Cumulative damage effect on debris slopes under frequent microseisms

Debris slopes are widely distributed across the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China,and seasonal fluctuations of the water level in the area tend to cause high-frequency microseisms that subsequently induce landslides on such debris slopes.In this study,a cumulative damage model of debris slope with varying slope characteristics under the effects of frequent microseisms was established,based on the accurate definition of slope damage variables.The cumulative damage behaviour and the mechanisms of slope instability and sliding under frequent microseisms were thus systematically investigated through a series of shaking table tests and discrete element numerical simulations,and the influences of related parameters such as bedrock,dry density and stone content were discussed.The results showed that the instability mode of a debris slope can be divided into a vibration-compaction stage,a crack generation stage,a crack development stage,and an instability stage.Under the action of frequent microseisms,debris slope undergoes the last three stages cyclically,which causes the accumulation to slide out in layers under the synergistic action of tension and shear,causing the slope to become destabilised.There are two sliding surfaces as well as the parallel tensile surfaces in the final instability of the debris slope.In the process of instability,the development trend of the damage accumulation curve remains similar for debris slopes with different parameters.However,the initial vibration compaction effect in the bedrock-free model is stronger than that in the bedrock model,with the overall cumulative damage degree in the former being lower than that of the latter.The damage degree of the debris slope with high dry density also develops more slowly than that of the debris slope with low dry density.The damage development rate of the debris slope does not always decrease with the increase of stone content.The damage degree growth rate of the debris slope with the optimal stone content is the lowest,and the increase or decrease of the stone content makes the debris slope instability happen earlier.The numerical simulation study also further reveals that the damage in the debris slope mainly develops in the form of crack formation and penetration,in which,shear failure occurs more frequently in the debris slope.

Effects of loose deposits on debris flow processes in the Aizi Valley, southwest China

Loose deposits, rainfall and topography are three key factors that triggering debris flows.However, few studies have investigated the effects of loose deposits on the whole debris flow process.On June 28, 2012, a catastrophic debris flow occurred in the Aizi Valley, resulting in 40 deaths.The Aizi Valley is located in the Lower Jinsha River,southwestern Sichuan Province, China. The Aizi Valley debris flow has been selected as a case for addressing loose deposits effects on the whole debris flow process through remote sensing, field investigation and field experiments. Remote sensing interpretation and laboratory experiments were used to obtain the distribution and characteristics of the loose deposits, respectively. A field experiment was conducted to explore the mechanics of slope debris flows, and another field investigation was conducted to obtain the processes of debris flow formation, movement and amplification. The results showed that loose deposits preparation, slope debris flow initiation,gully debris flow confluence and valley debris flow amplification were dominated by the loose deposits.Antecedent droughts and earthquake activities may have increased the potential for loose soil sources in the Aizi Valley, which laid the foundation for debris flow formation. Slope debris flow initiated under rainfall, and the increase in the water content as well as the pore water pressure of the loose deposits were the key factors affecting slope failure. The nine gully debris flows converged in the valley, and the peak discharge was amplified 3.3 times due to a blockage and outburst caused by a large boulder. The results may help in predicting and assessing regional debris flows in dry-hot and seismic-prone areas based on loose deposits, especially considering large boulders.

Geohazards Induced by the Lushan Ms7.0 Earthquake in Sichuan Province, Southwest China:Typical Examples, Types and Distributional Characteristics

Geohazards induced by the Lushan Ms 7.0 earthquake on April 20, 2013 mainly have four types： collapse, landslide, slope debris flow, and sand-soil liquefaction. These geohazards mainly occurred near the epicenter, on steep slopes or below cliffs in high mountain and deep valley areas, and at or near fault ends. They have no obvious relationships to active faults, but their relationships to the weathering degree and structures of rock and rock mass are obvious. Compared with the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake on May 12, 2008, the Lnshan earthquake is relatively little in the impact force and the throwing amount. All of these should be related to the magnitude of this earthquake, not very large but not very little. This character of the Lushan earthquake would make some processes uncompleted so as to bring about some concealed geohazards. Finally, in order to deal with challenges presented by such conceal geohazards, some brief recommendations are put forward.