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Investigation of multi-annual groundwater response to rainfall in a deep-seated bedrock landslide: the case of the Kualiangzi landslide, China

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Abstract

The hydrological response of groundwater to rainfall plays a key role in the initiation of deep-seated bedrock landslides; however, the mechanisms require further investigation due to the complexity of groundwater movement in fissured bedrock. In this study, an active translational landslide along nearly horizontal rock strata was investigated. The hydrological response of groundwater to rainfall was analyzed, using the data from a four-year real-time field monitoring program from June 2013 to December 2016. The monitoring system was installed along a longitudinal section of the landslide with severe deformation and consisted of two rainfall gauges, nine piezometers, three water-level gauges, and two GPS data loggers. Much research effort has been directed to exploring the relationship between rainfall and groundwater response. It is found that both the pore-water pressure (PWP) and groundwater level (GWL) responses were significantly influenced by the rainfall pattern and the hydrological properties of the underlying aquifer. The rapid rise and fall of PWP and GWL were observed in the rainy season of 2013 with high-frequency, long-duration, and high-intensity rainfall patterns, especially in the lower section of the landslide dominated by the porous aquifer system. In contrast, a slower and prolonged response of PWP and GWL to rainfall was observed in most monitoring boreholes in 2014 and 2015 with two rainstorms of short duration and high intensity. In the lower section of the landslide, the peak GWL exhibited a stronger correlation with the cumulative rainfall than the daily rainfall in a single rainfall event whereas the peak groundwater level fluctuation (GWLF) exhibited a strong correlation with API with a half-life of 7 days. In the middle section of the landslide, however, relatively lower correlation between rainfall and groundwater response was observed. Three types of groundwater flow were identified based on the recession coefficients of different segments of water-level hydrographs in the landslide area, corresponding to the quick flow through highly permeable gravely soil and well-developed vertical joints in the bedrock, the slow and diffuse flow through the relatively less-permeable bedrock, and the transition between them in the aquifer system.

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Acknowledgements

This research is financially supported by the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection Independent Research Project under Grant No. SKLGP2018Z015, and the Applied Basic Research Program of Sichuan Province under Grant No. 2021YFSY0036. The third author is a collaborator and supported by the US National Science Foundation under award No. CMMI-1453103.

Funding

This research is financially supported by the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection Independent Research Project under Grant No. SKLGP2018Z015, and the Applied Basic Research Program of Sichuan Province under Grant No. 2021YFSY0036. The third author is a collaborator and supported by the US National Science Foundation under Award No. CMMI-1453103.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Engineering and Civil Engineering, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China

    Han-Xiang Liu, Qiang Xu & Jiang Li

  2. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China

    Han-Xiang Liu & Qiang Xu

  3. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA

    Tong Qiu

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  1. Han-Xiang Liu
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  2. Qiang Xu
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QX and JL performed the field monitoring; HL and TQ analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Han-Xiang Liu.

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Liu, HX., Xu, Q., Qiu, T. et al. Investigation of multi-annual groundwater response to rainfall in a deep-seated bedrock landslide: the case of the Kualiangzi landslide, China. Nat Hazards 120, 2749–2775 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-06303-4

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