Mechanistic Investigation of Typical Loess Landslide Disasters in Ili Basin, Xinjiang, China

Maoguo Zhuang, Wenwei Gao, Tianjie Zhao, Ruilin Hu, Yunjie Wei, Hai Shao and Sainan Zhu
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Maoguo Zhuang: Key Laboratory of Shale Gas and Geoengineering, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Wenwei Gao: Institute of Architectural Engineering, Yan’an University, Yan’an 716000, China
Tianjie Zhao: Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Ruilin Hu: Key Laboratory of Shale Gas and Geoengineering, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
Yunjie Wei: China Geological Environment Monitoring Institute, Beijing 100081, China
Hai Shao: China Geological Environment Monitoring Institute, Beijing 100081, China
Sainan Zhu: China Geological Environment Monitoring Institute, Beijing 100081, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: In the period from 2010 to 2018, a total of 302 geological disasters occurred in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China, of which 136 occurred in the Ili Basin. Compared with those in other regions, the loess landslides in the Ili Basin are strongly influenced by the seasonal freeze–thaw effect. Taking the No. 2 Piliqinghe landslide as an example and based on the field geological investigation, it was found in the present study that the main triggering factors of this landslide were the snowmelt erosion of the slope toe and meltwater infiltration into the trailing edge of the slope. The mechanism of loess landslide instability was studied using numerical simulation. The results showed that (1) the Piliqinghe landslide disaster was formed through a process composed of the local sliding of the leading edge → the creep sliding and tension cracking of the slope surface → the overall sliding stage; (2) the infiltration of snowmelt was the direct cause of the landslide formation; (3) the fluvial erosion and softening caused the soil of the slope toe to slide. The results can be used as a reference for the analysis of the disaster mechanism and movement characteristics of similar loess landslides.

Keywords: loess landslide; freeze–thaw effect; disaster mechanism; numerical simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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