*Hikaru Osawa1, Takashi Okamoto1, Sumio Matsuura2, Tatsuya Shibasaki3
(1.Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, 2.Former, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, 3.Japan Conservation Engineers & Co., Ltd.)
Keywords:Snowmelt induced landslide, Meltwater percolation, Snow load, Shear strength of snowpack, Low-temperature environment
In general, snowmelt-induced landslides are known to cause slope instability due to the water infiltration into the moving mass, which increases the pore water pressure and reduces the effective stress of the landslide mass. However, statistics on the initiation of landslide movement in Niigata Prefecture, one of the highest-density landslide areas in Japan, show that it is less common during the snowmelt season (Sato et al., 2004). This finding suggests that landslide movement cannot be explained only by the supply of snowmelt water to the ground, and that there are various triggers involving snow cover. According to previous studies, the effects of snow cover on landslide movement can be categorized into four major factors: snowmelt percolation, snow load, snow shear resistance, and low-temperature environment. In this presentation, we will review these factors and discuss the prospects for slope stability studies in a snow-covered area.
Funding: JP20K14562, JP20K04068.
References: Sato et al. (2004): J. of the Japan Landslide Soc., 41(1), 37–42.