Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of rainfall on a colluvial landslide in a debris flow valley

  • Published:
Journal of Mountain Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A colluvial landslide in a debris flow valley is a typical phenomena and is easily influenced by rainfall. The direct destructiveness of this kind of landslide is small, however, if failure occurs the resulting blocking of the channel may lead to a series of magnified secondary hazards. For this reason it is important to investigate the potential response of this type of landslide to rainfall. In the present paper, the Goulingping landslide, one of the colluvial landslides in the Goulingping valley in the middle of the Bailong River catchment in Gansu Province, China, was chosen for the study. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), together with traditional monitoring methods, were used to monitor changes in water content and the deformation of the landslide caused by rainfall. ERT was used to detect changes in soil water content induced by rainfall. The most significant findings were as follows:(1) the water content in the centralupper part (0~41 m) of the landslide was greater than in the central-front part (41~84 m) and (2) there was a relatively high resistivity zone at depth within the sliding zone. The deformation characteristics at the surface of the landslide were monitored by TLS and the results revealed that rainstorms caused three types of deformation and failure: (1) gully erosion at the slope surface; (2) shallow sliding failure; (3) and slope foot erosion. Subsequent monitoring of continuous changes in pore-water pressure, soil pressure and displacement (using traditional methods) indicated that long duration light rainfall (average 2.22 mm/d) caused the entire landslide to enter a state of creeping deformation at the beginning of the rainy season. Shear-induced dilation occurred for the fast sliding (30.09 mm/d) during the critical failure sub-phase (EF). Pore-water pressure in the sliding zone was affected by rainfall. In addition, the sliding L1 parts of the landslide exerted a discontinuous pressure on the L2 part. Through the monitoring and analysis, we conclude that this kind of landslide may have large deformation at the beginning and the late of the rainy season.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

τ :

Shear stress in the sliding zone

c :

Soil cohesion in the sliding zone

φ :

Internal friction angle in the sliding zone

σ :

Total normal stress in the sliding zone

μ :

Pore-water pressure in the sliding zone

m :

Landslide mass per unit area in the sliding surface

a :

Landslide acceleration

t def :

Time scale for deformation of the sliding zone

t diff :

Time scale for pore-water pressure diffusion

K :

Hydraulic conductivity of the sliding zone

E :

Young’s modulus of the sliding zone

γ w :

Unit weight of water

T :

Thickness of the landslide

v :

Velocity

References

  • Aleotti P (2004) A warning system for rainfall-induced shallow failures. Engineering Geology 73(3):247–265.DOI:10.1016/j.enggeo.2004.01.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson SA, Sitar N (1995) Analysis of rainfall-induced debris flows. Journal of Geotechnical Engineering 121(7):544–552. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bai SB, Wang J, Lü GN, et al. (2010) GIS-based and logistic regression for landslide susceptibility mapping of Zhongxian segment in the Three Gorge area,China. Geomorphology 115(1):23–31.DOI:10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.09.025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baum RL, Johnson AM (1993) Steady movement of landslides in fine-grained soils -a model for sliding over an irregular slip surface (No. 1842). US Government Printing Office D1-D6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bievre G, Jongmans D, Winiarski T, et al. (2012) Application of geophysical measurements for assessing the role of fissures in water infiltration within a clay landslide (Trièves area, French Alps). Hydrological Processes 26(14):2128–2142. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.7986

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop AW (1960) The principles of effective stress. Teknisk Ukeblad 106(39):859–863

    Google Scholar 

  • Burda J, Hartvich F, Valenta J, et al. (2013) Climate-induced landslide reactivation at the edge of the Most Basin (Czech Republic)–progress towards better landslide prediction. Natural Hazards & Earth System Sciences 13(2):361–374. DOI: 10.5194/nhess-13-361-2013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambe TW, Whitman RV (1969) Soil mechanics. Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgenstern NR, Price VE (1965) The analysis of the stability of general slip surfaces. Géotechnique 15(1): 79–93. DOI: 10.1680/geot.1965.15.1.79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Casula G, Mora P, Bianchi MG (2010) Detection of terrain morphologic features using GPS, TLS, and land surveys:“tanadellavolpe” blind valley case study. Journal of Surveying Engineering 136(3):132–138. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)SU.1943-5428.0000022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen G (2014) Landslide susceptibility analysis in the middle reach of Bailong river basin. Doctoral dissertation, Lanzhou University. (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Lee CF (2003) A dynamic model for rainfall-induced landslides on natural slopes. Geomorphology 51(4):269–288. DOI: 10.1016/S0169-555X(02)00224-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crozier MJ (1999) Prediction of rainfall-triggered landslides: A test of the antecedent water status model. Earth Surface Processes & Landforms 24(9): 825–833. DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9837(199908)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dai FC, Lee CF (2001) Frequency–volume relation and prediction of rainfall-induced landslides. Engineering Geology 59(3):253–266.DOI:10.1016/S0013-7952(00)00077-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan JL (2008) The test research on soil lanslide’s stability influenced by crack water. Doctoral dissertation, Chengdu University of Technology. (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Giannecchini R (2006) Relationship between rainfall and shallow landslides in the southern Apuan Alps (Italy). Natural Hazards & Earth System Sciences 6(3):357–364.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guzzetti F, Peruccacci S, Rossi M, et al. (2007) Rainfall thresholds for the initiation of landslides in central and southern Europe. Meteorology & Atmospheric Physics 98(3-4): 239–267.DOI: 10.1007/s00703-007-0262-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iverson RM, Reid ME, Iverson NR, et al. (2000) Acutesensitivity of landslide rates to initial soil porosity. Science 290: 513–516.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jongmans D, Garambois S (2007) Geophysical investigation of landslides: a review. Bulletin De La SociétéGéologique De France 178(2):101–112. DOI: 10.2113/gssgfbull.178.2.101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lacerda WA (2007) Landslide initiation in saprolite and colluvium in southern Brazil: field and laboratory observations. Geomorphology 87(3):104–119. DOI: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.03.037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meisina C, Scarabelli S (2007) A comparative analysis of terrain stability models for predicting shallow landslides in colluvial soils. Geomorphology 87(3):207–223. DOI:10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.03.039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monserrat O, Crosetto M (2008). Deformation measurement using terrestrial laser scanning data and least squares 3D surface matching. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 63(1):142–154. DOI: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2007. 07.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore PL, Iverson NR (2002) Slow episodic shear of granular materials regulated bydilatant strengthening. Geology 30(9):843–846. DOI: 10.1130/0091-7613

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ochiai H, Okada Y, Furuya G, et al. (2004) A fluidized landslide on a natural slope by artificial rainfall. Landslides 1(3):211–219. DOI: 10.1007/s10346-004-0030-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park SG, Kim JH (2005) Geological survey by electrical resistivity prospecting in landslide area. Geosystem Engineering 8(2):35–42. DOI:10.1080/12269328.2005. 10541234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perrone A, Lapenna V, Piscitelli S (2014) Electrical resistivity tomography technique for landslide investigation: A review. Earth-Science Reviews 135: 65–82. DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev. 2014.04.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polemio M, Sdao F (1999) The role of rainfall in the landslide hazard: the case of the Avigliano urban area (Southern Apennines, Italy). Engineering Geology 53(3):297–309. DOI: 10.1016/S0013-7952(98)00083-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudnicki JW (1984) Effects of dilatant hardening on the development of concentratedshear deformation in fissured rock masses. Journal of Geophysical Research 89(B11):9259–9270. DOI: 10.1029/JB089iB11p09259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satio M (1969) Forecasting time of slope failure by tertiary creep. Proc. 7th Int. Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering 2: 677–683.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulz WH, Mckenna JP, Kibler JD, et al. (2009) Relations between hydrology and velocity of a continuously moving landslide—evidence of pore-pressure feedback regulating landslide motion? Landslides 6(3):181–190. DOI:10.1007/s10346-009-0157-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song H, Cui W (2015) A large-scale colluvial landslide caused by multiple factors: mechanism analysis and phased stabilization. Landslides 13(2): 321–335. DOI: 10.1007/s10346-015-0560-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Teza G, Galgaro A, Zaltron N, et al. (2007) Terrestrial laser scanner to detect landslide displacement fields: a new approach, International Journal of Remote Sensing 28: 3425–3446. DOI: 10.1080/01431160601024234

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsaparas I, Rahardjo H, Toll DG, et al. (2002) Controlling parameters for rainfall-induced landslides. Computers and geotechnics 29(1):1–27. DOI: 10.1016/S0266-352X(01)00019-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tu XB, Kwong AKL, Dai FC, el al. (2009) Field monitoring of rainfall infiltration in a loess slope and analysis of failure mechanism of rainfall-induced landslides. Engineering Geology 105(1):134–150. DOI: 10.1016/j.enggeo.2008.11.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang G, Philips D, Joyce J, et al. (2011) The integration of TLS and continuous GPS to study landslide deformation: a case study in Puerto Rico. Journal of Geodetic Science 1(1):25–34. DOI: 10.2478/v10156-010-0004-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang GL (2013) Lessons learned from protective measures associated with the 2010 Zhouqu debris flow disaster in China. Natural Hazards 69(3):1835–1847. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-013-0772-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu Q, Yuan Y, Zeng YP, et al. (2011) Some new pre-warning criteria for creep slope failure. Science China Technological Sciences 54(S1):210–220. DOI: 10.1007/s11431-011-4640-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan DY, Lei ZS, He WG, et al. (2007) Textual research of Wudu earthquake in 186 B.C. in Gansu Province, China and discussion on its causative structure. Acta Seismologica Sinica 20(6):696–707. DOI: 10.1007/s11589-007-0696-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The research reported in this manuscript is funded by International S&T Cooperation Program of China (ISTCP) (Grant No. 2013DFE23030) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. lzujbky-2014-273 and lzujbky-2015-133).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Liang Qiao, Xing-min Meng, Guan Chen, Yi Zhang, Peng Guo & Run-qiang Zeng

  2. Geography Department, Royal Holloway, University of London, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK

    Ya-jun Li

Authors
  1. Liang Qiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xing-min Meng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Guan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yi Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Peng Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Run-qiang Zeng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Ya-jun Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xing-min Meng.

Additional information

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6599-3627

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3644-4899

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8834-039X

http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7105-9497

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4093-0790

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4554-8913

http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3167-9330

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Qiao, L., Meng, Xm., Chen, G. et al. Effect of rainfall on a colluvial landslide in a debris flow valley. J. Mt. Sci. 14, 1113–1123 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-016-4142-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-016-4142-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation