Rockfall hazard assessment in a cultural and natural heritage (Ortahisar Castle, Cappadocia, Turkey)

Tunusluoglu, M. C.; Zorlu, Kıvanç

doi:10.1007/s00254-008-1198-z

Cited by 48 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Engineering geological problems of the Cappadocia region were investigated by many researchers (Doyuran 1976;Topal and Doyuran 1997;Aydan et al 2007;Ulusay et al 2006;Tunusluoglu and Zorlu 2009;Tuncay 2009;Zorlu et al 2011). According to these studies, the major geological problems of Cappadocia include the possible failure of roofs of caves and rockfalls.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Other examples of cultural heritage in tuffs and ignimbrites include some of the Buddha statues in Japan (e.g., Heiwa-Kannon statue, Oguchi and Yuasa 2010), the Moai statue in the Easter Islands (Gioncada et al 2010), the Macusani rock art site in Peru (Hostnig 2008), the underground cities of Vardzia in Georgia (Tutberidze and Tsutsunava 2015;Margottini et al 2015) and Kandovan in Iran (Kaljahi and Birami 2015), and the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia (Delmonaco et al 2005;Renzulli et al 2011). In Turkey, apart a few exceptions (Binal and Ercanoglu 2010;Topal et al 2007Topal et al , 2012, the majority of engineering geological studies on instabilities at the heritage sites are concentrated in Cappadocia (Doyuran 1976;Aydan et al 2007;Ulusay et al 2006;Tunusluoglu and Zorlu 2009;Tuncay 2009;Zorlu et al 2011;Kaşmer et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Rockfall hazard has been studied in Cappadocia (Ulusay et al 2006;Tunusluoglu and Zorlu 2009;Zorlu et al 2011) by using two-dimensional rockfall simulations, thus neglecting the convergence and divergence of trajectories and the lateral spreading of the blocks during propagation (Frattini et al 2012) with a possible under or overestimation of the hazard at the various localities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rockfall at the heritage site of the Tatlarin Underground City (Cappadocia, Turkey)

et al. 2016

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Cappadocia is one of the most important natural, historical and cultural heritages of Turkey. The region is seriously threatened by different instability problems, and several locations were accordingly closed to visit, mainly because of rockfalls. The aim of current study is to investigate the rockfall hazard potential near the Tatlarin Underground City. For this purpose, an extensive engineering geological investigation was performed and complemented with a set of rockfall simulations performed by means of the 3D numerical model HY-STONE. The investigation included: (1) mapping of the lithological units (tuffs and overlying basalts, talus deposits) and of unstable blocks along the cliff; (2) rock mass geomechanics and kinematic analysis of block stability; and (3) laboratory testing of tuff and basalt. These allowed to show that the instabilities are mainly controlled by different durability of tuffs and basalts. The weakness of tuffs facilitates a progressive undercutting of the basalt layer, the opening of subvertical joints and the consequent movement of large basaltic blocks. Two future potential rockfall scenarios have been produced by 3D rockfall modelling for hazard zonation and for suggesting risk management strategies. Model parameters were calibrated by back-analysis of both historical events and field tests. Different sets of parameters have been calibrated for different release volumes to consider different degrees of interaction with slope material of different size. The effect of roughness of the topography was investigated in terms of trajectories and lateral dispersion of blocks and its consequences on hazard zonation and risk management actions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rockfall at the heritage site of the Tatlarin Underground City (Cappadocia, Turkey)

et al. 2016

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“…This paper describes the use of landform evaluation to study the characteristics of rockfall hazards affecting buttes and mesas in the Zelve, Ç avusini, and Avanos regions. Previous research on rockfall hazards in the Ortahisar Castle and Kayakapı regions of Ü rgüp implicated climatic effects as a triggering mechanism for instability in that area (Doyuran 1976;Ulusay et al 2006;Tunusluoglu and Zorlu 2009). In this study, two-dimensional rockfall analyses along with extensive fieldwork including detailed discontinuity surveys, determination of the location of fallen and detached blocks, and their description were used to zone the area in terms of block run-out distances.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Landform effect on rockfall and hazard mapping in Cappadocia (Turkey)

et al. 2010

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The Cappadocia region has unique geomorphological features resulting from differential erosional processes which make it very attractive to tourists. Besides the fairy chimneys for which the area is best known, there are also impressive buttes and mesas. Buttes and mesas are formed in regions having flat-lying strata in which the uppermost levels are composed of well-cemented limestones and granular ignimbrites, whereas the lower parts and slopes consist of low-durability tuff and ignimbrites. This durability difference results in serious rockfall events. This study involves two-dimensional rockfall analyses in and near the Avanos, Zelve, and Ç avusini areas, where volcano-sedimentary units of Neogene age outcrop, to provide a rockfall hazard map in which areas of tourism activity are also considered.

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“…However, driven by the demand of city building in mountainous areas, research on rockfall attracts more and more attention of domestic and foreign scholars [8,9]. What is more, an increasing number of highway construction projects need the assessment of rockfall hazard to ensure people's lives and property security [10][11][12][13][14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Potential Rockfalls on a Highway at High Slopes in Cold-Arid Areas (Northwest Xinjiang, China)

Yang

Shang

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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Abstract:In the steep mountainous areas in northwest Xinjiang, where rock mass is broken seriously due to intense freeze thaw weathering, rockfall is one of the most common geological hazards on highway high slopes. Engineering geological investigations on geological hazards along a segment of the G219 highway was conducted, indicating that rockfalls on the high slopes threaten the safety of vehicles on the highway seriously. In this study, a combination of field investigations, laboratory experiments and numerical simulation methods was performed to identify unstable high slopes, simulate the rockfall trajectories and assess the rockfall hazard in the study area. The results show that there are five high slopes (i.e., W01, W02, . . . , W05) where rockfall hazard is extremely serious. Considering both the total kinetic energy and the accumulation rate of blocks, rockfall influence area zonation was performed, leading to the conclusions that the sections of highway on W01 to W05 are located at the medium-intensity low-accumulation zone, high-intensity medium-accumulation zone, high-intensity low-accumulation zone, high-intensity low-accumulation zone and medium-intensity high-accumulation zone, respectively. Based on the analysis, a zonation map was accomplished, which could help engineers select effective mitigation measures against rockfalls to avoid casualty and property losses.

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Rockfall hazard assessment in a cultural and natural heritage (Ortahisar Castle, Cappadocia, Turkey)

Cited by 48 publications

References 15 publications

Rockfall at the heritage site of the Tatlarin Underground City (Cappadocia, Turkey)

Rockfall at the heritage site of the Tatlarin Underground City (Cappadocia, Turkey)

Landform effect on rockfall and hazard mapping in Cappadocia (Turkey)

Analysis of Potential Rockfalls on a Highway at High Slopes in Cold-Arid Areas (Northwest Xinjiang, China)

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