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The 17 February 2006 Guinsaugon rock slide-debris avalanche, Southern Leyte, Philippines: deposit characteristics and failure mechanism

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Abstract

The Guinsaugon rock slide-debris avalanche was the most catastrophic single landslide event in Philippine history, with 14–18 M m3 of debris instantly burying an entire village. Hummocky topography, pressure ridges and other internal structures suggest that the landslide deposit was emplaced as a debris avalanche and debris flow. Susceptibility to planar and wedge failures as well as to toppling due to rock discontinuities were demonstrated using kinematic analysis and SMR. Limit equilibrium analysis on planar failures yielded factors of safety ranging from 0.8 to 1.5. The study showed that pore pressure on discontinuities had a more significant effect on the slope stability than seismicity. For wedge failures, there is a sudden drop in the factor of safety at pore water pressures of 258–306 kPa. At the site, the pore water pressure may have been as high as 490 kPa. The possibility of such a landslide event in the future is discussed.

Résumé

Le glissement rocheux/avalanche de roches de Guinsaugon est le glissement le plus catastrophique de l’histoire des Philippines, avec 14 à 18 M m3 de débris rocheux submergeant entièrement un village. La topographie chaotique, les rides de pression et différentes structures internes suggèrent que les dépôts se sont mis en place comme une avalanche de roches ou un écoulement de débris. La prédisposition du massif rocheux aux glissements plans ou en dièdres, ainsi qu’aux basculements a été établie à partir de l’analyse des discontinuités et en considérant la classification SMR. L’analyse suivant la méthode des équilibres limites a conduit à des facteurs de sécurité variables entre 0,8 et 1,5 pour les glissements plans. Les études ont montré que les pressions interstitielles dans les discontinuités avaient une plus forte influence sur la stabilité que les actions séismiques considérées. Pour les ruptures en dièdres, une baisse rapide des coefficients de sécurité apparaît lorsque les pressions interstitielles passent de 258 à 306 kPa. Sur site, les pressions interstitielles peuvent avoir atteint la valeur de 490 kPa. La possibilité d’un événement comparable à l’avenir est discutée.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the residents of Guinsaugon, most especially Virgilio Monghit and Felipe Nerio, for providing vital eyewitness information on the events related to the 17 February 2006 landslide. Discussions with Eddie Listanco and Masahiko Makino were helpful in reconstructing the landslide event. Technical support provided by Allan Mandanas, Jules Bangate, Ranel Padon and Louie Balicanta is gratefully acknowledged. We also thank Ms. Sampaguita Capili-Masilungan for accommodating us at St. Bernard. The study was supported by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Grant for the UP-National Institute of Geological Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Geological Sciences, College of Science, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines

    Sandra G. Catane, Hillel B. Cabria, Ricarido M. Saturay Jr & Aileen A. Mirasol-Robert

  2. Department of Engineering Sciences, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Philippines

    Mark Albert H. Zarco

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  1. Sandra G. Catane
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  2. Hillel B. Cabria
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  3. Mark Albert H. Zarco
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  4. Ricarido M. Saturay Jr
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  5. Aileen A. Mirasol-Robert
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Correspondence to Sandra G. Catane.

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Catane, S.G., Cabria, H.B., Zarco, M.A.H. et al. The 17 February 2006 Guinsaugon rock slide-debris avalanche, Southern Leyte, Philippines: deposit characteristics and failure mechanism. Bull Eng Geol Environ 67, 305–320 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-008-0120-y

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