TY - JOUR A1 - Wienhöfer, Jan A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk A1 - Zehe, Erwin T1 - Challenges in understanding the hydrologic controls on the mobility of slow-moving landslides JF - Vadose zone journal N2 - Slow-moving landslides are a wide-spread type of active mass movement, can cause severe damages to infrastructure, and may be a precursor of sudden catastrophic slope failures. Pore-water pressure is commonly regarded as the most important among a number of possible factors controlling landslide velocity. We used high-resolution monitoring data to explore the relations of landslide mobility and hydrologic processes at the Heumoser landslide in Austria, which is characterized by continuous slow movement along a shear zone. Movement rates showed a seasonality that was associated with elevated pore-water pressures. Pore pressure monitoring revealed a system of confined and separated aquifers with differing dynamics. Analysis of a simple infinite slope mobility model showed that small variations in parameters, along with measured pore pressure dynamics, provided a perfect match to our observations. Modeling showed a stabilizing effect of snow cover due to the additional load. This finding was supported by a multiple regression model, which further suggested that effective pore pressures at the slip surface were partially differing from the borehole observations and were related to preferential infiltration and subsurface flow in adjacent areas. It appears that in a setting like the Heumoser landslide, hydrologic processes delicately influence slope mobility through their control on pore pressure dynamics and the weight of the landslide body, which challenges observation and modeling. Moreover, it appears that their simplicity, and especially their high sensitivity to parameter variations, limits the conclusions that can be drawn from infinite slope models. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2009.0182 SN - 1539-1663 VL - 10 IS - 2 SP - 496 EP - 511 PB - Soil Science Society of America CY - Madison ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zehe, Erwin A1 - Elsenbeer, Helmut A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk A1 - Schulz, K. A1 - Blöschl, Günter T1 - Patterns of predictability in hydrological threshold systems N2 - [1] Observations of hydrological response often exhibit considerable scatter that is difficult to interpret. In this paper, we examine runoff production of 53 sprinkling experiments on the water-repellent soils in the southern Alps of Switzerland; simulated plot scale tracer transport in the macroporous soils at the Weiherbach site, Germany; and runoff generation data from the 2.3-km(2) Tannhausen catchment, Germany, that has cracking soils. The response at the three sites is highly dependent on the initial soil moisture state as a result of the threshold dynamics of the systems. A simple statistical model of threshold behavior is proposed to help interpret the scatter in the observations. Specifically, the model portrays how the inherent macrostate uncertainty of initial soil moisture translates into the scatter of the observed system response. The statistical model is then used to explore the asymptotic pattern of predictability when increasing the number of observations, which is normally not possible in a field study. Although the physical and chemical mechanisms of the processes at the three sites are different, the predictability patterns are remarkably similar. Predictability is smallest when the system state is close to the threshold and increases as the system state moves away from it. There is inherent uncertainty in the response data that is not measurement error but is related to the observability of the initial conditions. Y1 - 2007 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1029/2006wr005589 SN - 0043-1397 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wienhöfer, Jan A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk A1 - Zehe, Erwin T1 - Temporal variability of a slow-moving landslide : the Heumöser Hang case study in Vorarlberg, Austria Y1 - 2009 UR - http://eost.u-strasbg.fr/omiv/Conference_Landslide_Processes.html SN - 2-9518317-1-4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wienhöfer, Jan A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk A1 - Ihringer, Jürgen A1 - Zehe, Erwin T1 - Characterization of soil hydraulic properties on a creeping Alpine slope Y1 - 2009 SN - 978-1-901502-89-3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk A1 - Zehe, Erwin A1 - Ihringer, Jürgen T1 - The role of detailed hydrological investigation for the identification of dominating structures and processes which lead to mass movement in mountainous regions Y1 - 2004 SN - 3-8325-0585-7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk A1 - Zehe, Erwin A1 - Dittfurth, A. A1 - Ihringer, Jürgen T1 - Process identification at a slow-moving landslide in the Vorarlberg Alps N2 - A fine-grained slope that exhibits slow movement rates was investigated to understand how geohydrological processes contribute to a consecutive development of mass movements in the Vorarlberg Alps, Austria. For that purpose intensive hydrometeorological, hydrogeological and geotechnical observations as well as surveying of surface movement rates were conducted during 1998-2001. Subsurface water dynamics at the creeping slope turned out to be dominated by a three-dimensional pressure system. The pressure reaction is triggered by fast infiltration of surface water and subsequent lateral water flow in the south-western part of the hillslope. The related pressure signal was shown to propagate further downhill, causing fast reactions of the piezometric head at 5.5 m depth on a daily time scale. The observed pressure reactions might belong to a temporary hillslope water body that extends further downhill. The related buoyancy forces could be one of the driving forces for the mass movement. A physically based hydrological model was adopted to model simultaneously surface and subsurface water dynamics including evapotranspiration and runoff production. It was possible to reproduce surface runoff and observed pressure reactions in principle. However, as soil hydraulic functions were only estimated on pedotransfer functions, a quantitative comparison between observed and simulated subsurface dynamics is not feasible. Nevertheless, the results suggest that it is possible to reconstruct important spatial structures based on sparse observations in the field which allow reasonable simulations with a physically based hydrological model. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd Y1 - 2005 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk A1 - Zehe, Erwin A1 - Dittfurth, Angela A1 - Ihringer, Jürgen T1 - Process identification at a slow-moving landslide in the Vorarlberg Alps N2 - A fine-grained slope that exhibits slow movement rates was investigated to understand how geohydrological processes contribute to a consecutive development of mass movements in the Vorarlberg Alps, Austria. For that purpose intensive hydrometeorological, hydrogeological and geotechnical observations as well as surveying of surface movement rates were conducted during 1998–2001. Subsurface water dynamics at the creeping slope turned out to be dominated by a three-dimensional pressure system. The pressure reaction is triggered by fast infiltration of surface water and subsequent lateral water flow in the south-western part of the hillslope. The related pressure signal was shown to propagate further downhill, causing fast reactions of the piezometric head at 5Ð5 m depth on a daily time scale. The observed pressure reactions might belong to a temporary hillslope water body that extends further downhill. The related buoyancy forces could be one of the driving forces for the mass movement. A physically based hydrological model was adopted to model simultaneously surface and subsurface water dynamics including evapotranspiration and runoff production. It was possible to reproduce surface runoff and observed pressure reactions in principle. However, as soil hydraulic functions were only estimated on pedotransfer functions, a quantitative comparison between observed and simulated subsurface dynamics is not feasible. Nevertheless, the results suggest that it is possible to reconstruct important spatial structures based on sparse observations in the field which allow reasonable simulations with a physically based hydrological model. Copyright  2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEY WORDS rainfall-induced landslides; soil creep; hydrological modelling; Vorarlberg; Austria; pressure propagation Y1 - 2004 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-60226 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Wienhöfer, Jan A1 - Germer, Kai A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk A1 - Färber, Arne A1 - Zehe, Erwin T1 - Applied tracers for the observation of subsurface stormflow at the hillslope scale N2 - Rain fall-runoff response in temperate humid headwater catchments is mainly controlled by hydrolo gical processes at the hillslope scale. Applied tracer experiments with fluore scent dye and salt tracers are well known tools in groundwater studies at the large scale and vadose zone studies at the plot scale, where they provide a means to characterise subsurface flow. We extend this approach to the hillslope scale to investigate saturated and unsaturated flow path s concertedly at a forested hill slope in the Austrian Alps. Dye staining experiments at the plot scale revealed that crack s and soil pipe s function as preferential flow path s in the fine-textured soils of the study area, and these preferenti al flow structures were active in fast subsurface transport of tracers at the hillslope scale. Breakthrough curves obtained under steady flow conditions could be fitted well to a one-dimensional convection-dispersion model. Under natural rain fall a positive correlation of tracer concentrations to the transient flows was observed. The results of this study demon strate qualitative and quantitative effects of preferential flow feature s on subsurface stormflow in a temperate humid headwater catchment. It turn s out that , at the hill slope scale, the interaction s of structures and processes are intrinsically complex, which implies that attempts to model such a hillslope satisfactorily require detailed investigation s of effective structures and parameters at the scale of interest. T3 - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - paper 146 KW - Saturated hydraulic conductivity KW - preferential flow pathways KW - solute transport KW - runoff generation KW - fluorescent dyes Y1 - 2009 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-45246 ER - TY - THES A1 - Lindenmaier, Falk T1 - Hydrology of a large unstable hillslope at Ebnit, Vorarlberg : identifying dominating processes and structures T1 - Hydrologie einer Grosshangbewegung bei Ebnit, Vorarlberg : Identifikation dominierender Prozesse und Strukturen N2 - The objective of this thesis is to improve the knowledge of control mechanisms of hydrological induced mass movements. To this end, detailed hydrological process studies and physically-based hydrological modelling were applied. The study site is a hillslope in the Dornbirn Ache valley near Bregenz, Austria. This so called Heumös slope features a deep-seated translational shear zone and surface near creep movements of up to 10 cm a year. The Cretaceous marlstones of the Austrian Helveticum have a high susceptibility for weathering and might form clay-rich cohesive sediments. In addition, glacial and post-glacial processes formed an unstable hillslope. High yearly precipitation depths of about 2100 mm and rainstorms with both high intensities and precipitation depths govern surface and subsurface hydrological processes. Pressure propagation induced in hydrological active areas influences laterally the groundwater reactions of the moving mass. A complex three-dimensional subsurface pressure system is the cause for fast groundwater reactions despite low hydraulic conductivities. To understand hillslope scale variability, hydrotopes representing specific dominating processes were mapped using vegetation association distribution and soil core analysis. Detailed small-scale soil investigations followed to refine the understanding of these hydrotopes. A perceptional model was developed from the hydrotope distribution and was corroborated by these detailed investigations. The moving hillslope is dominated by surface-runoff generation. Infiltration and deep percolation of water is inhibited through clay-rich gleysols; the yearly average soil moisture is close to saturation. Steep slopes adjacent to the moving hillslope are far more active concerning infiltration, preferential flow and groundwater fluctuations. Spring discharge observations at the toe of the steep slopes are in close relation to groundwater table observations on the moving hillslope body. Evidence of pressure propagation from the steep slopes towards the hillslope body is gathered by comparison of dominating structures and processes. The application of the physically-based hydrological model CATFLOW substantiates the idea of pressure propagation as a key process for groundwater reactions and as a possible trigger for movement in the hillslope. N2 - Diese Arbeit soll die Zusammenhänge von hydrologischen Rahmenbedingungen und Massenbewegungen besser erforschen, damit in Zukunft verbesserte Vorhersagen des Versagenszeitpunktes möglich werden. Das Untersuchungsgebiet besteht aus einem ca. 2 km langen und 500 m breiten Hang mit einem maximalen Höhenunterschied von ca. 400 m. Das dort vorkommende Festgestein besteht im Wesentlichen aus Mergelstein. Die vergangenen Eiszeiten haben dieses Gestein überarbeitet und Grundmoränenablagerungen auf dem Hang zurückgelassen. Diese wurden in den letzen 10.000 Jahren von Hangschutt, der aus den benachbarten Steilhängen stammt, überlagert. Der Hangschutt ist sehr verwitterungsanfällig, die Kalkkristalle lösen sich und wandeln den Hangschutt in lehmiges Material. Bewegungsmessungen an der Oberfläche zeigen, dass sich der Hang mit ca. 10 cm im Jahr talabwärts bewegt. Diese Bewegungen werden sehr wahrscheinlich durch kleine ruckartige Ereignisse in ca. 8 m Tiefe ausgelöst. Ziel der Untersuchungen war, den Wasserhaushalt des Hanges so gut wie möglich zu erfassen und mit Computermodellen abzubilden. Dabei spielt die Heterogenität der pedologischen Eigenschaften einen wesentliche Rolle, als Eingangsparameter für die Modelle. Grundwasserstandsmessungen in 5,5 m Tiefe auf dem Hang zeigen schnelle Reaktionen des Grundwasserspiegels nach Niederschlagsereignissen. Das Wasser dieser Ereignisse kann aber aufgrund des Lehms, der nur eine geringe Wasserdurchlässigkeit für Wasser besitzt, nicht in den tieferen Untergrund gelangen, sondern fließt fast vollständig an der Oberfläche ab. Dahingegen führt ein schnelles Versickern von Wasser in an den Hang anschließenden Steilhängen zu einem schnellen Grundwasseranstieg, der aufgrund eines gespannten Grundwasserleiters den Druck in die Hangrutschung weitergibt. Dort wird ein Überdruck aufgebaut, der sehr wahrscheinlich die Bewegungen auslöst. Die vorliegende Arbeit ist eine detaillierte Herangehensweise um Erkenntnisse aus der Hyrologie für die Bestimmung des Wasserhaushaltes von Massenbewegungen heranzuziehen. KW - Massenbewegung KW - Hangstabilität KW - Mergel KW - hydrologische Prozesse KW - prozeß-basierte Modellierung KW - landslide hydrology KW - marls KW - deep-seated landslide KW - hydrological processes KW - pressure propagation Y1 - 2007 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-17424 ER -