Advanced Search

Indexed by SCI、CA、РЖ、PA、CSA、ZR、etc .

Volume 36 Issue 5
Oct 2025
Turn off MathJax
Article Contents
Journal of Earth Science  > 2025  >  36(5): 2005-2022.
Yongchao Li, Songfeng Guo, Bowen Zheng, Yu Zou, Shengyuan Song, Yiwei Zhang, Jianhua Yan, Muhammad Faisal Waqar, Khan Zada, Shengwen Qi, Jianping Chen. Analysis of Ancient Rongcharong Landslide Dam Failure Events in the Suwalong Reach of the Upper Reaches of the Jinsha River. Journal of Earth Science, 2025, 36(5): 2005-2022. doi: 10.1007/s12583-024-0052-x
Citation: Yongchao Li, Songfeng Guo, Bowen Zheng, Yu Zou, Shengyuan Song, Yiwei Zhang, Jianhua Yan, Muhammad Faisal Waqar, Khan Zada, Shengwen Qi, Jianping Chen. Analysis of Ancient Rongcharong Landslide Dam Failure Events in the Suwalong Reach of the Upper Reaches of the Jinsha River. Journal of Earth Science, 2025, 36(5): 2005-2022. doi: 10.1007/s12583-024-0052-x
shu

Analysis of Ancient Rongcharong Landslide Dam Failure Events in the Suwalong Reach of the Upper Reaches of the Jinsha River

doi: 10.1007/s12583-024-0052-x
  • 1.

    Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China

  • 2.

    Innovation Academy for Earth Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China

  • 3.

    College of Earth and Planetary Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China

  • 4.

    College of Construction Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun 130026, China

  • 5.

    School of City and Architecture Engineering, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang 277160, China

  • 6.

    School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China

  • 7.

    Geo-technical and Geo-Environmental Engineering Division, National Engineering Service Pakistan, Lahore 54700, Pakistan

More Information
    Abstract

  • Active tectonic movements and geological disasters frequently occur in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, increasing the likelihood of landslides obstructing the river. Taking the ancient Rongcharong landslide dam failure events in the Suwalong reach as an example, this paper first analyzes the accuracy and applicability of the commonly used methods in calculating the peak flow of the dam failure, such as the empirical formula, the numerical method based on the physical mechanism, and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. Then, the peak flood flow of the Rongcharong-dammed lake when it overflows the dam is determined to be 28 393-64 272 m3/s. At the same time, the failure process of landslide dam due to flood erosion was elucidated using the CFD method, which can be divided into three stages: gradual erosion in the initial stage, rapid development in the middle stage, and gradual expansion in the final stage. Finally, the factors that affect the peak flow of floods are analyzed, and suggestions for emergency treatment of landslide dams are put forward. The findings of this research can serve as a valuable reference for disaster prevention and mitigation strategies to adapt to the increasing frequency of landslide-induced river blockages.

     

    • Conflict of Interest
    The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
    FullText(HTML)
  • loading
    • References(60)
  • Cao, Z. X., Yue, Z. Y., Pender, G., 2011. Landslide Dam Failure and Flood Hydraulics. Part Ⅱ: Coupled Mathematical Modelling. Natural Hazards, 59(2): 1021–1045. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-011-9815-7
    Chang, D. S., Zhang, L. M., 2010. Simulation of the Erosion Process of Landslide Dams due to Overtopping Considering Variations in Soil Erodibility along Depth. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 10(4): 933–946. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-10-933-2010
    Chen, G., Yang, Y. P., Meng, X. M., et al., 2022. Seismic Characterization of a Landslide Dam Failure Hazard chain: Insights into Flow Dynamics and Implications for Warning. Engineering Geology, 309: 106852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2022.106852
    Chen, J., Dai, F. C., Lv, T. Y., et al., 2013. Holocene Landslide-Dammed Lake Deposits in the Upper Jinsha River, SE Tibetan Plateau and Their Ages. Quaternary International, 298: 107–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2012.09.018
    Chen, Z. Y., Chen, S. S., Wang, L., et al., 2020. Back Analysis of the Breach Flood of the "11.03" Baige Barrier Lake at the Upper Jinsha River. Scientia Sinica (Technologica), 50(6): 763–774 (in Chinese with English Abstract) doi: 10.1360/SST-2019-0297
    Chen, Z. Y., Ma, L. Q., Yu, S., et al., 2015. Back Analysis of the Draining Process of the Tangjiashan Barrier Lake. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 141(4): 05014011. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)hy.1943-7900.0000965
    Chen, Z. Y., Zhang, Q., Hou, J. M., et al., 2019. Back Analysis on Dam-Breach Flood of "10.10" Baige Barrier Lake on Jinsha River. Yangtze River, 50(5): 1–4, 19 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
    Costa, J. E., 1985. Floods from Dam Failures. Open-File Report, USGS, Denver
    Criss, R. E., Stein, E. M., Nelson, D. L., 2022. Generation and Propagation of an Urban Flash Flood and Our Collective Responsibilities. Journal of Earth Science, 33(6): 1624–1628. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-022-1314-0.
    de Lorenzo, G., Macchione, F., 2014. Formulas for the Peak Discharge from Breached Earthfill Dams. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 140(1): 56–67. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)hy.19 43-7900.0000796 doi: 10.1061/(asce)hy.1943-7900.0000796
    Dick, R. M., Jan, H. V. D., 2003. Breaching in Fine Sands and the Generation of Sustained Turbidity Currents in Submarine Canyons. Sedimentology, 50(4): 625–637. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-3091.2003.00554.x
    Dou, J., Xiang, Z. L., Xu, Q., et al., 2023. Application and Development Trend of Machine Learning in Landslide Intelligent Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Earth Science, 48(5): 1657–1674. https://doi.org/10.3799/dqkx.2022.419 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
    Evans, S. G., 1986. The Maximum Discharge of Outburst Floods Caused by the Breaching of Man-Made and Natural Dams. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 23(3): 385–387. https://doi.org/10.1139/t86-053
    Fan, X. M., Dufresne, A., Siva Subramanian, S., et al., 2020. The Formation and Impact of Landslide Dams—State of the Art. Earth-Science Reviews, 203: 103116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103116
    Flow Science. 2016. FLOW-3D V11.2 User's Manual. Flow Science Inc, Los Alamos
    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, Maryland
    Froehlich, D. C., 1995. Peak Outflow from Breached Embankment Dam. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 121(1): 90–97. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)0733-9496(1995)121:1(90)
    Hooshyaripor, F., Tahershamsi, A., Golian, S., 2014. Application of Copula Method and Neural Networks for Predicting Peak Outflow from Breached Embankments. Journal of Hydro-Environment Research, 8(3): 292–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jher.2013.11.004
    Hu, W., Li, Y., Fan, Y., et al., 2022. Flow Amplification from Cascading Landslide Dam failures: Insights from Flume Experiments. Engineering Geology, 297: 106483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106483
    Jack, R., 1996. The Mechanics of Embankment Failure due to Overtopping Flow: [Dissertation]. University of Auckland, Auckland
    Kamran, M., Hu, X. W., Hussain, M. A., et al., 2023. Dynamic Response and Deformation Behavior of Kadui-2 Landslide Influenced by Reservoir Impoundment and Rainfall, Baoxing, China. Journal of Earth Science, 34(3): 911–923. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-022-1649-6
    Kirkpatrick, G. W., 1977. Evaluation Guidelines for Spillway Adequacy. Engineering Foundation Conference, New York
    Li, Y. C., Chen, J. P., Tan, C., et al., 2022. Implications of the Discovery of Rapidly Deposited Lacustrine Sediments in the Suwalong Reach of the Upper Jinsha River, SE Tibetan Plateau. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 81(12): 497. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-022-02997-1
    Li, Y. C., Chen, J. P., Zhou, F. J., et al., 2020. Identification of Ancient River-Blocking Events and Analysis of the Mechanisms for the Formation of Landslide Dams in the Suwalong Section of the Upper Jinsha River, SE Tibetan Plateau. Geomorphology, 368: 107351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107351
    Li, Y., 2021. Identification and Evolution of the Paleo-Landslide Dam Events in the Suwalong Reach of the Upper Jinsha River: [Dissertation]. Jilin University, Changchun (in Chinese)
    Liao, H. M., Yang, X. G., Lu, G. D., et al., 2019. Experimental Study on the River Blockage and Landslide Dam Formation Induced by Rock Slides. Engineering Geology, 261: 105269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2019.105269
    Liu, W., He, S. M., 2018. Dynamic Simulation of a Mountain Disaster Chain: landslides, Barrier Lakes, and Outburst Floods. Natural Hazards, 90(2): 757–775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-3073-2
    Long, Y. J., Li, W. L., Huang, R. Q., et al., 2023. A Comparative Study of Supervised Classification Methods for Investigating Landslide Evolution in the Mianyuan River Basin, China. Journal of Earth Science, 34(2): 316–329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-021-1525-9
    Ma, J. X., Chen, J., Cui, Z. J., et al., 2022. Reconstruction of Catastrophic Outburst Floods of the Diexi Ancient Landslide-Dammed Lake in the Upper Minjiang River, Eastern Tibetan Plateau. Natural Hazards, 112(2): 1191–1221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05223-z
    Macchione, F., 2008. Model for Predicting Floods Due to Earthen Dam Breaching. Ⅰ: Formulation and Evaluation. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 134(12): 1688–1696. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)0733-9429(2008)134:12(1688)
    MacDonald, T. C., Langridge-Monopolis, J., 1984. Breaching Charateristics of Dam Failures. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 110(5): 567–586. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)0733-9429(1984)110:5(567)
    Morris, M., West, M., Hassan, M., 2018. A Guide to Breach Prediction. Dams and Reservoirs, 28(4): 150–152. https://doi.org/10.1680/jdare.18.00031
    Pierce, M. W., Thornton, C. I., Abt, S. R., 2010. Predicting Peak Outflow from Breached Embankment Dams. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 15(5): 338–349. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)he.1943-5584.0000197
    Shroder, J. F., 1998. Slope Failure and Denudation in the Western Himalaya. Geomorphology, 26(1/2/3): 81–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0169-555x(98)00052-x
    Singh, K. P., Snorrason, A., 1984. Sensitivity of Outflow Peaks and Flood Stages to the Selection of Dam Breach Parameters and Simulation Models. Journal of Hydrology, 68(1/2/3/4): 295–310. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(84)90217-8
    Soil Conservation Service (SCS), 1981. Simplified Dam-Breach Routing Procedure. US Department of Agriculture, Washington D. C.
    Soulsby, R., 1998. Dynamics of Marine Sands. Thomas Telford Publishing, London
    U. S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), 1988. Downstream Hazard Classification Guidelines. US Department of the Interior, Denver
    van Emelen, S., Soares-Frazão, S., 2015. Impact of Sediment Transport Formulations on Breaching Modelling. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 53(1): 60–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2014.939111
    Wang, G. Q., Liu, F., Fu, X. D., et al., 2008. Simulation of Dam Breach Development for Emergency Treatment of the Tangjiashan Quake Lake in China. Science in China Series E: Technological Sciences, 51(2): 82–94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-008-6019-9
    Wang, L. M., Jin, G. W., Xiong, X., 2023. Flood Duration Estimation Based on Multisensor, Multitemporal Remote Sensing: The Sardoba Reservoir Flood. Journal of Earth Science, 34(3): 868–878. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-022-1670-9
    Wang, L., Chen, Z. Y., Wang, N. X., et al., 2016. Modeling Lateral Enlargement in Dam Breaches Using Slope Stability Analysis Based on Circular Slip Mode. Engineering Geology, 209: 70–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.04.027
    Wu, W. M., 2013. Simplified Physically Based Model of Earthen Embankment Breaching. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 139(8): 837–851. https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)hy.1943-7900.0000741
    Yakhot, V., Orszag, S. A., 1986. Renormalization Group Analysis of Turbulence. I. Basic Theory. Journal of Scientific Computing, 1(1): 3–51. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf01061452
    Yan, J. H., Chen, J. P., Zhou, F. J., et al., 2022. Numerical Simulation of the Rongcharong Paleolandslide River-Blocking Event: Implication for the Longevity of the Landslide Dam. Landslides, 19(6): 1339–1356. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-022-01872-0
    Yao, J. M., Lan, H. X., Li, L. P., et al., 2022. Characteristics of a Rapid Landsliding Area along Jinsha River Revealed by Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing and Its Risks to Sichuan-Tibet Railway. Landslides, 19(3): 703–718. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-021-01790-7
    Yu, B., Chang, M., Ni, Z., et al., 2023. Landslide Hazard Assessment in Northeast Afghanistan Plateau Based on Optimized Neural Network. Earth Science, 48(5): 1825–1835. https://doi.org/10.3799/dqkx.2022.392 (in Chinese with English Abstract)
    Yu, Z. Y., Zhan, J. W., Yao, Z. W., et al., 2024. Characteristics and Mechanism of a Catastrophic Landslide-Debris Flow Disaster Chain Triggered by Extreme Rainfall in Shaanxi, China. Natural Hazards, 120(8): 7597–7626. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-024-06518-z
    Zhan, J. W., Chen, J. P., Zhang, W., et al., 2018. Mass Movements along a Rapidly Uplifting River Valley: An Example from the Upper Jinsha River, Southeast Margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77(18): 634. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7825-4
    Zhan, J. W., Sun, Y. M., Yu, Z. Y., et al., 2024. Characterization of Pre-and Post-Failure Deformation and Evolution of the Shanyang Landslide Using Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Data. Landslides, 21(7): 1659–1672. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-024-02257-1
    Zhang, J. Y., Fan, G., Li, H. B., et al., 2021. Large-Scale Field Model Tests of Landslide Dam Breaching. Engineering Geology, 293: 106322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106322
    Zhang, J. Y., Yang, X. G., Fan, G., et al., 2023. Investigating the Important Role of Landslide Dam Geometry on Breaching Based on Numerical Experiments. Engineering Geology, 323: 107210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2023.107210
    Zhang, L. M., Xiao, T., He, J., et al., 2019. Erosion-Based Analysis of Breaching of Baige Landslide Dams on the Jinsha River, China, in 2018. Landslides, 16(10): 1965–1979. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-019-01247-y
    Zhang, Y. S., Chen, J. P., Zhou, F. J., et al., 2022. Combined Numerical Investigation of the Gangda Paleolandslide Runout and Associated Dam Breach Flood Propagation in the Upper Jinsha River, SE Tibetan Plateau. Landslides, 19(4): 941–962. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-021-01768-5
    Zhong, Q. M., Chen, S. S., Shan, Y. B., 2020. Prediction of the Overtopping-Induced Breach Process of the Landslide Dam. Engineering Geology, 274: 105709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105709
    Zhou, G. G. D., Li, S., Lu, X. Q., et al., 2022. Large-Scale Landslide Dam Breach experiments: Overtopping and "Overtopping and Seepage" Failures. Engineering Geology, 304: 106680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2022.106680
    Zhou, X. B., Chen, Z. Y., Yu, S., et al., 2015. Risk Analysis and Emergency Actions for Hongshiyan Barrier Lake. Natural Hazards, 79(3): 1933–1959. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-1940-2
    Zhu, X. H., Liu, B. X., Peng, J. B., et al., 2021. Experimental Study on the Longitudinal Evolution of the Overtopping Breaching of Noncohesive Landslide Dams. Engineering Geology, 288: 106137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106137
    Zhu, X. H., Peng, J. B., Liu, B. X., et al., 2020. Influence of Textural Properties on the Failure Mode and Process of Landslide Dams. Engineering Geology, 271: 105613. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105613
    Zhuang, Y., Yin, Y. P., Xing, A. G., et al., 2020. Combined Numerical Investigation of the Yigong Rock Slide-Debris Avalanche and Subsequent Dam-Break Flood Propagation in Tibet, China. Landslides, 17(9): 2217–2229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-020-01449-9
    • Relative Articles
    • Supplements(0)
    • Cited By
  • 加载中

Catalog

    通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com
    • 1. 

      沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院 沈阳 110142

    1. 本站搜索
    2. 百度学术搜索
    3. 万方数据库搜索
    4. CNKI搜索

    Figures(16)  / Tables(7)

    Get Citation
    PDF
    XML

    Article Metrics

    Article views(11) PDF downloads(0) Cited by()
    Proportional views
    Related

    Copyright © 2013-2020 Journal of Earth Science 鄂ICP备15021562号-2

    Tel: +86-27-67885075 Fax: +86-27-67885075 E-mail: xbb@cug.edu.cn

    Address: Editorial Office of Journal, China University of Geosciences, Yujiashan, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, P. R. China

    Supported by: Beijing Renhe Information Technology Co. Ltd  E-mail: info@rhhz.net  

    /

    DownLoad:  Full-Size Img  PowerPoint
    Return
    Return