Dynamic Characteristics of the Long Runout Rock-ice Avalanche at High Altitude—A Case from the Zelongnong Basin, Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, China

Abstract

Rock-ice avalanches have frequently occurred in the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis region due to climate change and active tectonic movements. These events commonly trigger catastrophic geohazard chains, including debris flows, river blockages, and floods. This study focuses on the Zelongnong Basin, analyzing the geomorphic and dynamic characteristics of high-altitude disasters. The basin exhibits typical vertical zonation, with disaster sources initiating at elevations exceeding 4000 m and runout distances reaching up to 10 km. The disaster chain movement involves complex dynamic effects, including impact disintegration, soil-rock mixture arching, dynamic erosion, and debris deposition, enhancing understanding of the flow behavior and dynamic characteristics of rock-ice avalanches. The presence of ice significantly increases mobility due to lubrication and frictional melting. In the disaster event of September 10, 2020, the maximum flow velocity and thickness reached 40 m/s and 43 m, respectively. Furthermore, continuous deformation of the Zelongnong glacier moraine was observed, with maximum cumulative deformations of 44.68 m in the distance direction and 25.96 m in the azimuth direction from March 25, 2022, to August 25, 2022. In the future, the risk of rock-ice avalanches in the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis region will remain extremely high, necessitating a focus on early warning and risk mitigation strategies for such basin disasters.

Keywords

rock-ice avalanche / dynamic characteristics / mobility / moraine / Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2024 Geological Society of China