Classification and sudden departure mechanism of high-speed landslides caused by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

The sudden departure mechanism of high-speed landslides has always constituted a popular yet difficult research topic. Therefore, although a systematic classification of high-speed landslides is necessary, particularly since different types of landslides exhibit different mechanisms, an associated m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental earth sciences 2019-03, Vol.78 (5), p.1-13, Article 125
Main Authors: Zhao, Xiaoyan, Hu, Kai, Burns, Scott F., Hu, Houtian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biogeosciences
Classification
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Earthquakes
Environmental Science and Engineering
Geochemistry
Geology
Ground motion
High speed
Hydrology/Water Resources
Landslides
Landslides & mudslides
Original Article
Seismic activity
Terrestrial Pollution
Vibration
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Summary:The sudden departure mechanism of high-speed landslides has always constituted a popular yet difficult research topic. Therefore, although a systematic classification of high-speed landslides is necessary, particularly since different types of landslides exhibit different mechanisms, an associated methodology has yet to be established. This paper investigates an easily overlooked phenomenon—landslide-quake, which is defined as a local ground vibration triggered by the sudden rupture of the locked segment of a high-speed landslide that occurs immediately prior to the departure of the landslide. This new concept is employed as a foundation for a new classification. The characteristics and formation conditions of landslide-quake are discussed, based upon which the high-speed landslides that occurred following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake are classified into three different types. Subsequently, the sudden departure mechanism of each type of landslide is analyzed, thereby providing a new method for research on the sudden departure mechanism of high-speed landslides.
ISSN:1866-6280
1866-6299
DOI:10.1007/s12665-019-8083-9