Analogue modelling the influence of topographical slope and viscosity on the landslides in Western Guizhou Province

Landslides are a common geological disaster phenomenon in Guizhou Province. Yearly, different landslides occur and interfere with people’s lives and daily activities; this has attracted the government’s attention and prompted relevant research. However, further research is still needed on the genetic mechanism of landslides and their deformation evolution characteristics. Therefore, five experiments were designed based on field landslide geological parameters, with the topographical slope and the viscosity of the silicone layer as variables, to simulate typical landslides in Western Guizhou Province. Results show that the landslides frequently result from high dip angles and low discontinuity strength. At the same time, the deformation and expansion modes of the landslide change with the geomorphic dip angle and structural strength. Three typical deformation modes are formed: back-edge, middle, and fore-edge; back-edge, fore-edge, and middle; and back-fore edge synchronous, middle, and back-fore edge synchronous. The results are similar to the typical landslides along the Qianxi China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline, which may effectively direct the work of preventing and reducing landslide disasters, and have important guiding significance for the deformation evolution and early warning of landslides.