Distribution and mechanism of gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision: A case study from Nujiang River, China

Gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision are widely distributed on rock slopes. In this paper, a rock slope on the Nujiang River (China) is investigated to study the role of gently dipping fractures in the rock slopes evolution. Detailed field surveys indicate that gentle fractures are c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of mountain science 2018, Vol.15 (1), p.211-224
Main Authors: Zhu, Lei, Huang, Run-qiu, Yan, Ming, Chen, Guo-qing, Wei, Wei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Dipping
Distribution
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Ecology
Elongation
Environment
Evolution
Field tests
Fracture mechanics
Fractures
Geography
Geomechanics
Joints (timber)
Kinematics
River valleys
Rivers
Rocks
Shearing
Slope
Slopes
Surveys
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Summary:Gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision are widely distributed on rock slopes. In this paper, a rock slope on the Nujiang River (China) is investigated to study the role of gently dipping fractures in the rock slopes evolution. Detailed field surveys indicate that gentle fractures are concentrated in four main zones. Moreover, the kinematics of the fracture system suggest that the genesis of these fractures can be synthesized into a progressive evolution model. This model indicates that the joints begin with the formation of an array of en echelon cracks that are subjected to continued crack elongation and shearing before ultimately approaching one another and interacting to form a complex joint system. Geomechanical analysis is performed to reveal the mechanisms of this genesis, and three main fracture patterns are identified based on the slope stress and are classified with respect to the slope evolution. Based on the detail field investigations and the evolutionary history of the river valley, we propose that intermittent incision by the river was the main factor contributing to the concentrated distribution of gently dipping joints.
ISSN:1672-6316
1993-0321
1008-2786
DOI:10.1007/s11629-016-4131-z