Why is J&K Highway prone to landslides? – part One

WhatsApp Facebook Twitter Email 12Shares

Understanding landslides is important to predict their locations and avoid damage and loss. Part one of the series will give an overview of the science behind it

Landslides are frequent in the Jammu and Kashmir region. Although the locations of future landslide sites are widely expected, the unfortunate loss of people and disruption due to landslides remains an ongoing issue. This clearly indicates that landslide hazards are a major problem that must be solved. Therefore, the motivation for writing this article aims to educate people about landslide science, and subsequent articles will look at the problem from a scientific perspective with a focus on Jammu and Kashmir, and how to avoid future disasters.

Landslide is the movement of a mass of rock or debris down a slope. The dimensions of a landslide can be very small or massive, and its movement can be slow or very fast. There are various causes for these movements. For example, precipitation (precipitation), topography, geology (types of rocks and soil), and human activities can trigger landslides. Anything that affects slope conditions can cause ramp failure, potentially in an area prone to landslides. This includes human induced slope failure, especially during construction, mining, etc. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions also contribute to these mass movements.

One recent example of the occurrence of large-scale landslides was due to an earthquake that was identified in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, when a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck this region in 2005. It is estimated that more than 86,000 people lost their lives and several million became homeless. This affected an area of ​​more than 30,000 square kilometers and caused thousands of landslides.

The risk of landslides may have increased due to landslides and avalanches that followed the earthquakes. Such risks remain high during wet seasons especially in places like Muzaffarabad, Balakot, Garhi and Dupatta. There are several dams rivers. This may also pose risks, if not managed properly. In general, such a situation can occur during an earthquake, if it crosses a river. Artificial lakes, dams, and waterfalls can form during this process. This happened during the Kashmir earthquake and was seen in many other places.

Any future city planning must address these risks, which are critical to saving lives and property. This should be done particularly in places like Jammu and Kashmir where earthquake risks are high and conditions are suitable for mass slipping during earthquakes.

Gravity is the driving force

Slopes are generally unstable over a long period of time and hence, they tend to stabilize through transition to a new and stable condition. This is achieved through the force of gravity, which is the driving force and will always act on the slopes to pull it down. There is always a push and pull between the driving force (gravity) and the force of resistance, which is the force of a rock mass that can be loaded against gravity. A ramp may fail, if the driving force exceeds resistance.

Gravity allows us to walk on the surface of the Earth. When the surface is flat, it is very easy to walk, because gravity acts perpendicular to our feet. However, if the surface is inclined, then it is difficult to walk, because the force of gravity in this case consists of two components. These two components operate on a slope: one is parallel to its surface and the other is perpendicular. The slope parallel component will always try to make anything that rests on its surface unstable in nature and will cause shear stress parallel to the slope, pulling the object downward. However, the vertical component of gravity helps hold the body in place on the slope.

Friction and cohesion

The forces that resist movement down the slope are grouped under the term shear force, which includes the resistance to friction and the cohesion between the particles that make up the body. For example, when we want to push an object over a slope, we need some force to do so and the force applied must overcome the resistance due to friction (which is the area of ​​the object in contact with the sloping surface).

Under normal conditions, the applied force is gravity and must overcome friction and cohesion between particles. If the surface is rough, the friction will be greater because the particles of the body are firmly attached to the surface. However, when the surface is slippery or polished, it is easy to slip onto it.

One of the reasons for sliding more in wet seasons is that water makes slopes slippery, reduces friction and facilitates sliding. Cohesion is the force that keeps materials (such as rocks) intact. When you choose a rock and look at it carefully, you can notice that it is made of a number of minerals of different colors. These are linked together or intertwined by forces of cohesion.

When the frictional and cohesion forces become smaller than the shear stress, the object on the slope slides downward. Alternatively, when the cohesion forces, which bind particles of rock or soil together, are weaker than the shear force, the rocks will collapse under the influence of gravity.

Slope stability can be evaluated in terms of the safety factor, which is the ratio of the resistance force (shear strength) to the driving force (shear stress).

Fs = shear strength / shear stress

If this ratio is a little more than 1, then the slope is close to being unstable, however, if it is much greater than 1, (1.5 or 2), then the slope is stable, because the shear strength (resistance and cohesion forces) is much greater than The driving force.

Be part of quality journalism

Good journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce, and despite all the hardships we still do. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond covering what matters to you, breaking the big news, and exposing grievances that can change lives. Today more people than ever read the Kashmir Observer, but only a few pay as ad revenue is rapidly declining.

Work now monthly 100 years 1000 extended life 10,000

Click for details

Dr.. Afrooz Ahmad Shah

The author is Assistant Professor of Structural Geology and Physical and Geological Sciences at the University of Brunei Darussalam. He can be contacted at: [email protected]

Related

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos