Abstract
Badong town is a new immigration area in the Three Gorges reservoir, China, which is built on many giant deep-seated landslides. In this region, the slope deformation is very severe and it is strongly correlated with the incompetent beds, which are distributed widely in the rock mass. In this paper, two giant deep-seated translational rock landslides used as study cases are Huangtupo landslide and Zhaoshuling landslide. Firstly, the composition materials, structures and deformation characteristics of the two landslides are analyzed. Then, the position, structure, mineral composition and the formation mechanism of the incompetent beds are studied in detail. Finally, based on the comparison of the position, mineral and structure between incompetent beds and sliding zones of the landslides, the correlations between incompetent beds and giant landslide are discussed. The results indicate that 13 large incompetent beds exist in the middle Triassic Badong Formation strata, which can be divided into three types as weak interlayers, crushed beds and groundwater corrosion zones. The dominant minerals in the incompetent beds are illite, chlorite, quartz and calcite. The contents of the clay minerals in different positions are quite distinct, and the maximum difference of clay content exceeds 70 %. In addition, it is found that the contents of minerals in incompetent beds are similar to the slide zones of the landslides. The initial deformation of slopes normally developed along the incompetent beds, which induced subsequent shear displacement easily. Under the effect of gravity, the deep slip zones were generated mainly along the incompetent beds and the failure mode evolved from creep to integral slide gradually. The results can provide an important reference for the mechanism analysis and prevention of landslides in Badong town.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles and news from researchers in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.References
Agliardi F, Crosta G, Zanchi A (2001) Structural constraints on deep-seated slope deformation kinematics. Eng Geol 59:83–102
Bois T, Bouissou S, Guglielmi Y (2008) Influence of major inherited faults zones on gravitational slope deformation: a two-dimensional physical modeling of the La Clapière area (Southern French Alps). Earth Planet Sci Lett 272:709–719
Cadoppi P, Giardino M, Perrone G et al (2007) Litho-structural control, morphotectonics, and deep-seated gravitational deformations in the evolution of Alpine relief: a case study in the lower Susa Valley (Italian Western Alps). Quatern Int 171–172:143–159
Chai B, Yin KL (2009) Interlayer weakness zones in the middle triassi badong formation of three gorges reservoir shoreline slope at the new Badong county. J Eng Geol 17:809–816 (in Chinese)
Chai B, Yin KL, Chen LX (2009) Analysis of slope deformation under control of rock mass structure. Rock Soil Mech 30:521–525 (in Chinese)
Chai B, Yin KL, Xiao YJ (2010) Characteristics of weak-soft zones of Three Gorges reservoir shoreline slope in new Badong county. Rock Soil Mech 31:2501–2506 (in Chinese)
Chigira M (2009) September 2005 rain-induced catastrophic rockslides on slopes affected by deep-seated gravitational deformations, Kyushu, Southern Japan. Eng Geol 108:1–15
Crosta GB (1996) Landslide, spreading, deep seated gravitational deformation: analysis, examples, problems and proposals. Geogr Fis Din Quat 19:297–313
Deng QL, Wang XP (2005) Growth history of Huangtupo landslide: down-slope overlapping-landsliding-modification. Earth science. J Chn Univ Geosci 25:44–50 (in Chinese)
Deng QL, Zhu ZY, Cui ZQ et al (2000) Mass rock creep and landsliding on the Huangtupo slope in the reservoir area of the Three Gorges Project, Yangtze River, China. Eng Geol 58:67–83
Hradecky J, Panek T (2008) Deep-seated gravitational slope deformations and their influence on consequent mass movements (case studies from the highest part of the Czech Carpathians). Nat Hazards 45:235–253
Li JF, Liu S, Zhang SX (1996) Structure character and stability analysis of Zhaoshuli landside at Badong town in the Three Gorges reservoir. J Geomech 2:81–82 (in Chinese)
Liu CZ, Liu YH, Lian JF (2006) Study on genetic mechanism of the Badong slope system in the three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Geol Rev 52:510–521 (in Chinese)
Pellegrino A, Prestininzi A (2007) Impact of weathering on the geomechanical properties of rocks along thermal-metamorphic contact belts and morpho-evolutionary processes: the deep-seated gravitational slope deformations of Mt. Granieri–Salincriti (Calabria, Italy). Geomorphology 87:176–195
Tang HM, Ma SZ, Liu YR et al (2002) Stability and control measures of Zhaoshuli landslide, Badong County, the Three Gorges reservoir. Earth Sci 27:621–625 (in Chinese)
Tibaldi A, Rovida A, Corazzato C (2004) A giant deep-seated slope deformation in the Italian Alps studied by paleoseismological and morphometric techniques. Geomorphology 58:27–47
Turconi L, De SK, Tropeano D et al (2010) Slope failure and related processes in the Mt. Rocciamelone area (Cenischia Valley, Western Italian Alps). Geomorphology 114:115–128
Wang FW, Zhang YM, Huo ZT (2008) Mechanism for the rapid motion of the Qianjiangping landslide during reactivation by the first impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir, China. Landslides 5:379–386
Wen BP, Chen HY (2007) Mineral compositions and elements concentrations as indicators for the role of groundwater in the development of landslide slip zones: a case study of large-scale landslides in the Three Gorges area in China. Earth Sci Front 14:98–106
Wu X, Yu QC, He MC et al (2006) Formation mechanism of Huangtupo landslide in reservoir of Three Gorges Project. SHUILI XUEBA 2006(37):969–976 (in Chinese)
Acknowledgments
The research presented in the paper was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40972184 and 41202247) and the Research Foundation for Outstanding Young Teachers, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) (No. CUGQNL0915). The authors thank Y.Y. Li, H. B. Miao, L.X. Chen and Y.X. Dai for taking part in field investigations and conducting laboratory experiments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chai, B., Yin, K., Du, J. et al. Correlation between incompetent beds and slope deformation at Badong town in the Three Gorges reservoir, China. Environ Earth Sci 69, 209–223 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-1948-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-1948-9