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Discrete Element Modeling of the Nayong Rock Avalanche, Guizhou, China Constrained by Dynamic Parameters from Seismic Signal Inversion

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Abstract

A rock avalanche that destroyed 23 houses and killed 35 people occurred on 28 August 2017, Nayong, SW China. Combined with the dynamic parameters from seismic signal inversion, a discrete element model, MatDEM was used to determine the rock avalanche’s kinematic behavior. Although the dynamic process obtained through inversion will be disturbed by factors, such as rockfall from the source area, by comparing the velocity of rock avalanche versus horizontal distance traveled, the best combination of parameters was selected from different values given. The dynamic process obtained by modeling was compared with the nearest seismometer frequency distribution spectrum, showing that the dynamic process is in good agreement with those parameters inverted from seismic signals. The simulation results show that the movement process lasted for nearly 40 s, with a maximum speed of 40 m/s. This model of selecting parameters contributes to explain the dynamic processes of similar rock avalanche more accurately and is of great significance to the hazard prediction in the karst area.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFC1504804) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41530639). All of the data above for this paper are available in Figshare (figures: http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11768808, and tables: http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11822199). An additional video is also available in Figshare (http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11822094).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, People’s Republic of China

    Hao Luo, Aiguo Xing, Kaiping Jin, Shimin Xu & Yu Zhuang

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  1. Hao Luo
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  2. Aiguo Xing
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  3. Kaiping Jin
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Correspondence to Aiguo Xing.

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Luo, H., Xing, A., Jin, K. et al. Discrete Element Modeling of the Nayong Rock Avalanche, Guizhou, China Constrained by Dynamic Parameters from Seismic Signal Inversion. Rock Mech Rock Eng 54, 1629–1645 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-021-02363-9

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