Dynamic features and effects of rainfall on landslides in the Three Gorges Reservoir region, China: using the Xintan landslide and the large Huangya landslide as the examples

The study area is located in Three Gorges Reservoir region, China. Over 200 landslides have been monitored over a number of years with their behavior being compared to the effective rainfall database for the study area. Analysis of the available data indicates that the occurrences of landslides in this region are controlled by rainfall, whose intensity and rainfall processes are the most important dynamic factors in determining the stability of slopes. Therefore, the relationship between rainfall and the movement of typical landslides has been specifically analyzed for the Xintan landslides and the large Huangya landslide by using the loading/unloading response ratio parameter of rainfall. The result of this study indicates that the mutation of the loading/unloading response ratio of rainfall of the Xintan landslide and the large Huangya landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir region, China occurred just before their destabilization, which shows that the loading/unloading response ratio of rainfall and its changing feature can be taken as a precursor for the landslides induced by rainfall.