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Monitoring, Early Warning and Mitigation Measures of Mountain Hazards and Environmental Degradation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 8964

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shuang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
Interests: monitoring and early warning for natural disasters; machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pu Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS, Chengdu, China
Interests: debris flow; fluvial geomorphology; civil engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mountain hazards are disasters that occur in mountainous areas and harm humans and their living environment. Mountain resources can be fully utilized by humans, but when the ecological balance is disrupted, disasters will happen. Water is particularly prominent. The presence of large amounts of water leads to water-related disasters such as flash flood, debris flow, etc., while less water leads to drought. In addition, environmental change and human activity can disturb rock and soil status closely related to geological disasters.

Monitoring, early warning systems, and mitigation measures against mountain hazards and environmental degradation need to be implemented in order to avoid casualties, reduce economic losses, and protect the environment in a sustainable way.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to publish high-quality research articles and reviews that show worldwide advances in the monitoring, early warning, and mitigation of mountain hazards and environmental degradation, including, but not limited to, the following issues:

  • Development of monitoring techniques for mountain disasters.
  • Early warning methods of flash flood, debris flow, and landslide.
  • Mitigation measures of mountain disasters.
  • Monitoring and early warning system of mountain disasters.
  • Climate–water–disaster nexus.
  • Regional ecological restoration.
  • Distribution of vegetation, soil, and human activity.
  • Mountain tourism management in disaster-prone areas.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Shuang Liu
Dr. Pu Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mountain hazards
  • environment change
  • geological disasters
  • flood
  • drought
  • monitoring and early warning
  • mitigation
  • ecological restoration
  • climate change

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 12729 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation on the Permeability and Fine Particle Migration of Debris-Flow Deposits with Discontinuous Gradation: Implications for the Sustainable Development of Debris-Flow Fans in Jiangjia Ravine, China
by Pu Li, Kaiheng Hu and Jie Yu
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 10066; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162210066 - 19 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1293
Abstract
The particle size distribution (PSD) is a crucial parameter used to characterize the material composition of debris-flow deposits which determines their hydraulic permeability, affecting the mobility of debris flows and, hence, the sustainable development of debris-flow fans. Three types of graded bedding structures—normal, [...] Read more.
The particle size distribution (PSD) is a crucial parameter used to characterize the material composition of debris-flow deposits which determines their hydraulic permeability, affecting the mobility of debris flows and, hence, the sustainable development of debris-flow fans. Three types of graded bedding structures—normal, reverse, and mixed graded bedding structures—are characterized by discontinuous gradation within a specific deposit thickness. A series of permeability tests were conducted to study the effects of bed sediment composition, particularly coarse grain sizes and fine particle contents, on the permeability and migration of fine particles in discontinuous debris-flow deposits. An increase in fine particles within the discontinuously graded bed sediment led to a power-law decrease in the average permeability coefficient. With fine particle contents of 10% and 15% in the bed sediments, the final permeability coefficient consistently exceeded the initial value. However, this trend reversed when the fine particle contents were increased to 20%, 25%, and 30%. Lower fine particle contents indicated enhanced permeability efficiency due to more interconnected voids within the coarse particle skeleton. Conversely, an increase in fine particle content reduced the permeability efficiency, as fine particles tended to aggregate at the lower section of the seepage channel. An increase in coarse particle size decreased the formation of flow channels at the coarse–fine particle interface, causing fine particles to move slowly along adjacent or clustered slow flow channels formed by fine particles, resulting in decreased permeability efficiency. Three formulae are proposed to calculate the permeability coefficients of discontinuously graded bed sediments, which may aid in understanding the initiation mechanism of channel deposits. Based on experimental studies and field investigations, it is proposed that achieving sustainable development of debris-flow fans requires a practical approach that integrates three key components: spatial land-use planning, in situ monitoring of debris flows and the environment, and land-use adjustment and management. This comprehensive and integrated approach is essential for effectively managing and mitigating the risks associated with debris flows, ensuring sustainable development in vulnerable areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Early Warning and Mitigation Measures of Mountain Hazards and Environmental Degradation)
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15 pages, 3835 KiB  
Article
Derivation of Landslide Rainfall Thresholds by Geostatistical Methods in Southwest China
by Zhongyuan Xu, Zhilin Xiao, Xiaoyan Zhao, Zhigang Ma, Qun Zhang, Pu Zeng and Xiaoqiong Zhang
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4044; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104044 - 12 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
Deriving rainfall thresholds is one of the most convenient and effective empirical methods for formulating landslide warnings. The previous rainfall threshold models only considered the threshold values for areas with landslide data. This study focuses on obtaining a threshold for each single landslide [...] Read more.
Deriving rainfall thresholds is one of the most convenient and effective empirical methods for formulating landslide warnings. The previous rainfall threshold models only considered the threshold values for areas with landslide data. This study focuses on obtaining a threshold for each single landslide via the geostatistical interpolation of historical landslide–rainfall data. We collect the occurrence times and locations of landslides, along with the hourly rainfall data, for Dazhou. We integrate the short-term and long-term rainfall data preceding the landslide occurrences, categorizing them into four groups for analysis: 1 h–7 days (H1–7), 12 h–7 days (H12–D7), 24 h–7 days (H24–D7), and 72 h–7 days (H72–D7). Then, we construct a rainfall threshold distribution map based on the 2014–2020 data by means of Kriging interpolation. This process involves applying different splitting coefficients to distinguish the landslides triggered by short-term versus long-term rainfall. Subsequently, we validate these thresholds and splitting coefficients using the dataset for 2021. The results show that the best splitting coefficients for H1–D7, H12–D7, H24–D7, and H72–D7 are around 0.19, 0.52, 0.55, and 0.80, respectively. The accuracy of the predictions increases with the duration of the short-term rainfall, from 48% for H1–D7 to 67% for H72–D7. The performance of these threshold models indicates their potential for practical application in the sustainable development of geo-hazard prevention. Finally, we discuss the reliability and applicability of this method by considering various factors, including the influence of the interpolation techniques, data quality, weather forecast, and human activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Early Warning and Mitigation Measures of Mountain Hazards and Environmental Degradation)
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16 pages, 5124 KiB  
Article
Risk Assessment of Geological Hazards in the Alpine Gorge Region and Its Influencing Factors: A Case Study of Jiulong County, China
by Xin Zhang, Lijun Jiang, Wei Deng, Zhile Shu, Meiben Gao and Guichuan Liu
Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1949; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051949 - 27 Feb 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1666
Abstract
The mountainous areas in the western part of Sichuan Province are mostly Alpine Gorge regions with high mountains, steep slopes, complex topography and geomorphology, special climatic conditions, infertile soils, and fragile ecological environments. In this study, a geohazard risk assessment was carried out [...] Read more.
The mountainous areas in the western part of Sichuan Province are mostly Alpine Gorge regions with high mountains, steep slopes, complex topography and geomorphology, special climatic conditions, infertile soils, and fragile ecological environments. In this study, a geohazard risk assessment was carried out in the Alpine Gorge region to prevent geohazards from hindering socio-economic development, affecting the lives and safety of residents, and undermining sustainable development in the region. With the help of a geographic information system (GIS), the analysis of geohazard influence factors was carried out; eight indicators, such as elevation and slope aspect, were selected to construct the evaluation index system. Additionally, the time and space distribution pattern of each influence factor and geohazard was analyzed. Geologic hazards in the region are influenced mainly by precipitation and human engineering activities. The prediction and evaluation of geohazard risk in Jiulong County are based on the Information Value model (IV), the Logistic Regression model (LR), and the Random Forest model (RF). Comparing the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the three models for the accuracy test, the results show that all three models are suitable for the Alpine Gorge region, and the Logistic Regression model has the highest accuracy. Based on the evaluation results, measures and countermeasures for geologic disaster prevention and mitigation are proposed in light of the reality of geologic disaster prevention and mitigation work in Jiulong County. The research results can guide the government’s disaster prevention and mitigation work, provide a scientific basis for formulating regional geologic disaster prevention and control strategies, and ultimately promote the region’s sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Early Warning and Mitigation Measures of Mountain Hazards and Environmental Degradation)
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18 pages, 8915 KiB  
Article
Effects of Paleosol on the Collapsibility of Loess Sites under Immersion Test Conditions
by Lin Li, Jiading Wang, Qi Gu and Dengfei Zhang
Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010447 - 4 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1481
Abstract
The existence of multiple layers of red paleosol within loess strata presents a unique challenge due to its high hardness, which resists settlement deformation upon exposure to water. This attribute significantly influences the subsidence measurements of the loess strata. Despite this, the current [...] Read more.
The existence of multiple layers of red paleosol within loess strata presents a unique challenge due to its high hardness, which resists settlement deformation upon exposure to water. This attribute significantly influences the subsidence measurements of the loess strata. Despite this, the current literature lacks reports on the control effect of paleosol on collapsibility, leading to a deficiency in the theoretical basis for scientifically selecting collapsibility in these strata. This paper seeks to bridge this gap by examining the differences in self-weight collapsibility under various conditions, both indoor and outdoor, across different paleosol layers and strata. The analysis is grounded on statistical results derived from immersion tests conducted in the Loess Plateau. Moreover, the research zeroes in on two test sites in Xi’an, conducting extensive immersion tests and considering measurements such as water diffusion, changes in water content, soil pressure, and cumulative collapsibility under different test conditions. The study probes into the influence of paleosol layers on water infiltration and their role in controlling total weight collapse. The final results suggest that the presence of a paleosol layer inhibits collapsibility transfer to the lower layer and restricts water infiltration, thereby reducing total collapsibility. Discrepancies between measured and calculated collapsibility values showed a positive correlation with the number of paleosol layers. This research offers valuable insights into the collapsibility mechanism of paleosol-loess strata. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Early Warning and Mitigation Measures of Mountain Hazards and Environmental Degradation)
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14 pages, 21715 KiB  
Article
Calculation Method of Material Accumulation Rate at the Front of Trunk Glaciers Based on Satellite Monitoring
by Zhang Wang, Kaiheng Hu, Zhengzheng Li, Changhu Li and Yao Li
Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010284 - 28 Dec 2023
Viewed by 1736
Abstract
Glaciers continue to erode and transport material, forming an accumulation area at the front of the glacier. The trunk glacier, which has many tributary glaciers upstream and converges on the main channel, deposits vast amounts of material in the main channel. It blocks [...] Read more.
Glaciers continue to erode and transport material, forming an accumulation area at the front of the glacier. The trunk glacier, which has many tributary glaciers upstream and converges on the main channel, deposits vast amounts of material in the main channel. It blocks the main channel, forming barrier lakes, and eventually turns into mountain disasters, such as debris flows or outburst floods. Therefore, the accumulation rate of the material is a major parameter in such disasters and can determine the frequency of disasters. The material usually comes from bedrock erosion by glaciers, weathering of bedrock walls, and upstream landslides, and the material loss depends on river erosion. Based on this, we set up a method to calculate the material accumulation rate in the glacier front based on satellite images. Then, the Peilong catchment was taken as an example to validate the proposed method. The results indicate that climatic fluctuations may increase landslides, resulting in more actual accumulation than the calculated value according to the average rate of bedrock retreat. The material provided by the retreat of bedrock accounts for 92% of the total volume. Our method provides a practical reference for the mid- and long-term prediction of glacial catastrophic mass movement, as global warming seriously threatens glacier instability and downstream communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Early Warning and Mitigation Measures of Mountain Hazards and Environmental Degradation)
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