Influence of slope angle on deposit morphology and propagation of laboratory landslides

Abstract

Landslide deposits often exhibit surface features, such as transverse ridges and X-shaped conjugate troughs, whose physical formation origins are not well understood. To study the deposit morphology, laboratory studies typically focus on the simplest landslide geometry: an inclined plane accelerating the sliding mass immediately followed by its deceleration on a horizontal plane. However, existing experiments have been conducted only for a limited range of the slope angle θ. Here, we study the effect of θ on the kinematics and deposit morphology of laboratory landslides along a low-friction base, measured using an advanced 3D scanner. At low θ (30°–35°), we find transverse ridges formed by overthrusting on the landslide deposits. At moderate θ (40°–55°), conjugate troughs form. A Mohr–Coulomb failure model predicts the angle enclosed by the X-shaped troughs as 90° − φ, with φ the internal friction angle, in agreement with our experiments and a natural landslide. This supports the speculation that conjugate troughs form due to failure associated with a triaxial shear stress. At high θ (60°–85°), a double-upheaval morphology forms because the rear of the sliding mass impacts the front during the transition from the slope to the horizontal plane. The overall surface area of the landslides increases during their downslope motion and then decreases during their runout.

A new improved particle swarm algorithm for optimization of anchor lattice beam support structures

“…To prevent such disasters, it is imperative to utilize a suitable supporting structure capable of securing the slope [3,4]. Yan-bin Wu et al [5] using advanced 3D scanner measurement technology, the influence of slope angle on the kinematics and sedimentary morphology of landslides along a low friction foundation is studied. The anchor lattice beam has emerged as a popular choice for slope stabilization and has drawn the attention of numerous researchers.…”