A Seismically triggered landslide in the Niujuan valley near the epicenter of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake

Abstract

The Wenchuan (汶川) earthquake on 12 May 2008 induced a large number of landslides, collapses, and rockfalls along the Longmenshan (龙门山) fault. The landslide in Niujuan (牛圈) Valley (named Niujuan landslide), close to the epicenter, is one that travelled a long distance with damaging consequences. Using QuickBird satellite images and GIS tools, the seismogenic mass movements are analyzed, and the movement phases, travel path, and post-catastrophic processes of Niujuan landslide are described and discussed. Image interpretation and a GPS survey showed that the mass movements denuded 37% of the research area. The Niujuan landslide moved 1 950 m along the Lianhuaxingou (莲花心沟) stream, transformed to a debris avalanche, and accumulated in the downstream bed of Niujuan Valley, where they formed a dam 30 m in height, blocking the Niujuan stream and creating a barrier lake basin with 0.11 million m3 storage capacity. Subsequent to the Niujuan landslide, debris flows have been more active in Lianhuaxingou and Niujuan valleys because of the accumulated mass of debris.

Keywords

Wenchuan earthquake / landslide / debris flow / debris avalanche

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