The role of cracks in accelerating the rate of landslide movement

Frank H Weirich; L Blesius

The mechanisms responsible for deep seated landslides often involve the complex interplay of a number of factors that contribute to the initiation, accelerated rates of movement, and often catastrophic failures associated with these types of mass movement processes. One of the challenges associated with the study of such events is the determination of the trigger mechanism that tips the scale in favor of movement, accelerated movement, or catastrophic failure. Much research has been directed at the role of a number of factors such as: basic geology, failure zones, preferential slide planes,vegetative root strength, rainfall amounts, rates and basic infiltration dynamics that may contribute to movement or failure, or at times even serve as the primary forcing mechanism leading to failure or accelerated movement. However, the role of surface cracks in impacting the hydrologic balance of a hillslope and ultimately the stability of a hillside has received relatively little attention. In an effort to better understand the potential role of surface cracks in altering the hydrologic balance and ultimately the stability and rate of movement of deep seated slope failures, an evaluation of a relatively large scale landslide in Los Flores Canyon, Malibu, CA was undertaken. The Los Flores Canyon slide area encompasses an area in excess of 50 acres (+200,000 m2), with an overall slide volume in excess of 25 M cubic meters. Over the years, it has undergone wide and often relatively rapid variation in movement rates with toe movement rates ranging from under 0.3 m/yr up to rates exceeding 2.5 m/yr. Local rates on major portions of the slide surface have exceeded 25 m/yr at times. Combining basic geologic, rainfall, urban runoff, fire, and landslide movement data with a careful GIS based evaluation of the initiation and development of crack systems on the slide mass it was determined that in some instances, once the initial movement of the slide had begun, some of the subsequent episodes of rapid acceleration of the slide mass extending over periods of months and sometimes years, was most likely not in response to an increase in the amount of rainfall being received or other mechanisms but rather was the result of an increase in the amount of precipitation being directly delivered deeper into the slide mass by an extensive system of cracks that developed over time. The results suggest that in many slope failure situations the role of surface crack systems in accelerating movement and failure processes may need to be given greater consideration.

The role of cracks in accelerating the rate of landslide movement

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