Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Multiphysics hillslope processes triggering landslides

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Acta Geotechnica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In 1996, a portion of a highly instrumented experimental catchment in the Oregon coast range failed as a large debris flow from heavy rain. For the first time, we quantify the 3-D multiphysical aspects that triggered this event, including the coupled sediment deformation-fluid flow processes responsible for mobilizing the slope failure. Our analysis is based on a hydromechanical continuum model that accounts for the loss of sediment strength due to increased saturation as well as the frictional drag exerted by the moving fluid. Our studies highlight the dominant role that bedrock topography and rainfall history played in defining the failure mechanism, as indicated by the location of the scarp zone that was accurately predicted by our 3-D continuum model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Anderson SP, Dietrich WE, Torres R, Montgomery DR, Loague K (1997) Concentration–discharge relationships in runoff from a steep, unchanneled catchment. Water Resour Res 33:211–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Anderson SP, Dietrich WE, Montgomery DR, Torres R, Conrad ME, Loague K (1997) Subsurface flow paths in a steep, unchanneled catchment. Water Resour Res 33:2637–2653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Baum RL, Harp EL, Hultman WA (2000) Map showing recent and historic landslide activity on coastal bluffs of Puget Sound between Shilshole Bay and Everett, Washington. U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2346. http://pubs.usgs.gov/mf/2000/mf-2346/

  4. Borja RI (2004) Cam–clay plasticity, part V: a mathematical framework for three-phase deformation and strain localization analyses of partially saturated porous media. Comput Method Appl Mech Eng 193:5301–5338

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Borja RI (2006) On the mechanical energy and effective stress in saturated and unsaturated porous continua. Int J Solids Struct 43:1764–1786

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Borja RI, White JA (2010) Continuum deformation and stability analyses of a steep hillside slope under rainfall infiltration. Acta Geotech 5:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Borja RI (2012) Plasticity modeling and computation. Springer, Heidelberg (in press)

  8. Borja RI, White JA, Liu X, Wu W (2012) Factor of safety in a partially saturated slope inferred from hydro-mechanical continuum modeling. Int J Numer Anal Method Geomech 36:236–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Brown WM III, Sitar N, Saarinen TF, Blair ML (1984) Debris flows, landslides, and floods in the San Francisco Bay region, January 1982. Overview of and summary of a conference held at Stanford University, August 23–26, 1982, Washington DC, National Research Council and USGS, p 83

  10. Burroughs ER Jr, Hammond CJ, Booth GD (1985) Relative stability estimation for potential debris avalanche sites using field data. In: Proceedings of the international symposium on erosion, debris flow and disaster prevention, Tsukuba, Japan, pp 335–339

  11. Coe JA, Michael JA, Crovelli RA, Savage WZ, Laprade WT, Nashem WD (2004) Probabilistic assessment of precipitation-triggered landslides using historical records of landslides occurrence, Seattle,Washington. Environ Eng Geosc 10:103–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Ebel BA, Loague K, Dietrich WE, Montgomery DR, Torres R, Anderson SP, Giambelluca TW (2007) Near-surface hydrologic response for a steep, unchanneled catchment near Coos Bay, Oregon: 1. Sprinkling experiments. Am J Sci 307:678–708

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Ebel BA, Loague K, VanderKwaak JE, Dietrich WE, Montgomery DR, Torres R, Anderson SP (2007) Near-surface hydrologic response for a steep, unchanneled catchment near Coos Bay, Oregon: 2. Physics-based simulations. Am J Sci 307:709–748

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Ebel BA, Loague K, Borja RI (2010) The impacts of hysteresis on variably saturated hydrologic response and slope failure. Environ Earth Sci 61:1215–1225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Godt JW (2004) Observed and modeled rainfall conditions for shallow landsliding in the Seattle,Washington, area, Ph.D. thesis, University of Colorado, p 151

  16. Jibson RW (1992) The Mameyes, Puerto Rico, landslide disaster of October, 7, 1985. In: Slosson JE, Keene AG, Johnson JA (eds) Landslides/landslide mitigation, reviews in engineering geology. Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO, pp 37–54

  17. Lagmay AMA, Ong JBT, Fernandez DFD, Lapus MR, Rodolfo RS, Tengonciang AMP, Soria JLA, Baliatan EG, Quimba ZL, Uichanco CL, Paguican EMR, Remedio ARC, Lorenzo GRH, Avila FB, Valdivia W (2006) Scientists investigate recent Philippine landslide. Eos Trans AGU 87(12):121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Martínez E (2002) Evento Meteorologico sobre el Litoral Central en Diciembre 1999. Informe Inédito

  19. Montgomery DR, Dietrich WE, Torres R, Anderson SP, Heffner JT, Loague K (1997) Hydrologic response of a steep, unchanneled valley to natural and applied rainfall. Water Resour Res 33:91–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Montgomery DR, Greenberg HM, Laprade WT, Nashem WD (2001) Sliding in Seattle: test of a model of shallow landsliding potential in an urban environment. In: Wigmosta MS, Burges SJ (eds) Land use and watersheds: human influence on hydrology and geomorphology in urban and forest areas—water science and application, American Geophyisical Union, Washington, DC, pp 59–73

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  21. Moriguchi S, Borja RI, Yashima A, Sawada K (2009) Estimating the impact force generated by granular flow on a rigid obstruction. Acta Geotech 4:57–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Richards LA (1931) Capillary conduction of liquids in porous mediums. Physics 1:318–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Salager S, Rizzi M, Laloui L (2011) An innovative device for determining the soil water retention curve under high suction at different temperatures. Acta Geotech 6:135–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Salciarini D, Godt JW, Savage WZ, Baum RL, Conversini P (2008) Modeling landslide recurrence in Seattle, Washington, USA. Eng Geol 102:227–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Schmidt KM (1994) Mountain scale strength properties, deep-seated landsliding and relief limits. MS thesis, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle

  26. Schmidt KM (1999) Root strength, colluvial soil depth, and colluvial transport on landslide-prone hillslopes. Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle

  27. Schmidt KM, Roering JJ, Stock JD, Dietrich WE, Montgomery DR, Schaub T (2001) The variability of root cohesion as an influence on shallow landslide susceptibility in the Oregon Coast Range. Can Geotech J 38:995–1024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Schroeder WL, Alto JV (1983) Soil properties for slope stability analysis; Oregon and Washington coastal mountains. For Sci 29:823–833

    Google Scholar 

  29. Schuster RL, Salcedo DA, Valenzuela L (2002) Overview of catastrophic landslides of South America in the twentieth century. In: Evans SG, DeGraff JV (eds) Catastrophic landslides: effects, occurrence, and mechanisms, reviews in engineering geology. Geological Society of America, Boulder, CO, pp 1–33

  30. Sharma RJ, Konietzki H, Kosugi K (2010) Numerical analysis of soil pipe effects on hillslope water dynamics. Acta Geotech 5:33–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Smith TC, Hart EW (1982) Landslides and related storm damage, January 1982, San Francisco Bay region. Calif Geol 35:139–152

    Google Scholar 

  32. Teufelsbauer H, Wang Y, Pudasaini SP, Borja RI, Wu W (2011) DEM simulation of impact force exerted by granular flow on rigid structures. Acta Geotech 6:119–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Torres R, Dietrich WE, Montgomery DR, Anderson SP, Loague K (1998) Unsaturated zone processes and the hydrologic response of a steep, unchanneled catchment. Water Resour Res 34:1865–1879

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. USAID (2000) Venezuela factsheet, February, 2000. USAID-Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, p 2

  35. Van Genuchten MT (1980) A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 44:892–898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. White JA, Borja RI (2008) Stabilized low-order finite elements for coupled solid-deformation/fluid-diffusion and their application to fault zone transients. Comput Method Appl Mech Eng 197:4353–4366

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  37. Wu TH, Beal PE, Lan C (1988) In-situ shear test of soil-root systems. J Geotech Eng ASCE 114:1376–1394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Yee CS, Harr DR (1977) Influence of soil aggregation on slope stability in the Oregon Coast Range. Environ Geol 1:367–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Drs. Keith Loague and Brian Ebel for numerous discussions pertaining to the CB1 catchment, and to the three anonymous reviewers for their constructive reviews. This work was supported by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) under Contract Numbers CMMI-0824440 and CMMI-0936421 to Stanford University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Ronaldo I. Borja & Xiaoyu Liu

  2. Computational Geosciences Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA

    Joshua A. White

Authors
  1. Ronaldo I. Borja
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiaoyu Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joshua A. White
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ronaldo I. Borja.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Borja, R.I., Liu, X. & White, J.A. Multiphysics hillslope processes triggering landslides. Acta Geotech. 7, 261–269 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-012-0175-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-012-0175-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation