees of inundation in this zone.This study sampled two typical grasslands(Hemarthria compressa grassland and Xanthium sibiricum grassland)at two elevations(172 and 165 m a.s.l.)in the water level fluctuation zone(WLFZ)in the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)of China to quantify the changes in soil and root properties and their effects on soil anti-scourability.A simulated scouring experiment was conducted to test the soil anti-scourability in April and August of 2018.The results showed that the discrepancy in inundation duration and predominant herbaceous species was associated with a difference in root biomass between the two grasslands.The root weight density(RWD)values in the topsoil(0-10 cm)ranged from 7.31 to 13 mg cm^(-3) for the Hemarthria compressa grassland,while smaller values ranging from 0.48 to 8.61 mg cm^(-3) were observed for the Xanthium sibiricum grassland.In addition,the root biomass of the two herbs was significantly greater at 172 m a.s.l.than that at 165 m a.s.l.in the early recovery growth period(April).Both herbs can effectively improve the soil properties;the organic matter contents of the grasslands were 128.06%to 191.99%higher than that in the bare land(CK),while the increase in the water-stable aggregate ranged from 8.21%to 18.56%.Similarly,the topsoil antiscourability indices in both the herbaceous grasslands were larger than those in the CK.The correlation coefficients between the root length density(RLD),root surface area density(RSAD)and root volume density(RVD)of fine roots and the soil antiscourability index were 0.501,0.776 and 0.936,respectively.Moreover,the change in the soil antiscourability index was more sensitive to alternations in the RLD with diameters less than 0.5 mm.Overall,the present study showed that the perennial herbaceous(H.compressa)has great potential as a countermeasure to reduce or mitigate the impact of erosion in the WLFZ of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Analysis of the relationship between water level fluctuation and seismicity in the Three Gorges Reservoir(China)

The Three Gorges Reservoir is a good site for the further researches on reservoir induced seismicity due to decades＇ seismic monitoring. After the first water impounding in 2003, seismic activity becomes more frequent than that before water impoundment. In order to quantitatively study, the relationship between the water level fluctuation and earthquakes in TGR, we introduced statistical methods to attain the goal. First of all, we relocated the earthquakes in TGR region with double difference method and divided the earthquakes into 5 clusters with clustering analysis method. Secondly, to examine the impacts of water level fluctuation in different water filling stages on the seismic activity in the 5 clusters, a series of statistical analyses are applied. Pearson correlation results show that only the 175 m water level fluc- tuation has significantly positive impacts on the seismic activity in clusters I, II, III and V with correlation coefficients of 0.44, 0.38, 0.66 and 0.63. Cross-correlation analysis demonstrates that 0, ], 0 and 0 month time delay separately for the clusters I, II, III and V exists. It illustrated the influences of the water loading and pore pressure diffusion on induced earthquakes. Cointegration tests and impulse response analysis denoted that the 175 m water level only had long term and significant effects just on the seismic events in the intersection region of the Fairy Mount Fault and Nine-brook Fault. One standard deviation shock to 175 m water level increased the seismic activity in cluster V for the first 3 months, and then the negative influence was shown. After 7 months, the negative impulse response becomes stable. The long-term effect of the 175 m water impoundment also proved the important role of pore pressure diffusion in RIS with time.

Protection and Ecological Restoration of Water Level Fluctuation Zone in the Three Gorges Reservoir

Water level fluctuation zone(hereinafter referred to as "WLFZ") is a transitional ecosystem between terrestrial ecosystem and aquatic ecosystem,and also a key area to control its neighboring terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem. After the Three Gorges Reservoir was put into use,ecological environment of its WLFZ has aroused wide concern from domestic and foreign experts. On the basis of introducing characteristics of WLFZ of the Three Gorges Reservoir,current ecological environment and main problems of this area were analyzed,plant selection and configuration was elaborated as well as the implementation effect of many WLFZ protection and ecological restoration modes. In view of the actual conditions,pertinent suggestions were proposed for WLFZ of the Three Gorges Reservoir,namely classified protection and ecological restoration,enhancing monitoring and assessment of current situation and change tendency,carrying out technical researches and demonstration of WLFZ wetland ecological restoration.

Fractal characterization of sediment particle-size distribution in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

The combined effect of periodic water impoundment and seasonal natural flood events has created a 30 m high water-level fluctuation zone(WLFZ) around the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR), China, forming a unique eco-landscape. Siltation, eutrophication, enrichment of heavy metals, and methane emissions in the WLFZ have been widely associated with sediment and soil particles generated from the upstream catchment or upland slopes. However, little attention has been paid to the complexity of sediment particle-size distributions in the WLFZ. In the present study, core samples(from a 345 cm thick sediment core from the base of the WLFZ), slope transect surface samples(across/up a WLFZ slope), and along-river/longitudinal surface samples(from the reservoir reaches) were collected. Laser granulometry and a volume-based fractal model were used to reveal the characteristics of sediment particle-size distributions. Results indicate that the alternation of coarse and fine particles in the sedimentary core profile is represented as a fluctuation of low and high values of fractal dimension(D), ranging from 2.59 to 2.77. On the WLFZ slope transect, surface sediment particles coarsen with increasing elevation, sand content increases from 3.3% to 78.5%, and D decreases from 2.76 to 2.53. Longitudinally, surface sediments demonstrate a downstream-fining trend, and D increases gradually downstream. D is significantly positively correlated with the fine particle content. We conclude that D is a useful measure for evaluating sediment particle-size distribution.

Comparison of the rise of water level in the typical catchments,Three Gorges Reservoir area

Water level is an important index for studying hydrologic processes. Water level rise processes were studied in three catchments(catchment I, II, III in Chen Jiagou watershed in the Three Gorge Reservoir Area) with different areas to provide useful information to inform data extension from a gauged-catchment to an ungauged catchment. The results showed that there are seasonal changes in the dominant driving mode of the rise of the water level. The rise of the water level in March is likely mainly driven by the mode of stored-full runoff, and in September or October, it is mainly driven by Horton-flow. The correlation coefficients of all indexes were significant among the three catchments, suggesting that these catchments have similarities and that water level data extension is likely to be completed successfully between the large catchment(III-Catchment) and the small catchment(ICatchment). It was confirmed that there is good similarity between the 0.6 km^2 and 6 km^2 catchments, and the data correlation is good between the catchments with the area differences in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. In addition, the rise processes of the water level in the catchments were not only different under the same rain conditions, but this difference could also change with the rain condition.

Trend Analysis of Water Pollutant at Summer Rainfall Season

This study, with Hongdong Reservoir, is intended to evaluate the changes in water quality in the lake before and after rainfall in summer. Various non-point source pollutions are scattered around the reservoir, and to determine the pollution level by pollution source, samples were taken at the same point before rainfall (1st), during rainfall (2nd) and after rainfall (3rd) and concentration was measured. Pollutant concentration curve at the measuring points (HDS1, HDS2, HDS3) appeared to be similar with the hydrological curve. When comparing the concentration immediately before rainfall with event mean concentration (EMC), SS and COD were 4 - 59 times and 1 - 4 times, respectively. However, when it comes to total nitrogen (T-N), concentration arrived at the reservoir stayed the range of 1.3 - 12.0 mg/L in all 3 cases without significant variation, which indicated that total nitrogen load is critical when arriving at the reservoir, irrespective of rainfall, and thus it’s necessary to consider non-point source pollution runoff also in addition to point source pollution when developing the water quality improvement measures in reservoir.

Using Ambient Noise to Study the Seismic Velocity Changes Caused by the Rise and Fall of the Water Level in the Zipingpu Reservoir Region

We study the feature of media changes beneath the Zipingpu reservoir and discuss the process of permeation with the water level rise and fall of the reservoir from January 2005 to January 2008 from ambient noise cross correlation by using continuous seismic data recorded by the stations of Zipingpu seismic network and YZP station. A moving-window cross-spectrum technique has been used to calculate the relative seismic velocity changes between station pairs. Results revealed an obvious relationship between relative seismic velocity, and the water level changes with a time delay that may be caused by permeation during three main impoundments and two large scale disemboguements. Impoundment generates a fast and large impact on the superficial layer, and the changes of seismic velocity is the result of increased pressure and permeation during the impoundment. At the first impoundment, the main effect factor is pressure. During the next two process of impoundment, permeation becomes the main effect factor, affecting the fault at a depth of about 8kin.

Model test of the influence of cyclic water level fluctuations on a landslide

Many landslides in reservoir areas continuously deform under cyclic water level fluctuations due to reservoir operations. In this paper,a landslide model, developed for a typical colluvial landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, is used to study the effect of cyclic water level fluctuations on the landslide. Five cyclic water level fluctuations were implemented in the test, and the fluctuation rate in the last two fluctuations doubled over the first three fluctuations. The pore water pressure and lateral landslide profiles were obtained during the test. A measurement of the landslide soil loss was proposed to quantitatively evaluate the influence of water level fluctuations. The test results show that the first water level rising is most negative to the landslide among the five cycles. The fourth drawdown with a higher drawdown rate caused further large landslide deformation. An increase of the water level drawdown rate is much more unfavorable to the landslide than an increase of the water level rising rate. In addition, the landslide was found to have an adaptive ability to resist subsequent water level fluctuations after undergoing large deformation during a water level fluctuation. The landslide deformation and observations in the field were found to support the test results well.

MAR Technique to Reverse the Declining Trend of Groundwater Level in Barind Area, NW, Bangladesh

The study was carried out in the drought prone water stressed Barind area to know the state of rainfall, trend of groundwater level and groundwater management options including Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques. Rainfall and groundwater level data have been used and shown a decreasing trend in Godagari and Mohonpur Upazila. But in Niamatpur Upazila rainfall is in reverse condition of rising trend. Decreasing trend of groundwater level (GWL) has been found in the entire study area. The decreasing trend of GWL demands judicious management of groundwater for the area. For recovery of GWL as well as groundwater management, a recharge well as MAR structure has been installed and observed that the situation is better than the before and increasing GWL. More research and study are necessary to know about the trend of groundwater level for the whole Barind area and to introduce proper designed and modified MAR techniques to reverse the declining situation of GWL.

Failure mechanism of a large-scale composite deposits caused by the water level increases

The failure of slope caused by variations in water levels on both banks of reservoirs is common.Reservoir landslides greatly threaten the safety of reservoir area.Taking large-scale composite deposits located on the Lancang River in Southwest China as a study case,the origin of the deposits was analyzed based on the field investigation and a multi-material model was established in the physical model test.Combined with numerical simulation,the failure mechanism of the composite deposits during reservoir water level variations was studied.The results indicate that the deformation of the large-scale composite deposits is a staged sliding mode during the impoundment process.The first slip deformation is greatly affected by the buoyancy weight-reducing effect,and the permeability of soil and variation in the water level are the factors controlling slope deformation initiation.The high water sensitivity and low permeability of fine grained soil play an important role in the re-deformation of deposits slope.During the impoundment process,the deformation trend of the deposit slope is decreasing,and vertical consolidation of soil and increasing hydrostatic pressure on the slope surface are the main reasons for deformation attenuation.It is considered that the probability of large-scale sliding of the deposits during the impoundment period is low.But the damage caused by local bank collapse of the deposit slope still needs attention.The results of this paper will further improve our understanding of the failure mechanism of composite deposits caused by water level increases and provide guidance for the construction of hydropower stations.

Loon Nest Viability Model: A Performance Indicator for Improving Water-Level Regulation of Large Water Bodies

Rule curves dictating target water levels for management have been implemented in several water bodies in North America over the last 70 years or more. Anthropogenic alterations of water levels are known to affect several components of wetland ecosystems. Evaluating the influence of rule curves on biological components with simple performance indicators could help harmonize water level management with wetland integrity. We assessed the potential of using the probability of common loon nest viability as a performance indicator of long-term impacts of rule curves on nesting wetland birds. We analyzed the outcome of rule curves on the probability of loon nest viability in Rainy Lake and Namakan Reservoir, 2 regulated water bodies located along the Ontario-Minnesota border. The analysis was focused on 4 hydrological time series between 1950 and 2013: 2 sets of time series simulating rule curves used to manage the water bodies in the past decades (referred to as the 1970RC and 2000RC), one of the historical measured water levels, and one of computed natural water levels. The probability of loon nest viability under the 1970RC was 2× higher than under natural conditions in both water bodies. The probability was also 2× higher under the 2000RC than under the 1970RC in the Namakan Reservoir but not in Rainy Lake. The rule curves generally improved conditions for nesting loons in both water bodies. The presented performance indicator can be used to evaluate future rule curves before they are implemented in the Rainy-Namakan or other similar systems.

Probabilistic stability analysis of Bazimen landslide with monitored rainfall data and water level fluctuations in Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Landslide is a common geological hazard in reservoir areas and may cause great damage to local residents’life and property.It is widely accepted that rainfall and periodic variation of water level are the two main factors triggering reservoir landslides.In this study,the Bazimen landslide located in the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)was back-analyzed as a case study.Based on the statistical features of the last 3-year monitored data and field instrumentations,the landslide susceptibility in an annual cycle and four representative periods was investigated via the deterministic and probabilistic analysis,respectively.The results indicate that the fluctuation of the reservoir water level plays a pivotal role in inducing slope failures,for the minimum stability coefficient occurs at the rapid decline period of water level.The probabilistic analysis results reveal that the initial sliding surface is the most important area influencing the occurrence of landslide,compared with other parts in the landslide.The seepage calculations from probabilistic analysis imply that rainfall is a relatively inferior factor affecting slope stability.This study aims to provide preliminary guidance on risk management and early warning in the TGR area.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION STUDY ON WUQING GEOTHERMAL RESERVOIR,TIANJIN

In this paper the computer code of AUTOUGH2 is used to carry out numerical simulation study on the Wuqing geothermal reservoir for evaluating reservoir performance upon different exploitation schemes.The simulating calculation and analysis of two main cases,production without reinjection and production with reinjection,were carried out to illuminate and compare the temperature and pressure profiles with distance and time.The water level or pressure will decrease with the time of production,and the reinjection will cause the cooling effect of reinjection on the production zone.

水库防洪调度模型研究与应用——以浙江省珊溪水库为例

以浙江省飞云江流域1617号台风“鲇鱼”洪水为例,针对珊溪水库防洪调度需求,结合预报成果,构建了珊溪水库防洪指令调度、水位控制调度、泄量控制调度和错峰补偿调度模型,并应用在珊溪水库防洪调度模拟计算中。其中,指令调度模型能够快捷简便地计算出指定下泄流量情况下水库水位、库容的变化;水位控制调度模型能够控制水库最高调洪水位不超过防洪高水位等特征水位或者某一指定水位;泄量控制调度模型能够控制水库最大出库流量不超过指定流量;错峰补偿调度模型能够充分利用水库防洪库容进行蓄泄,控制下游重要防洪控制断面流量尽可能不超过安全流量,达到干支流洪水错峰调节的目的。结果表明,4种模型相较于规则调度均能实现较高的削峰率,其中错峰补偿调度方式对于控制下游重要断面安全流量的效果最好。

乌江中下游干流梯级水库汛期联合调度运行水位动态控制策略研究

在国家“双碳”战略背景下,合理的水库汛期运行水位动态控制可在兼顾流域防洪安全前提下提高洪水资源利用率,充分发挥水利枢纽的综合效益。构皮滩、思林、沙沱水电站是乌江中下游干流梯级电站,由于现有防洪库容是基于单库调洪计算,并未考虑水库联合调度运行,汛期运行水位静态控制,电站机组出力受限,汛期综合效益尚未得到充分发挥。研究基于预报预泄和库容补偿作用,统筹乌江中下游多区域防洪风险,构建梯级水库汛期运行水位动态控制调度模型,对基于构皮滩水库的拦蓄作用下抬升思林、沙沱水库运行水位的动态策略及其风险进行研究。研究结果表明:实施梯级水库联合防洪预报调度可以抬升思林、沙沱水库前汛期(6-7月)运行水位2.10~3.86 m、6.09~6.42 m,后汛期(8月)可分别抬升4.17~4.86 m和6.21~6.42 m,并可以减轻梯级枢纽、乌江中下游保护对象(思南县和沿河县)和长江中下游的防洪风险。研究结果可为构皮滩、思林、沙沱梯级水库汛期防洪及洪水资源利用的安全运行提供技术参考。

面向水利水电工程的水库边坡稳定性与失效概率研究

为了研究失效概率较低的水库边坡稳定性,利用机器学习算法结合概率统计模型,针对水库边坡稳定性与失效概率展开分析,考虑不同工况下的水位变化、降雨入渗等来评估边坡的稳定性,并计算其失效概率,从而对水库边坡进行风险评估。结果显示,决定系数R 2为0.99,MSE为3.73×10^(-4)。研究结果可为水利水电工程建设提供支持与参考。