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Experimental investigation of the mobility and deposit characteristics of laterally confined rock avalanches

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Abstract

Laterally confined rock avalanches are the most typical rock avalanches with extreme destructive potential in mountainous regions. The tremendous hazards and complicated kinematics mechanism highlight the necessity to understand their mobility and deposit characteristics. In this study, a series of small-scale physical experiments are carried out to reproduce the migration and deposit processes of rock avalanches using an inclined chute setup, and this study focuses on the effects of several independent variables including material types (M), landslide volume (V), and slope angle (α) on mobility and deposit of rock avalanches. The sensitivity analysis results highlight the significant influence of material types (M) and slope angle (α) on peak velocity (\({\nu }_{\mathrm{max}}\)) and travel distance (L). The dimensionless equations for quantitative describing the relationship between significant influential factors and motion parameters were established by the regression analysis method. On this basis, the empirical formulae with full consideration of the effects of various factors were proposed for the estimation of peak velocity and travel distance. Furthermore, the travel angle and deposit angle were identified as significant parameters that represent the mobility and deposit features of granular flows, respectively. The relationship between these parameters is accurately described by a fitted empirical linear model. This model may provide valuable insights into our understanding of the mobility and deposit characteristics of granular flows.

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All data generated or analysed during this study are included in this published article.

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Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive and valuable suggestions, which help improving this manuscript substantially.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41877524; 41907254). The first author is financially supported by the China Scholarship Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, 610059, Sichuan, China

    Hailong Yang, Xiangjun Pei & Zuan Pei

  2. School of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China

    Xiaoyi Fan

  3. Institute of Engineering Safety Assessment and Protection, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, Sichuan, China

    Xiaoyi Fan

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  1. Hailong Yang
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  2. Xiangjun Pei
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  3. Xiaoyi Fan
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  4. Zuan Pei
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Correspondence to Xiaoyi Fan.

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Yang, H., Pei, X., Fan, X. et al. Experimental investigation of the mobility and deposit characteristics of laterally confined rock avalanches. Bull Eng Geol Environ 82, 192 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03191-7

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