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Landslide Hazard Controlled by Water-Rock Interaction and Risk Assessment in Hydropower Development

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrogeology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2025 | Viewed by 4620

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Siyuan Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Water Resources and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: landslide mechanism; rock slope movement and stability; landslide susceptibility; engineering geology; engineering geomorphology; landscape evolution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Tengyuan Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Interests: landslide risk quantification; data-centric geotechnics; reliability-based design and analysis; Bayesian analysis; intelligent site characterization
Dr. Sixiang Ling

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
Interests: landslide susceptibility; hazards and risk assessment; rock weathering; mi-cro-mechanism of rock–soil, machine learning; water–rock interaction
Dr. Xingbo Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute, Beijing 100120, China
Interests: landslide dam breach; outburst flood evaluation; risk analysis; risk management of cascade reservoir; disaster prevention

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advances in hydropower are being increasingly exploited in mountainous regions, where a large number of landslide hazards are associated with complex hydrological dynamics and active tectonics. Rainfall and the water level of reservoirs fluctuate as the typical disturbances caused by major hydropower engineering lead to periodic infiltration and exfiltration within the hillslope, which can further induce slope movements regardless of the rock slope or landslide deposits. Water–rock interactions are significantly implicated in these hydrological and geological processes, facilitating chemical and physical weathering that eventually results in rock deterioration and slope destabilization. As a result, the complicated factors contributing to the control or collapse of these processes and the potential hazard chains pose a challenge to the development of robust risk assessments, especially in high-relief areas. In order to develop reliable and effective tools for the assessment of potential hazards and their evolution in engineering areas with complex environments, the mechanism and kinematics of catastrophic landslide hazards induced by advances in hydropower must be evaluated. It is also crucial to develop robust approaches to risk assessment for the purpose of regional disaster prevention and mitigation.

The scope of this Special Issue, entitled “Landslide Hazard Controlled by Water-rock Interaction and Risk Assessment in Hydropower Development”, includes the development of landslide hazards in critical hydropower engineering areas according to the geomorphology, geology, environment, hydrology and rock deterioration present, and risk assessments and early warning systems for hazard evolution using artificial intelligence, monitoring, numerical simulation, reliability-based analysis, and other advanced techniques or approaches. Scholars are also welcome to submit research addressing hazard chains such as natural dam formation, dam breaches, and outburst flood evolution.

Dr. Siyuan Zhao
Dr. Tengyuan Zhao
Dr. Sixiang Ling
Dr. Xingbo Zhou
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. Water 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 2600 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

  • landslide hazard
  • risk assessment
  • hydropower development
  • hydrological dynamics
  • early warning
  • water-rock interaction
  • hazard chain
  • artificial intelligence
  • monitoring
  • numerical simulation
  • reliability-based analysis

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 7716 KiB  
Article
Study on the Temporal Variability and Influencing Factors of Baseflow in High-Latitude Cold Region Rivers: A Case Study of the Upper Emuer River
by Minghui Jia, Changlei Dai, Kaiwen Zhang, Hongnan Yang, Juntao Bao, Yunhu Shang and Yi Wu
Water 2025, 17(8), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17081132 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 229
Abstract
Baseflow is a crucial component of river flow in alpine inland basins, playing an essential role in watershed ecological health and water resource management. In high-latitude cold regions, seasonal freeze-thaw processes make baseflow formation mechanisms particularly complex. However, the dominant factors affecting baseflow [...] Read more.
Baseflow is a crucial component of river flow in alpine inland basins, playing an essential role in watershed ecological health and water resource management. In high-latitude cold regions, seasonal freeze-thaw processes make baseflow formation mechanisms particularly complex. However, the dominant factors affecting baseflow and their relative contributions remain unclear, limiting the accuracy of flow estimation and effective water resource management. This study employed baseflow separation techniques and statistical methods, including the Mann-Kendall test, to investigate temporal trends and abrupt changes in baseflow and the baseflow index (BFI) at multiple time scales (annual, seasonal, and monthly) from 2005 to 2012. Additionally, the timing of snowmelt and its impact on baseflow were examined. Key findings include the following: (1) Baseflow and BFI showed distinct temporal variability with non-significant upward trends across all time scales. Annual BFI ranged from 0.48 to 0.61, contributing approximately 50% of total runoff. (2) At the seasonal scale, baseflow remained relatively stable in spring, increased in autumn, and showed non-significant decreases in summer and winter. Monthly baseflow exhibited an increasing trend. (3) The snowmelt period occurred between April and May, with baseflow during this period strongly correlated with climatic factors in the following order: winter precipitation > positive accumulated temperature > winter air temperature > negative accumulated temperature. The strongest positive correlation was observed between baseflow and winter precipitation (R = 0.724), while negative correlations were found with accumulated temperatures and winter air temperature. These findings offer valuable insights for predicting water resource availability and managing flood and ice-jam risks in cold regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landslide Hazard Controlled by Water-Rock Interaction and Risk Assessment in Hydropower Development)
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17 pages, 12216 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on Infiltration Characteristics of Shallow Rainwater in Expansive Soil Slopes at Different Gradients
by Quan Shen, Yidan Zhang, Yuan Yan, Hongyuan Dong and Wenkai Lei
Water 2025, 17(5), 642; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050642 - 22 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 503
Abstract
Expansive soils are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions and are highly sensitive to moisture variations, posing significant challenges to slope stability. Rainfall infiltration alters the hydro-mechanical behavior of expansive soils, increasing the risk of landslides and slope failures. Understanding the infiltration [...] Read more.
Expansive soils are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions and are highly sensitive to moisture variations, posing significant challenges to slope stability. Rainfall infiltration alters the hydro-mechanical behavior of expansive soils, increasing the risk of landslides and slope failures. Understanding the infiltration dynamics under different slope conditions is therefore essential for improving slope stability management and disaster mitigation. To investigate the mechanisms governing the long-term stability of steep expansive soil slopes, this study designed and constructed a multi-slope combination model test box. Model experiments were conducted on rainfall-induced expansive soil slopes with varying gradients to analyze the interaction between surface runoff and seepage under different rainfall conditions. The results demonstrate that slope gradient plays a crucial role in the rainfall infiltration process. As the slope gradient decreases, the time required for runoff initiation increases, and rainfall infiltration becomes the dominant process, while runoff plays a secondary role. This effect is more pronounced at lower slope gradients. Furthermore, as the slope gradient increases, the variation in soil moisture content decreases, and the influence of rainfall on deeper soil layers is reduced. Beyond a certain threshold, further increases in slope angle result in a diminished effect on enhancing surface runoff and limiting infiltration. Additionally, steeper slopes exhibit a slower rise in soil moisture content during rainfall events. The results also indicate that as the slope gradient increases, the depth of soil affected by rainfall becomes shallower, and the migration speed of the wetting front decreases. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into slope hydrodynamics and serve as a scientific basis for sustainable slope management and soil conservation in expansive soil regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landslide Hazard Controlled by Water-Rock Interaction and Risk Assessment in Hydropower Development)
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16 pages, 7510 KiB  
Article
Identifying the Key Controlling Factors of Icings in Permafrost Regions: A Case Study of Eruu, Sakha Republic, Russia
by Ruotong Li, Miao Yu, Minghui Jia, Zijun Wang, Hao Yao and Yunhu Shang
Water 2025, 17(5), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17050607 - 20 Feb 2025
Viewed by 434
Abstract
Icings, a significant hydrogeological phenomenon in permafrost regions, form when groundwater flows to the surface or through river crevices and freezes under low temperatures. These formations pose serious threats to infrastructure, including roads, railways, and bridges, while also serving as vital freshwater resources. [...] Read more.
Icings, a significant hydrogeological phenomenon in permafrost regions, form when groundwater flows to the surface or through river crevices and freezes under low temperatures. These formations pose serious threats to infrastructure, including roads, railways, and bridges, while also serving as vital freshwater resources. Despite their importance, the mechanisms governing icing formation and the quantitative relationships between groundwater-controlling factors—such as freeze–thaw processes and precipitation—and icing distribution remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap hinders disaster prevention efforts and the sustainable utilization of water resources in cold regions. This study investigates the development patterns and influencing factors of icings in Eruu, a high-latitude permafrost region, using Landsat 4–5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, Landsat 8 OLI, and Landsat 9 OLI imagery with a 30 m resolution (2005–2024) and meteorological and geothermal data. By combining NDSI and MDII, the differentiation accuracy of water bodies was improved, and the K-Means clustering algorithm was applied to extract the icing region. The results revealed that the annual icing surface area ranged from 208,800 to 459,000 m2, with a minimum in 2009 and a maximum in 2011. The average annual increase was approximately 4304.5 m2 (p = 0.0255). Icings began freezing in October, radiating outward from the center, and melted by late May or early June. The Pearson correlation analysis showed (1) a strong negative correlation between snowfall and icing area (r = −0.544); (2) a positive correlation between freezing duration and icing area (r = 0.471); and (3) over the study period, annual average temperature and total precipitation exhibited no obvious change trend, with weak positive correlations between icing area and total precipitation (r = 0.290) and annual average temperature (r = 0.248). The observations of icing areas will be further applied to disaster prevention efforts. Additionally, the source of icings is clean and can be extracted for drinking purposes. Therefore, these findings enhance the understanding of icing mechanisms, support the prediction of icing development, and inform disaster prevention and resource management in permafrost regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landslide Hazard Controlled by Water-Rock Interaction and Risk Assessment in Hydropower Development)
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17 pages, 19002 KiB  
Article
Study on the Failure Mechanism and Movement Characteristics Prediction of Gongdang Landslide in Linzhi, China
by Yuezu Huang, Yuanzhong Li, Yubin Zhao, Faming Zhang, Xiaokai Li, Huaqing Zhang and Xiaolong Zhang
Water 2024, 16(24), 3649; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16243649 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 765
Abstract
Instability of landslide accumulation bodies is one of the common geological hazards under the influence of rainfall and water impoundment, especially under the transformation of rainfall patterns caused by global climate changes. Owing to the fact that determining the landslide potential failure mode [...] Read more.
Instability of landslide accumulation bodies is one of the common geological hazards under the influence of rainfall and water impoundment, especially under the transformation of rainfall patterns caused by global climate changes. Owing to the fact that determining the landslide potential failure mode is vital for preventing landslide disasters, this paper takes the Gongdang landslide as the research object to study the landslide deformation mechanism and predict movement characteristics. Firstly, the geological conditions of the study area and landslide were determined according to the field investigations; secondly, the physical and mechanical parameters of the sliding mass were clarified through laboratory tests. Moreover, the particle flow code (PFC) method was utilized to simulate the potential failure process of the landslide based on the three-dimensional numerical model according to the geological features and the micro-parameters. The results showed that the landslide deformation process lasted approximately 640 s with the stage characteristics of displacement and velocity and presented the evolutionary process with the local instability deformation. The simulation results are of practical significance and application value by effectively illustrating the potential deformation and failure process of the Gongdang landslide, which provides a reference for predicting and preventing the potential failure process of geological hazards in similar engineering through field investigations, laboratory tests, and numerical simulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landslide Hazard Controlled by Water-Rock Interaction and Risk Assessment in Hydropower Development)
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22 pages, 21487 KiB  
Article
Influence Mechanism of Water Level Variation on Deformation of Steep and Toppling Bedding Rock Slope
by Tiantao Li, Weiling Ran, Kaihong Wei, Jian Guo, Shihua Chen, Xuan Li, Mingyang Chen and Xiangjun Pei
Water 2024, 16(19), 2706; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16192706 - 24 Sep 2024
Viewed by 888
Abstract
The construction of major hydropower projects globally is challenged by slope deformation in reservoir areas. The deformation and failure mechanisms of large rock slopes are complex and poorly understood, making prevention and management extremely challenging. In order to explore the influence mechanism of [...] Read more.
The construction of major hydropower projects globally is challenged by slope deformation in reservoir areas. The deformation and failure mechanisms of large rock slopes are complex and poorly understood, making prevention and management extremely challenging. In order to explore the influence mechanism of the water level variation on the deformation of steep toppling bedding rock slopes, this paper takes the right bank slope near the dam area of the Longtou Hydropower Station as an example, and field investigations, deformation monitoring, physical simulation tests and numerical analyses are carried out. It is found that the slope deformation response is obvious under the influence of the reservoir water level variation, which is mainly reflected in the change in the slope groundwater level, rock mechanical parameters and seepage field in the slope body. The toe of the slope produces plastic deformation and maximum displacement. With the increase in the reservoir water level, the plastic zone expands and the displacement increases, which leads to the intensification of the slope deformation. This paper puts forward that the deformation and failure modes of the steep and toppling bedding rock slope caused by water level variation are due to shear dislocation, bending deformation and toppling fracture. This study reveals the influence mechanism of the water level variation on the deformation of steep and toppling bedding rock slopes, which can provide theoretical support for the construction of major hydropower projects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landslide Hazard Controlled by Water-Rock Interaction and Risk Assessment in Hydropower Development)
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16 pages, 6008 KiB  
Article
Research on 3D Geological and Numerical Unified Model of in Mining Slope Based on Multi-Source Data
by Juehao Huang, Yuwei Fang, Chao Wang, Zhihui Zhang and Yinan Li
Water 2024, 16(17), 2421; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16172421 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1076
Abstract
As mining engineering progresses into the deep excavation phase, the intensification of high pressure, high temperature, strong disturbances, and complex geological conditions becomes increasingly prominent. Researchers perform stability analysis on the excavation area to reduce potential safety hazards during the extraction process. Developing [...] Read more.
As mining engineering progresses into the deep excavation phase, the intensification of high pressure, high temperature, strong disturbances, and complex geological conditions becomes increasingly prominent. Researchers perform stability analysis on the excavation area to reduce potential safety hazards during the extraction process. Developing a detailed numerical calculation model that accurately reflects the true geological structure is essential for numerical simulation analysis in mining engineering. Based on the excellent 3D geological modeling capabilities of 3D Mine software, this paper introduces a new 3D geological and numerical unified modeling method (3DMine-Rhino-HyperMesh) involving multi-software coupling and details the specific steps and concepts of this modeling approach. Subsequently, using a certain open-pit mine in Panzhihua as a backdrop, a detailed geological and numerical unified model is established, reflecting the true geological structure of the mining area, and the potential failure mechanisms of the mine slope are analyzed. The results indicate that the modeling method aligns well with the actual geological conditions, enhancing the grid quality of the numerical model and offering a new modeling approach for simulating and analyzing large complex geological entities in mining operations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landslide Hazard Controlled by Water-Rock Interaction and Risk Assessment in Hydropower Development)
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