Rock-avalanche dynamics revealed by large-scale field mapping and seismic signals at a highly mobile avalanche in the West Salt Creek valley, western Colorado

被引:62
作者
Coe, Jeffrey A. [1 ]
Baum, Rex L. [1 ]
Allstadt, Kate E. [1 ]
Kochevar, Bernard F., Jr. [2 ]
Schmitt, Robert G. [1 ]
Morgan, Matthew L. [3 ]
White, Jonathan L. [3 ]
Stratton, Benjamin T. [4 ]
Hayashi, Timothy A. [2 ]
Kean, Jason W. [1 ]
机构
[1] US Geol Survey, Denver Fed Ctr, MS 966, Denver, CO 80225 USA
[2] Mesa Cty Dept Publ Works, 200 S Spruce St, Grand Junction, CO 81502 USA
[3] Colorado Sch Mines, Colorado Geol Survey, 1801 19th St, Golden, CO 80401 USA
[4] US Forest Serv, Gunnison Dist Off, 216 N Colorado, Gunnison, CO 81230 USA
来源
GEOSPHERE | 2016年 / 12卷 / 02期
基金
美国国家科学基金会;
关键词
SINGLE-FORCE REPRESENTATION; FLUIDIZED GRANULAR MASSES; MONTAGUTO EARTH FLOW; 3-DIMENSIONAL TERRAIN; DEBRIS AVALANCHE; CATASTROPHIC LANDSLIDE; MOUNTAIN; MODEL; KINEMATICS; ELEMENTS;
D O I
10.1130/GES01265.1
中图分类号
P [天文学、地球科学];
学科分类号
07 ;
摘要
On 25 May 2014, a rain-on-snow-induced rock avalanche occurred in the West Salt Creek valley on the northern flank of Grand Mesa in western Colorado (United States). The avalanche mobilized from a preexisting rock slide in the Green River Formation and traveled 4.6 km down the confined valley, killing three people. The avalanche was rare for the contiguous United States because of its large size (54.5 Mm(3)) and high mobility (height/length = 0.14). To understand the avalanche failure sequence, mechanisms, and mobility, we conducted a forensic analysis using large-scale (1: 1000) structural mapping and seismic data. We used high-resolution, unmanned aircraft system imagery as a base for field mapping, and analyzed seismic data from 22 broadband stations (distances <656 km from the rock-slide source area) and one short-period network. We inverted broadband data to derive a time series of forces that the avalanche exerted on the earth and tracked these forces using curves in the avalanche path. Our results revealed that the rock avalanche was a cascade of landslide events, rather than a single massive failure. The sequence began with an early morning landslide/debris flow that started similar to 10 h before the main avalanche. The main avalanche lasted similar to 3.5 min and traveled at average velocities ranging from 15 to 36 m/s. For at least two hours after the avalanche ceased movement, a central, hummock-rich core continued to move slowly. Since 25 May 2014, numerous shallow landslides, rock slides, and rock falls have created new structures and modified avalanche topography. Mobility of the main avalanche and central core was likely enhanced by valley floor material that liquefied from undrained loading by the overriding avalanche. Although the base was likely at least partially liquefied, our mapping indicates that the overriding avalanche internally deformed predominantly by sliding along discrete shear surfaces in material that was nearly dry and had substantial frictional strength. These results indicate that the West Salt Creek avalanche, and probably other long-traveled avalanches, could be modeled as two layers: a thin, liquefied basal layer, and a thicker and stronger overriding layer.
引用
收藏
页码:607 / 631
页数:25
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