Mechanics and Stability of the Lookout Creek Earth Flow

Pyles, Marvin R.; Mills, Keith; Saunders, George C.

doi:10.2113/gseegeosci.xxiv.2.267

Cited by 11 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…This style of slope failure commonly occurs in clay-rich, highly weathered lithologies such as the Franciscan mélange of the California coast ranges [Kelsey, 1978;Keefer and Johnson, 1983;Iverson, 1986a;Mackey et al, 2009;Mackey and Roering, 2011], which underlies the Eel River study site. Similar slope failures occur throughout the world in mechanically weak lithologies and have been extensively documented in the north island of New Zealand [Crozier, 1968;Gage and Black, 1979;McSaveney and Griffiths, 1987;Trotter, 1993], Japan [Matsukura and Mizuno, 1986], the Oregon Cascades [Swanson and Swanston, 1977;Pyles et al, 1987] and southern France [Malet et al, 2002;Maquaire et al, 2003].…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 55%

A 1-D mechanistic model for the evolution of earthflow-prone hillslopes

Booth

Roering

2011

J. Geophys. Res.

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[1] In mountainous terrain, deep-seated landslides transport large volumes of material on hillslopes, exerting a dominant control on erosion rates and landscape form. Here, we develop a mathematical landscape evolution model to explore interactions between deep-seated earthflows, soil creep, and gully processes at the drainage basin scale over geomorphically relevant (>10 3 year) timescales. In the model, sediment flux or incision laws for these three geomorphic processes combine to determine the morphology of actively uplifting and eroding steady state topographic profiles. We apply the model to three sites, one in the Gabilan Mesa, California, with no earthflow activity, and two along the Eel River, California, with different lithologies and varying levels of historic earthflow activity. Representative topographic profiles from these sites are consistent with model predictions in which the magnitude of a dimensionless earthflow number, based on a non-Newtonian flow rheology, reflects the magnitude of recent earthflow activity on the different hillslopes. The model accurately predicts the behavior of earthflow collection and transport zones observed in the field and estimates long-term average sediment fluxes that are due to earthflows, in agreement with historical rates at our field sites. Finally, our model predicts that steady state hillslope relief in earthflow-prone terrain increases nonlinearly with the tectonic uplift rate, suggesting that the mean hillslope angle may record uplift rate in earthflow-prone landscapes even at high uplift rates, where threshold slope processes normally limit further topographic development.Citation: Booth, A. M., and J. J. Roering (2011), A 1-D mechanistic model for the evolution of earthflow-prone hillslopes,

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 55%

A 1-D mechanistic model for the evolution of earthflow-prone hillslopes

Booth

Roering

2011

J. Geophys. Res.

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“…As with many landslides (e.g., Angeli et al, 1996;Bovis & Jones, 1992;Gasparetto et al, 1996;Handwerger et al, 2013;Petley et al, 2005;Picarelli et al, 2004;Pyles et al, 1987;Shibasaki et al, 2016;van Asch, 2005;van Asch et al, 2007;Wienhöfer et al, 2010), behavior of the Two Towers landslide could not be well predicted from pore-pressure variation alone. Angeli et al (1996) observed higher pore-water pressure at landslide initiation than at cessation, similar to our observations, and concluded that this was due to shear strength of the landslide they studied increasing during suspension of landsliding.…”

Section: Geophysical Research Lettersmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Despite this understanding, identifying consistent and accurate pore-water pressure levels that instigate movement remains difficult for many landslides (e.g., Angeli et al, 1996;Gasparetto et al, 1996;Massey et al, 2013;Petley et al, 2005;Pyles et al, 1987;Shibasaki et al, 2016). Despite this understanding, identifying consistent and accurate pore-water pressure levels that instigate movement remains difficult for many landslides (e.g., Angeli et al, 1996;Gasparetto et al, 1996;Massey et al, 2013;Petley et al, 2005;Pyles et al, 1987;Shibasaki et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Elevated pore-water pressure reduces normal stress to effective normal stress (σ' = σ À p), which reduces frictional resistance. Despite this understanding, identifying consistent and accurate pore-water pressure levels that instigate movement remains difficult for many landslides (e.g., Angeli et al, 1996;Gasparetto et al, 1996;Massey et al, 2013;Petley et al, 2005;Pyles et al, 1987;Shibasaki et al, 2016). Similarly, the observed speed of many landslides correlates poorly with pore-water pressure (e.g., Picarelli et al, 2004;Schulz et al, 2009;Shibasaki et al, 2016;van Asch, 2005;van Asch et al, 2007;Wienhöfer et al, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Clayey Landslide Initiation and Acceleration Strongly Modulated by Soil Swelling

Schulz

Smith

Wang

et al. 2018

Geophysical Research Letters

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Largely unknown mechanisms restrain motion of clay‐rich, slow‐moving landslides that are widespread worldwide and rarely accelerate catastrophically. We studied a clayey, slow‐moving landslide typical of thousands in Northern California, USA, to decipher hydrologic‐mechanical interactions that modulate landslide dynamics. Similar to some other studies, observed pore‐water pressures correlated poorly with landslide reactivation and speed. In situ and laboratory measurements strongly suggested that variable pressure along the landslide's lateral shear boundaries resulting from seasonal soil expansion and contraction modulated its reactivation and speed. Slope‐stability modeling suggested that the landslide's observed behavior could be predicted by including transient swell pressure as a resistance term, whereas modeling considering only transient hydrologic conditions predicted movement five to six months prior to when it was observed. All clayey soils swell to some degree; hence, our findings suggest that swell pressure likely modulates motion of many landslides and should be considered to improve forecasts of clayey landslide initiation and mobility.

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“…Debris flows in Watershed 3 in 1964 dramatically altered CWD conditions by flushing CWD from the channel and undercutting side slopes so that fresh CWD fell into the channel. The Upper Lookout Creek site is pinched by an active earthflow, which has moved about 10cm yr-I since 1974 (Pyles et al, 1987). Sediment and CWD have been introduced into Upper Lookout Creek by earthflow movement and streamside slides, especially during the 1964 flood.…”

Section: Study Sites and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of coarse woody debris on morphology and sediment storage of a mountain stream system in western Oregon

Nakamura

Swanson

1993

Earth Surf Processes Landf

299

227

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Effects of coarse woody debris (CWD) on channel morphology and sediment storage were investigated at five sites, representative of first-order to fifth-order streams. In the steep and bedrock-confined stream (first-second order), interaction between the channel and CWD was limited, except where breakage upon falling produced CWD pieces shorter than channel width. Channel widening, steepening and sediment storage associated with CWD were observed predominantly in third-to fifth-order streams. Variation in channel width and gradient was regulated by CWD. In the fifth-order stream, most of the CWD pieces derived from the riparian forest interacted directly with the channel without being suspended by sideslopes. In this system CWD promoted lateral channel migration, but sediment storage was temporary, with annual release and capture.

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Mechanics and Stability of the Lookout Creek Earth Flow

Cited by 11 publications

References 3 publications

A 1-D mechanistic model for the evolution of earthflow-prone hillslopes

A 1-D mechanistic model for the evolution of earthflow-prone hillslopes

Clayey Landslide Initiation and Acceleration Strongly Modulated by Soil Swelling

Effects of coarse woody debris on morphology and sediment storage of a mountain stream system in western Oregon

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