[en] Landslide damming is a widespread phenomenon worldwide and significantly affects the evolution of fluvial landscapes. However, it is rarely witnessed from an antiquities perspective, and the case for observing their internal structure is challenging. We attempt to visualize the subsurface structure and understand the likely breaching mechanism of the late Pleistocene Diexi gigantic landslide dam (longevity of ~ 10 ka), using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method. Eight ERT measurements on the Diexi dam body revealed high resistivity zones near the periphery and lower resistivity zones in the middle portion of the profiles. Geomorphological mapping based on the LiDAR data determined the boundary of the landslide. Field investigation found that zones of low resistivity were connected to a ditched gully. Because breaching such an enormous lake with a total area of 21.4 km2 dammed by a gigantic landslide body with intact rocks was not likely by overtopping alone. The authors postulate that differential seepage of water from the gullies through the landslide debris could have accelerated the undercutting erosion of the otherwise stable Diexi dam. Utilizing geophysical techniques, along with field geomorphology works, can provide valuable information on the evolution of a gigantic paleo-landslide dam, which has real implications for the stability evaluation and forecast of future landslide dams.
Disciplines :
Earth sciences & physical geography
Author, co-author :
Dai, Lanxin; State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
Fan, Xuanmei; State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
Wang, Dan; State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
Zhang, Fanyu; MOE Key Laboratory of Mechanics on Disaster and Environment in Western China, and Department of Geological Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
Yunus, Ali P.; State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
Subramanian, Srikrishnan Siva; State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, China
Rogers, J. David; Geological Engineering Program, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, United States
Havenith, Hans-Balder ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Géologie de l'environnement
Language :
English
Title :
Electrical resistivity tomography revealing possible breaching mechanism of a Late Pleistocene long-lasted gigantic rockslide dam in Diexi, China
Publication date :
2023
Journal title :
Landslides
ISSN :
1612-510X
eISSN :
1612-5118
Publisher :
Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
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