In Guizhou Province, China
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geosciences Communication A Brief Report of Pingdi Landslide (23 July 2019) in Guizhou Province, China Tao Yan 1, Shui-Long Shen 2,* , An-Nan Zhou 3 and Jun Chen 1 1 State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean, and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China 2 Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing Technology (Shantou University), Ministry of Education, and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong 515063, China 3 Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-21-3420-4301 Received: 30 July 2019; Accepted: 22 August 2019; Published: 24 August 2019 Abstract: This short communication reports on a large landslide with a movement of 2 million m3 of soil and rock that occurred on 23 July, 2019 in the village of Pingdi, located in the county of Shuicheng, Guizhou Province, China. This landslide resulted in 42 deaths and 9 missing people. This report describes the preliminary investigation, rescue effort, and possible cause. The total rainfall in the 6 days prior to the landslide was 189.1 mm, which may be held responsible as the major cause. Some recommendations are proposed to reduce human casualties and property losses. Keywords: landslide; pingdi; rainfall; recommendations 1. Introduction As a result of global climate change and alteration of the natural environment by human engineering activities, the frequent occurrence of geological disasters has posed an enormous threat to both property and safety of humans [1–3]. According to a report, 130 million people were affected by natural disasters in 2008. Natural disasters also resulted in 589 deaths and 46 missing people and totalled 264.46 billion Ren Min Bi (RMB) of direct economic losses [4]. Landslides, which are major geological disaster, have frequently occurred in recent years, posing a significant risk to property and safety of people [5–7]. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 5524 landslides occurred nationwide in 2017 [8]. Therefore, the early warning and prevention of landslides are of tremendous importance and are urgently required. In recent years, with the development of Remote Sensing (RS) and the Geographic Information System (GIS), spatial information processing technology has been widely used in the evaluation of landslide vulnerability [9–15]. The combination of spatial information processing software and statistical analysis tools significantly improves the efficiency of data acquisition, processing, and analysis, and promotes the application of the state-of-the-art methods and models in evaluating landslide risks. In addition, a satellite image receiving system has been used to cover the entire country to obtain the information about geological disasters and a weather radar can be used to predict the possible rainfall in advance to warn humans against geological disasters [16]. Despite the efforts made by governments and researchers, it is still an enormous challenge to predict and/or prevent landslides. Recently, a large landslide (23 July, 2019) occurred in the village of Pingdi, Shuicheng County, Guizhou Province. This article presents a preliminary investigation of the Pingdi landslide. In this article, the landslide and rescue measures are presented, the main causes of the landslide are discussed, and recommendations are provided to reduce human casualties and property losses. Geosciences 2019, 9, 368; doi:10.3390/geosciences9090368 www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences Geosciences 2019, 9, 368 2 of 10 Geosciences 2017, 7, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 9 2. Methodology 2. Methodology 2.1. Preliminary Investigation 2.1. Preliminary Investigation A large landslide occurred in Pingdi village at approximately 9:20 p.m. on 23 July (see Figure1). PingdiA large village, landslide with a populationoccurred in of Pingdi approximately village at 6000,approximately is located in9:20 the p.m. west on of 23 Guiyang, July (see theFigure capital 1). Pingdiof Guizhou village, Province. with a population In this landslide, of approximately approximately 6000, 2 millionis located m3 inof the soil west and of rock Guiyang, moved the down capital the ofmountain Guizhou foot Province from a. In height this landslide, of 500 m (the approximate vertical distancely 2 million between m3 of the soil highest and rock point moved and down toe of the mountainlandslide). foot The from landslide a height destroyed of 500 m 27 (the houses, vertical of distance which 21 between were buried the highest and some point were and dislodgedtoe of the landslide).a distance ofThe approximately landslide destroyed 100 m. 27 Figure houses,2a,b of show which the 21 houses were buried in a three-dimensional and some were dislodged (3D) view a distancefrom Google of approximately Earth before the100 landslide m. Figure ands 2a a photographand 2b show captured the houses after in thea three landslide,-dimensional respectively. (3D) Theview altitude from Google of the landslide Earth before was locatedthe landslide at a longitude and a ofphoto 104◦40graph0 E and captured latitude after of 26 ◦the150 landslide,N, and its respectively.duration was The estimated altitude to of be the approximately landslide was 60 located s. at a longitude of 104°40′ E and latitude of 26°15′ N, and its duration was estimated to be approximately 60 s. (b) (c) Guiyang Pingdi Village N 0 1,000 km N 0 1001 km Figure 1. 1.(a ) Pingdi(a) villagePingdi after thevillage landslide after (Source: thehttp: //baijiahao.baidu.comlandslide (Source:/s?id= 1639927165371855884http://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1639927165371855884)(b) location of Guizhou, and (c)) Location(b) location of Pingdi of Guizhou village., and (c) Location of Pingdi village. Geosciences 2019, 9, 368 3 of 10 GeosciencesGeosciences 201 20177, ,7 7, ,x x FOR FOR PEER PEER REVIEW REVIEW 3 3of of 9 9 Geosciences 2017, 7, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 9 FigureFigure 2. (a) 2. Three(a) Three-dimensional-dimensional (3D) (3D)View View from fromGoogle Google Earth Earth before before the landslide the landslide (b) Photo (b) Photo captured captured Figure 2. (a) Three-dimensional (3D) View from Google Earth before the landslide (b) Photo captured afterafter the landslide the landslide (Source: (Source: http://gz.people.com.cn/n2/2019/0724/c194849 http://gz.people.com.cn/n2/2019/0724/c194849-33174976-7.html-33174976-7.html). ). after the landslide (Source: http://gz.people.com.cn/n2/2019/0724/c194849-33174976-7.html). Figure 2. (a) Three-dimensional (3D) View from Google Earth before the landslide (b) Photo captured Figure3 presents an overview of the site after the landslide. The vertical distance and sliding afterFigure the landslide3 presents (Source: an overview http://gz.people.com.cn/n2/2019/0724/c194849 of the site after the landslide.-33174976 The vertical-7.html) .distance and sliding trajectoryFigure along 3 presents the sliding an overview surface of of the the landslide site after were the approximately landslide. The 500 vertical m and distance 1400 m, respectively.and sliding trajectory along the sliding surface of the landslide were approximately 500 m and 1400 m, trajectory along the sliding surface of the landslide were approximately 500 m and 1400 m, Therespectively. averageFigure slope The 3 presents ofaverage the landslidean slope overview of was the of 18thelandslide◦ ,site and after its was averagethe 18landslide.°, and thickness itsThe average vertical was 5 thicknessdistance m. In addition, and was sliding 5 barrierm. In respectively.trajectory The along average the sliding slope surface of the oflandslide the landslide was 18were°, and approximately its average 500 thickness m and was1400 5m, m. In lakesaddition, were barrier formed lakes by thewere landslide, formed by which the landslide, could cause which some could secondary cause some hazards secondary and exacerbate hazards an thed addition,respectively. barrier lakesThe average were formed slope of by the the landslide landslide, was which 18°, couldand its cause average some thickness secondary was hazards5 m. In and consequencesexacerbate the of consequence the landslides of (see the Figurelandslide4). As(see of Figure 23:00 on4). JulyAs of 28, 23:00 the on landslide July 28,had the landslide resultedin had 42 exacerbataddition,e the barrier consequence lakes weres of formed the landslide by the landslide, (see Figure which 4). could As of cause 23:00 some on secondaryJuly 28, the hazards landslide and had deathsresulted and in 942 missing deaths persons.and 9 missing persons. resultedexacerbat in 42e deaths the consequence and 9 missings of the persons landslide. (see Figure 4). As of 23:00 on July 28, the landslide had resulted in 42 deaths and 9 missing persons. FigureFigure 3. O 3.verview Overview of ofthe the landslide landslide ( Source(Source:: http://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1639927165371855884http://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1639927165371855884). ). Figure 3. OverviewOverview of the landslide (Source:(Source: http://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1639927165371855884http://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1639927165371855884)).. Figure 4. Barrier lakes formed after the landslide (Source: http://www.chinanews.com /tp/hd2011/2019/ Figure 4. Barrier lakes formed after the landslide (Source: 07-24/893609.shtml). Figurehttp://www.chinanews.com/tp/hd2011/2019/07 4. Barrier lakes formed-24/893609.shtml) after . the landslide (Source: Figurehttp://www.chinanews.com/tp/hd2011/2019/07 4. Barrier lakes formed-24/893609.shtml) after . the landslide (Source: http://www.chinanews.com/tp/hd2011/2019/07-24/893609.shtml). Geosciences 2019, 9, 368 4 of 10 Geosciences 2017, 7, x FOR PEER REVIEW 4 of 9 Figure5 presents three points in the landslide where 21 houses were buried. Continuous rainfall causedFigure another 5 presents landslide three occurrence points in inthe point landslide B on Julywhere 25, 21 whereas houses point were C buried. received Continuous the soil and rainfall rock slidingcaused fromanother points landslide A and occurrence B.