Unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre-survey understanding
<p>Seismic signals, with their remote and continuous monitoring advantages, have been instrumental in unveiling various landslide characteristics and have been widely applied in the past decades. However, a few studies have extended these results to provide geologists with pre-survey informati...
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Copernicus Publications
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/25/451/2025/nhess-25-451-2025.pdf |
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| author | J.-M. Chang J.-M. Chang C.-M. Yang W.-A. Chao W.-A. Chao C.-S. Ku M.-W. Huang M.-W. Huang T.-C. Hsieh C.-Y. Hung |
| author_facet | J.-M. Chang J.-M. Chang C.-M. Yang W.-A. Chao W.-A. Chao C.-S. Ku M.-W. Huang M.-W. Huang T.-C. Hsieh C.-Y. Hung |
| author_sort | J.-M. Chang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Seismic signals, with their remote and continuous monitoring advantages, have been instrumental in unveiling various landslide characteristics and have been widely applied in the past decades. However, a few studies have extended these results to provide geologists with pre-survey information, thus enhancing the understanding of the landslide process. In this research, we utilize the deep-seated Cilan landslide (CL) as a case study and employ a series of seismic analyses, including spectrogram analysis, single-force inversion, and geohazard location. These techniques enable us to determine the physical processes, sliding direction, mass amount estimation, and location of the deep-seated landslide. Through efficient discrete Fourier transforms for spectrograms, we identified three distinct events, with the first being the most substantial. Further analysis of spectrograms using a semi-log frequency axis generated by discrete Stockwell transform revealed that Event 1 consisted of four sliding failures occurring within 30 s with decreasing sliding mass. Subsequent Events 2 and 3 were minor toppling and rockfalls, respectively. Geohazard location further constrained the source location, indicating that Events 1 and 2 likely originated from the same slope. Subsequently, the sliding direction retrieved from single-force inversion and the volume estimation were determined to be 153.67° and 557 118 m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>3</sup></span>, respectively, for the CL. Geological survey data with drone analysis corroborated the above seismological findings, with the sliding direction and source volume estimated to be around 148° and 664 926 m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>3</sup></span>, respectively, closely aligning with the seismic results. Furthermore, the detailed dynamic process observed in the spectrogram of Event 1 suggested a possible failure mechanism of CL involving advancing, retrogressing, enlarging, or widening. By combining the above mechanism with geomorphological features identified during field surveys, such as the imbrication-like feature in the deposits and the gravitational slope deformation, with video from the event, we can infer the failure mechanism of retrogression of Event 1 after shear-off from the toe. Then, the widening activity was caused by the failure process for subsequent events, like Events 2 and 3. This case study underscores the significance of remote and adjacent seismic stations in offering seismological-based landslide characteristics and a time vision of the physical processes of landslides, thereby assisting geologists in landslide observation and deciphering landslide evolution.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-16ffafe51216429a8b91e3361e6ef80e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
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| series | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-16ffafe51216429a8b91e3361e6ef80e2025-02-03T08:05:50ZengCopernicus PublicationsNatural Hazards and Earth System Sciences1561-86331684-99812025-02-012545146610.5194/nhess-25-451-2025Unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre-survey understandingJ.-M. Chang0J.-M. Chang1C.-M. Yang2W.-A. Chao3W.-A. Chao4C.-S. Ku5M.-W. Huang6M.-W. Huang7T.-C. Hsieh8C.-Y. Hung9Department of Civil Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, TaiwanDisaster Prevention and Water Environment Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, TaiwanDepartment of Civil and Disaster Prevention Engineering, National United University, Miaoli 36063, TaiwanDepartment of Civil Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, TaiwanDisaster Prevention and Water Environment Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, TaiwanInstitute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, TaiwanDepartment of Civil and Disaster Prevention Engineering, National United University, Miaoli 36063, TaiwanHe Yu Engineering Consultants Co. Ltd., Taichung 40642, TaiwanDisaster Prevention and Water Environment Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, TaiwanDepartment of Soil and Water Conservation, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan<p>Seismic signals, with their remote and continuous monitoring advantages, have been instrumental in unveiling various landslide characteristics and have been widely applied in the past decades. However, a few studies have extended these results to provide geologists with pre-survey information, thus enhancing the understanding of the landslide process. In this research, we utilize the deep-seated Cilan landslide (CL) as a case study and employ a series of seismic analyses, including spectrogram analysis, single-force inversion, and geohazard location. These techniques enable us to determine the physical processes, sliding direction, mass amount estimation, and location of the deep-seated landslide. Through efficient discrete Fourier transforms for spectrograms, we identified three distinct events, with the first being the most substantial. Further analysis of spectrograms using a semi-log frequency axis generated by discrete Stockwell transform revealed that Event 1 consisted of four sliding failures occurring within 30 s with decreasing sliding mass. Subsequent Events 2 and 3 were minor toppling and rockfalls, respectively. Geohazard location further constrained the source location, indicating that Events 1 and 2 likely originated from the same slope. Subsequently, the sliding direction retrieved from single-force inversion and the volume estimation were determined to be 153.67° and 557 118 m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>3</sup></span>, respectively, for the CL. Geological survey data with drone analysis corroborated the above seismological findings, with the sliding direction and source volume estimated to be around 148° and 664 926 m<span class="inline-formula"><sup>3</sup></span>, respectively, closely aligning with the seismic results. Furthermore, the detailed dynamic process observed in the spectrogram of Event 1 suggested a possible failure mechanism of CL involving advancing, retrogressing, enlarging, or widening. By combining the above mechanism with geomorphological features identified during field surveys, such as the imbrication-like feature in the deposits and the gravitational slope deformation, with video from the event, we can infer the failure mechanism of retrogression of Event 1 after shear-off from the toe. Then, the widening activity was caused by the failure process for subsequent events, like Events 2 and 3. This case study underscores the significance of remote and adjacent seismic stations in offering seismological-based landslide characteristics and a time vision of the physical processes of landslides, thereby assisting geologists in landslide observation and deciphering landslide evolution.</p>https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/25/451/2025/nhess-25-451-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J.-M. Chang J.-M. Chang C.-M. Yang W.-A. Chao W.-A. Chao C.-S. Ku M.-W. Huang M.-W. Huang T.-C. Hsieh C.-Y. Hung Unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre-survey understanding Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre-survey understanding |
| title_full | Unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre-survey understanding |
| title_fullStr | Unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre-survey understanding |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre-survey understanding |
| title_short | Unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre-survey understanding |
| title_sort | unraveling landslide failure mechanisms with seismic signal analysis for enhanced pre survey understanding |
| url | https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/25/451/2025/nhess-25-451-2025.pdf |
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