Abstract
Small-scale landslides that occur at unexpected locations and seasons can cause severe losses of life and property. Unusually, the Shidang landslide occurred prior to the rainy season in **kouhe County, Sichuan Province, China, resulting in 19 deaths and missing persons. In this paper, landslide characteristics and causes are revealed through a field investigation, laboratory experiments, and numerical calculations. The results show that the Shidang landslide was a small-scale landslide with a total volume of approximately 19500 m3, originating from hollow colluvial deposits. The geomorphological hollow above the landslide provided topographic conditions for the collection of subsurface runoff. Groundwater flow was transported downward along dolomite and accumulated in the area above shale, with a low conductivity. Groundwater table rise combined with the decrease in the soil strength led to landslide occurrence. Improper siting of residential areas and insufficient vigilance against post-rainfall landslides caused this tragedy. Considering the post-disaster lessons, it is strongly recommended that in the future, more attention should be given to the investigation of landslides triggered by groundwater, especially in determining landslide hydrological system boundaries. In mountainous areas where the developable space is limited, areas with hollow landforms are potentially at risk of geohazards. This paper could provide a reference for the prevention and management of similar landslides and new insights for updating landslide investigation systems and residential housing plans.
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Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the reviewer and Editor for constructive comments and suggestions, which greatly improved the quality of the manuscript.
Funding
This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42361144880 and U20A20110), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2023YFC3008301), the China Power Construction core technology research project (Grant No. DJ-HXGG-2022-02), the International Cooperation Overseas Platform Project, CAS (Grant No. 131C11KYSB20200033), the National Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (Grant No. GZC20232571), the Special Research Assistant Grant of CAS (Grant Recipient: Dr. Shufeng Tian) and the Outstanding Talent Project of Thousand Talents Program in China (Grant Recipient: Prof. Ningsheng Chen). All the financial support are greatly appreciated.
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Hou, R., Li, Z., Ye, W. et al. A small landslide induced a large disaster prior to the heavy rainy season in **kouhe, Sichuan, China: characteristics, mechanism, and lessons. Landslides 21, 1353–1365 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-024-02213-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-024-02213-z