Progressive failure of sheeted rock slopes : the 2009–2010 Rhombus Wall rock falls in Yosemite Valley, California, USA

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

STOCK, G.M.

National Park Service, Yosemite National Park, California, El Portal, Etats-Unis

MARTEL, S.J.

Dep. of Geology and Geophysics, Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, Etats-Unis

COLLINS, B.D.

U.S. Geological Survey, Landslide Hazard Program, California, Menlo Park, Etats-Unis

HARP, E.L.

U.S. Geological Survey, Landslide Hazard Program, Colorado, Golden, Etats-Unis

Description :
The AA. present high-resolution photography, video, and laser scanning data that document spatial and temporal patterns of a 15-month-long sequence of at least 14 rock falls from the Rhombus Wall, a sheeted granitic cliff in Yosemite Valley, California. They suggest that these progressive failures might have been related to stress redistributions accompanying propagation of sheeting joints behind the cliff face. Mechanical analyses indicate that tensile stresses should occur perpendicular to the cliff face and open sheeting joints, and that sheeting joints should propagate parallel to a cliff face from areas of stress concentrations. The analyses also account for how sheeting joints can propagate to lengths many times greater than their depths behind cliff faces. They posit that as a region of failure spreads across a cliff face, stress concentrations along its margin will spread with it, promoting further crack propagation and rock falls.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 2012, vol. 37, n°. 5, p. 546-561, nombre de pages : 16, Références bibliographiques : 58 ref.

Date :
2012

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley

Langue :
Anglais