Distribution of large- and medium-scale loess landslides induced by the Haiyuan Earthquake in 1920 based on field investigation and interpretation of satellite images

Abstract

Abstract Studying the distribution law and influencing factors of coseismic landslides has important scientific significance and engineering value for understanding the mechanism of seismic landslides and predicting the occurrence of seismic landslides. After a hundred years, these large- and medium-scale landslides induced by the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake are still well-preserved and have extremely high academic research value. About 620 loess seismic landslides induced by the Haiyuan earthquake in 1920 were investigated on site. On this basis, the shape differences between seismic landslides and gravity landslides were summarized; 605 landslides were identified by satellite images, and the Haiyuan earthquake-induced loess landslide database containing seismic information and landslide information was established. The distribution law and morphological characteristics of large- and medium-sized landslides induced by the Haiyuan earthquake were systematically counted according to the conditions of the landslide-intensive area, intensity, and fault upper and lower plates. The influencing factors of loess earthquake landslides were summarized, and the following conclusions were obtained: (1) 1,225 large- and medium-sized landslides were induced by the Haiyuan earthquake in 1920. These landslides have the characteristics of long sliding distance, large single scale, and strong disaster-causing. They are mainly distributed in three concentrated areas of Xiji, Haiyuan, and Pengyang. The landslide morphological characteristics of the three landslide-intensive areas are different because the landslide sliding mechanism caused by topography and lithology is different. (2) The landslide distribution has obvious clustering, zonation, and directivity, and has an obvious river distance effect and fault hanging wall effect. (3) The internal influencing factors such as stratum lithology, topography, fault location, and direction, and the role of water control the occurrence location and scale of landslide. The external factor of an earthquake is an important incentive and control factor for landslide occurrence.