Abstract
Sedimentological characteristics and thermal metamorphic rocks in deposits can provide clues regarding the frictional melt processes of ancient rockslides; however, the quantitative dynamic reconstruction of rockslides is hindered by the scarcity of sedimentary evidence alongside predominantly qualitative interpretations. Here, a dynamic reconstruction of the Dora Kamiyama Rockslide in the Tibetan Plateau is used to bridge dynamic parameters and sedimentary evidence based on frictional thermal analysis. Grading analysis revealed that the content of coarse-grained soil gradually decreased throughout the inverse grading sequence of the deposit, and micro-scratches on particles indicated high-speed linear sliding, with rotational and expansive motions during the rockslide. Thermal metamorphic rocks, such as tridymite, cristobalite, and magnesite, were found near the shear zones of the rockslide deposit, implying that the temperature induced by sliding friction near the fragmented facies ranged from 870 to 1,470 °C. Based on the sedimentological evidence, the dynamic process evolution because of temperature changes in the shear zone and the topographic factors of the rockslide were calculated based on frictional thermal analysis. Specifically, the friction coefficient decreased from 1.46 to 0.43, and the maximum acceleration and velocity reached 4.82 m/s2 and 47.67 m/s, respectively. The sedimentary evidence and subsequent dynamic analysis of this ancient rockslide can provide new insights into the dynamic reconstruction of large-scale rockslides, especially in the Tibetan Plateau.
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Funding
This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41771021), the Scientific Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant Nos. KFZD-SW-425 and KFJ-STS-QYZD-172), and the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (Grant No. 2019QZKK0904).
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Yang, Z., Liu, S., Wang, L. et al. Frictional heating and thermal effects of ancient rockslide sedimentology: a case study of the Dora Kamiyama Rockslide and implications for dynamic reconstruction. Bull Eng Geol Environ 81, 320 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02824-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02824-7