Permeability characteristics, structural failure characteristics, and triggering process of loess landslides in two typical strata structures

Abstract

Landslides occurring at the interface of strata are among the most common forms of loess landslides in China. Statistics indicate that significant loess-red silty clay interface landslides induced by irrigation in the Heifangtai Platform than loess-paleosol interface landslides in the South Jingyang Platform. To uncover the permeability characteristics, structural failure patterns, and triggering processes of two typical strata structures. This study employs Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) techniques to investigate the permeability and structural failure of two soil combination types: loess-red silty clay and loess-paleosol. The results revealed a positive correlation between the stagnant water effect and flow rate, but a negative correlation with the initial water content. Notably, these two typical strata exhibited distinct differences in the stagnant water effect. In loess-red silty clay, continuous filling of mesopores and macropores by fine clay particles, while at the same time the agglomerates disintegration at the interface, thereby enhancing the stagnant water effect. In contrast, loess-paleosol exhibited good connectivity between the mosaic pores at the interface. This facilitated the formation of several elongated microcracks, which acted as dominant channels for infiltration and weakened the stagnant water effect. However, the macroscopic triggering mechanism for loess landslides in both loess-red silty clay and loess-paleosol combination strata remains similar. Irrigation water stagnates within the relatively impermeable layers, saturating and structurally damaging the bottom of loess layer, ultimately inducing landslides. These findings provide a scientific basis for the future study of loess landslide hazards in different strata structures, which is of great significance.