Qiankuan Wang, Bin Li, Aiguo Xing, Yiwei Liu, Yu Zhuang
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Four repeated ice-rock avalanches occurred in the Amney Machen Mountains between 2004 and 2019, exhibiting both spatial and temporal characteristics of a recurring disaster chain. These events serve as notable examples of large-scale ice-rock avalanche chain disasters in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Integrating multi-source data including remote sensing imaging, meteorological records, and glacier field observations, the geological and climatic characteristics of recurring ice-rock avalanches were characterized. A comprehensive study of the dynamic glacial changes in the region using multiple approaches, including offset-tracking and support vector machine classification, reveals the underlying triggering mechanisms and spatio-temporal evolution of the ice-rock avalanches. To investigate the possible impact of seismic events on the occurrence of repeated ice-rock avalanches, we performed a time-series analysis of the avalanche-prone mass to assess disaster risk. The results suggest that ice-rock avalanches in Amney Machen are caused by long-term climate warming, short-term meteorological fluctuations, glacier retreats, and patterns of ablation rather than earthquakes. Regional warming has culminated in glacier melt and de-buttressing, while freeze–thaw cycles have caused the propagation of stress crevasses and the deterioration of the ice-rock masses. Meltwater and rainfall introduce external driving forces to the ice-rock system, acting to lubricate and soften the bedrock and accelerate glacier sliding. The glacier’s ablation pattern, characterized by significant thinning at its lower part and slight thinning or even localized thickening at the top, has further heightened the hazard of glacial disasters. Our findings reveal the characteristics, triggering mechanisms, and spatio-temporal evolution of typical ice-rock avalanches, providing insights for monitoring and preventing glacial disasters throughout the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
期刊介绍：
Landslides are gravitational mass movements of rock, debris or earth. They may occur in conjunction with other major natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Expanding urbanization and changing land-use practices have increased the incidence of landslide disasters. Landslides as catastrophic events include human injury, loss of life and economic devastation and are studied as part of the fields of earth, water and engineering sciences. The aim of the journal Landslides is to be the common platform for the publication of integrated research on landslide processes, hazards, risk analysis, mitigation, and the protection of our cultural heritage and the environment. The journal publishes research papers, news of recent landslide events and information on the activities of the International Consortium on Landslides.
- Landslide dynamics, mechanisms and processes
- Landslide risk evaluation: hazard assessment, hazard mapping, and vulnerability assessment
- Geological, Geotechnical, Hydrological and Geophysical modeling
- Effects of meteorological, hydrological and global climatic change factors
- Monitoring including remote sensing and other non-invasive systems
- New technology, expert and intelligent systems
- Application of GIS techniques
- Rock slides, rock falls, debris flows, earth flows, and lateral spreads
- Large-scale landslides, lahars and pyroclastic flows in volcanic zones
- Marine and reservoir related landslides
- Landslide related tsunamis and seiches
- Landslide disasters in urban areas and along critical infrastructure
- Landslides and natural resources
- Land development and land-use practices
- Landslide remedial measures / prevention works
- Temporal and spatial prediction of landslides
- Early warning and evacuation
- Global landslide database
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