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The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides
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The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2019) | Viewed by 29686

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Monica Papini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: field geology; geological mapping; basin analysis; engineering geology; geomorphological mapping; rocks; fluvial geomorphology; landslides; natural hazards
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Laura Longoni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: field geology; geological mapping; basin analysis; engineering geology; geomorphological mapping; rocks; fluvial geomorphology; landslides; natural hazards
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Among various triggering factors, the presence of water is considered one of the most common causes of the onset of landslide instability. Water can play different roles in slope stability that depend on the geomorphological conditions of the investigated sites as well as on the type of rainfall events (duration and intensity). In terms of its effect on the physical processes, the presence of groundwater circulation can increase water pressure and/or decrease shear strength within the soil. The complexity of landslides combined with the intrinsic uncertainties of these problems make it hard for scientists to forecast where and when a landslide may occur.

We would like to invite you to participate in this Special Issue, which will focus primarily on the study of the role of water in the definition of landslide hazards. This will take into account innovative approaches and/or case studies that focus on the use of new technologies or the integration of different monitoring systems able to characterize groundwater circulation in a slope, as well as the use of models capable of forecasting landslide hazards. All landslide types will be considered, ranging from shallow to deep landslides or from slow movements to very rapid ones. All scales are contemplated, from the local to the global. This will also include studies at the laboratory scale, where authors can focus on technology innovation in order to better understand how water can trigger landslides.

Prof. Monica Papini
Prof. Laura Longoni
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Shallow and deep landslides
  • groundwater circulation
  • slope stability
  • hydrogeological model
  • hydrogeological monitoring and investigation
  • triggering factors
  • rainfall
  • hazard

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 12967 KiB  
Article
Investigation on the Role of Water for the Stability of Shallow Landslides—Insights from Experimental Tests
by Vladislav Ivanov, Diego Arosio, Greta Tresoldi, Azadeh Hojat, Luigi Zanzi, Monica Papini and Laura Longoni
Water 2020, 12(4), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12041203 - 23 Apr 2020
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 3996
Abstract
Shallow soil slips are a significant hydrogeological hazard which could affect extended areas of the high-gradient mountainous landscape. Their triggering is highly dependent on the rainfall water infiltration and its further redistribution, as well as the characteristic properties of the soil itself. The [...] Read more.
Shallow soil slips are a significant hydrogeological hazard which could affect extended areas of the high-gradient mountainous landscape. Their triggering is highly dependent on the rainfall water infiltration and its further redistribution, as well as the characteristic properties of the soil itself. The complex interaction between those factors generates a considerable degree of uncertainty in the understanding of the governing processes. In this work, we take a small step further towards the untangling of those intricate relationships through observation. The results of a set of 20 downscaled shallow land mass failures are analysed through a principal component analysis and a further detailed look at the resulting parametric trends. Moreover, electrical resistivity tomography measurements are added up to the interpretation of experimental data, by providing a glimpse on the rainfall water infiltration process at the subsurface level. The outcome of this work implies that the coupled interaction between rainfall intensity, hydraulic conductivity and soil moisture gradient is governing the stability of soil and while rainfall intensity and duration are essential instability predictors, they must be integrated with antecedent moisture and site-specific characteristics. A tentative comparison of the dataset with existing rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence suggests the potential application of experimental tests for thresholds’ definition or validation under the appropriate dimensional analysis. A dimensional analysis indicated the interconnection of parameters intrinsic to the problem, and the significance of scale effects in performing a downscaled simulation of land mass failure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides)
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29 pages, 8279 KiB  
Article
Eighty Years of Data Collected for the Determination of Rainfall Threshold Triggering Shallow Landslides and Mud-Debris Flows in the Alps
by Fabio Luino, Jerome De Graff, Anna Roccati, Marcella Biddoccu, Chiara Giorgia Cirio, Francesco Faccini and Laura Turconi
Water 2020, 12(1), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12010133 - 31 Dec 2019
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3893
Abstract
Identifying the minimum rainfall thresholds necessary for landslides triggering is essential to landslide risk assessment. The Italian Alps have always been affected by shallow landslides and mud-debris flows, which caused considerable damage to property and, sometimes, casualties. We analysed information provided from different [...] Read more.
Identifying the minimum rainfall thresholds necessary for landslides triggering is essential to landslide risk assessment. The Italian Alps have always been affected by shallow landslides and mud-debris flows, which caused considerable damage to property and, sometimes, casualties. We analysed information provided from different sources carrying on the most thorough research conducted for this alpine area. Thousands of documents and reports of rainfall values recorded over 80 years by rain gauges distributed in Sondrio and Brescia Provinces define the mean annual precipitation (MAP)-normalized intensity–duration thresholds for the initiation of shallow landslides and mud-debris flows. The established curves are generally lower compared to those proposed in literature for similar mountain areas in Italy and worldwide. Furthermore, we found that landslides occurred primarily at the same time or within 3 h from the maximum peak of rainfall intensity in summer events and in a period from 0 to 5 h or later in spring-autumn events. The paper provides a further contribution to the knowledge framework on the rainfall conditions required for the initiation of surficial landslides and mud-debris flows and their expected timing of occurrence. This knowledge is crucial to develop better warning strategies to mitigate geo-hydrological risk and reduce the socio-economic damage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides)
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19 pages, 11123 KiB  
Article
Discussion on the Characteristics of Seismic Signals Due to Riverbank Landslides from Laboratory Tests
by Zheng-Yi Feng, Chia-Ming Hsu and Shi-Hao Chen
Water 2020, 12(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12010083 - 25 Dec 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3250
Abstract
Floods and erosion often cause landslides of riverbanks and induce problems such as river blockage, shift of river center, or flooding from rising riverbeds. Instrumentation and monitoring are often used to explore landslide and erosion behavior of riverbanks. Therefore, this study identified landslide [...] Read more.
Floods and erosion often cause landslides of riverbanks and induce problems such as river blockage, shift of river center, or flooding from rising riverbeds. Instrumentation and monitoring are often used to explore landslide and erosion behavior of riverbanks. Therefore, this study identified landslide types and characteristics of their seismic signals due to toe erosion of riverbanks through riverbank models with various instrumentation sensors in a laboratory flume. To induce landslides in the riverbank model, a test was set up for water to flow through the toe of the riverbank model. Seismic signals of each landslide event were measured during the tests with accelerometers. Nonpolarized electrodes were installed for observing the self-potential changes during the test. Water content and pore water pressure gauges were installed in the riverbank model. In addition, water levels were recorded. The Hilbert–Huang transform method was used to analyze the characteristics of seismic signals caused by water flow and riverbank landslides. Time points, landslide frequency distributions, and the characteristics of several landslide events in the riverbank models were estimated using the seismic signals. This study identified three types of landslides: single, intermittent, and successive. Moreover, changes in self-potential signals, pore water pressure, and water content during the tests were examined and were found to correspond to the landslide process of the riverbank model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides)
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24 pages, 6359 KiB  
Article
Physically Based Estimation of Rainfall Thresholds Triggering Shallow Landslides in Volcanic Slopes of Southern Italy
by Francesco Fusco, Pantaleone De Vita, Benjamin B. Mirus, Rex L. Baum, Vincenzo Allocca, Rita Tufano, Enrico Di Clemente and Domenico Calcaterra
Water 2019, 11(9), 1915; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11091915 - 14 Sep 2019
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4161
Abstract
On the 4th and 5th of March 2005, about 100 rainfall-induced landslides occurred along volcanic slopes of Camaldoli Hill in Naples, Italy. These started as soil slips in the upper substratum of incoherent and welded volcaniclastic deposits, then evolved downslope according to debris [...] Read more.
On the 4th and 5th of March 2005, about 100 rainfall-induced landslides occurred along volcanic slopes of Camaldoli Hill in Naples, Italy. These started as soil slips in the upper substratum of incoherent and welded volcaniclastic deposits, then evolved downslope according to debris avalanche and debris flow mechanisms. This specific case of slope instability on complex volcaniclastic deposits remains poorly characterized and understood, although similar shallow landsliding phenomena have largely been studied in other peri-volcanic areas of the Campania region underlain by carbonate bedrock. Considering the landslide hazard in this urbanized area, this study focused on quantitatively advancing the understanding of the predisposing factors and hydrological conditions contributing to the initial landslide triggering. Borehole drilling, trial pits, dynamic penetrometer tests, topographic surveys, and infiltration tests were conducted on a slope sector of Camaldoli Hill to develop a geological framework model. Undisturbed soil samples were collected for laboratory testing to further characterize hydraulic and geotechnical properties of the soil units identified. In situ soil pressure head monitoring probes were also installed. A numerical model of two-dimensional variably saturated subsurface water flow was parameterized for the monitored hillslope using field and laboratory data. Based on the observed soil pressure head dynamics, the model was calibrated by adjusting the evapotranspiration parameters. This physically based hydrologic model was combined with an infinite-slope stability analysis to reconstruct the critical unsaturated/saturated conditions leading to slope failure. This coupled hydromechanical numerical model was then used to determine intensity–duration (I-D) thresholds for landslide initiation over a range of plausible rainfall intensities and topographic slope angles for the region. The proposed approach can be conceived as a practicable method for defining a warning criterion in urbanized areas threatened by rainfall-induced shallow landslides, given the unavailability of a consistent inventory of past landslide events that prevents a rigorous empirical analysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides)
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16 pages, 6482 KiB  
Article
Investigation of the Influence of Rainfall Runoff on Shallow Landslides in Unsaturated Soil Using a Mathematical Model
by Yen-Yu Chiu, Hung-En Chen and Keh-Chia Yeh
Water 2019, 11(6), 1178; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11061178 - 5 Jun 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3828
Abstract
Infiltration and groundwater have been widely considered as the main factors that cause shallow landslides; however, the effect of runoff has received less attention. In this study, an in-house physical-process-based shallow landslide model is developed to demonstrate the influence of runoff. The model [...] Read more.
Infiltration and groundwater have been widely considered as the main factors that cause shallow landslides; however, the effect of runoff has received less attention. In this study, an in-house physical-process-based shallow landslide model is developed to demonstrate the influence of runoff. The model is controlled by coupling the shallow water equation (dynamic) and Richards’ equation. An infinite slope stability analysis is applied to evaluate the possibility of regional landslides. A real, small catchment topography is adopted as a demonstration example. The simulation illustrates the variations of runoff and the factor of safety (FS) during a storm. The results indicate that, after the surface becomes saturated, the FS may keep varying due to the increasing pressure head, which is caused by increasing surface water depth. This phenomenon most likely occurs downstream where the slopes easily accumulate water. The depth of the surface water may also be a factor of slope failure. Therefore, it is essential to increase the accuracy of calculating the runoff depth when assessing regional shallow landslides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides)
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15 pages, 4561 KiB  
Article
The Role of Hydraulic Hysteresis on the Hydrological Response of Pyroclastic Silty Covers
by Guido Rianna, Luca Comegna, Luca Pagano, Luciano Picarelli and Alfredo Reder
Water 2019, 11(3), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11030628 - 26 Mar 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3690
Abstract
A significant part of the recent geotechnical literature concerning pyroclastic soils is focused on the characterization of the hydrological effects of precipitations and their implications for the stability conditions of unsaturated sloping covers. Recent experience shows that suction-induced strength reduction is influenced by [...] Read more.
A significant part of the recent geotechnical literature concerning pyroclastic soils is focused on the characterization of the hydrological effects of precipitations and their implications for the stability conditions of unsaturated sloping covers. Recent experience shows that suction-induced strength reduction is influenced by various factors including hydraulic hysteresis. A deeper insight into the hysteretic water retention behavior of these materials and its effects upon their response to dry/wetting conditions is a major goal of this paper, which exploits the data provided by the monitoring of a volcanic ash. Based on the parameters retrieved from data calibration, the hydrological response of a virtual slope subject to one-dimensional rainfall infiltration is investigated by numerical analyses and compared with the results obtained through the usually adopted non-hysteretic approaches. The analysis demonstrates that considering the hysteretic behavior may be crucial for a proper evaluation of the conditions leading to slope failure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides)
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28 pages, 19690 KiB  
Article
Heavy Rainfall Triggering Shallow Landslides: A Susceptibility Assessment by a GIS-Approach in a Ligurian Apennine Catchment (Italy)
by Anna Roccati, Francesco Faccini, Fabio Luino, Andrea Ciampalini and Laura Turconi
Water 2019, 11(3), 605; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11030605 - 23 Mar 2019
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5962
Abstract
In recent decades, the Entella River basin (eastern Liguria) has been affected by several rainfall events that induced widespread shallow landslides and earth flows on the slopes; roads, buildings, structures and infrastructure suffered extensive damage due to the instability processes. In this paper, [...] Read more.
In recent decades, the Entella River basin (eastern Liguria) has been affected by several rainfall events that induced widespread shallow landslides and earth flows on the slopes; roads, buildings, structures and infrastructure suffered extensive damage due to the instability processes. In this paper, a GIS-based approach for analyzing and assessing a simplified landslide susceptibility in the Entella River catchment is presented. Starting from landslide information mainly provided from newspaper articles and unpublished reports from municipal archives, we performed a series of comparative analyses using a set of thematic maps to assess the influence of predisposing natural and anthropic factors. By evaluating the statistical distribution of landslides in different categories, we assigned weighted values to each parameter, according to their influence on the instability processes. A simplified, reproducible, but effective approach to assess landslide susceptibility in the study area was performed by combining all predisposing factors. The resulting scores in proneness to slope instability classes may be used to generate a simplified landslides susceptibility map of the catchment area which would be easy to regularly update every time a rainfall event that is able to trigger shallow landslides occurs; this would provide a useful tool for local authorities and decision makers for identifying areas which could potentially be affected by instability processes, and would help in determining the most suitable measures in land-planning and landslide risk management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Water in Shallow and Deep Landslides)
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