Active Dynamics of Technogenic Landslide on the Left Board of the Khanikomdon River (North Ossetia)

The article is devoted to the technogenic triggering of the hazardous dynamic development of the landslide massif, which poses a threat of blocking the Khanikomdon stream with partial restrictions in the movement of residents of the mountain village of Dzuarikau. One of the main reasons for the intensive development of landslides in the Northern and Southern Jurassic shale depressions is the technogenic undercutting of slopes, caused mainly by the need of development of the mining industry or transport communications, although scientifically grounded pre-design solutions for minimizing the development of landslide processes can significantly reduce negative geoecological loads on the territory, which is especially important for the sustainable development of the mountainous areas. The aim of the work was to study the state of the landslide with modern measuring systems. Geophysical surveys were carried out by methods of vertical electrical and location-based sounding; the measurements of landslide movement were also carried out in the monitoring mode using surveys with a total station and a global positioning system GPS/GLONASS. The obtained results characterize a three-layer section of the “K” type with the thickness of a landslide high-resistivity massif of 18-21 m of crushed-loamy and gravelly composition, which is overlaid and underlain by more conductive clay strata. Geodetic observations show that the landslide body has moved throughout the entire monitoring period, but the velocities varied depending on the season. It is assumed that the seasonal variability in velocities is caused by the groundwater levels and associated pore pressures, which decrease when surface water is absent or cannot penetrate frozen landslide material, and increase when surface water from melting snow or rain penetrates the unfrozen landslide material

Aquifer · Cartography · Geochemistry · Geography · Geohazard · Geomorphology · Geotechnical engineering · Groundwater · Landslide · Massif · Mining engineering · Physical geography · Vertical electrical sounding · Water level · Geotechnical and Geomechanical Engineering · Marine and environmental studies · Soil and Environmental Studies · Geology