Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Some Earthquake-Induced Rockslides in the Central Asia Region

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Coseismic Landslides

Part of the book series: Springer Natural Hazards ((SPRINGERNAT))

Abstract

This chapter presents a brief description of rockslides triggered by the historical earthquakes in the Central Asia region. Based on field survey and interpretation of space images, the location, scale, geological and topographic features of these rockslides, and some characteristics of related earthquakes are introduced. Several rockslides, whose triggering earthquakes had not been clarified, are also presented as controversial case studies. Further, a study conducted on the eastern part of the Tien Shan region was introduced to show that strong earthquakes can occur in the same area repeatedly triggering landslides. Identifying the features and locations of these coseismic landslides can help distinguish the return period of strong earthquakes along the same faults and can provide information for estimating the location and timing of these earthquakes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Agakhanjanz OE (1989) Sarez. Leningrad Press, Leningrad, p 112 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Alford D, Schuster R (eds) (2000) Usoi Landslide Dam and Lake Sarez. An assessment of Hazard and Risk in the Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan. UN Publication. Sales No. E.00.III.M.1

    Google Scholar 

  • Ambraseys N, Bilham R (2012) The Sarez-Pamir earthquake and landslide of 18 February 1911. Seismol Res Lett 83:294–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bogachkin BM, Korjenkov AM, Mamyrov E, Nechaev YV, Omuraliev M, Petrosian AE, Pletniov KG, Rogozhin EA, Charimov TA (1997) Structure of the 1992 Suusamyr earthquake source on the basis of its geological and seismological effects analysis. Phys Earth 11:3–18 (in Russian, English translation)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bogdanovich MC, Kark J, Korolkov B, Muchketov D (1914) Earthquake of the 4th January 1911 in the northern districts of the Tien Shan. Trans Geol Com New Series 89:270 (in Russian with extended French abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown ET, Bourles DL, Burchfiel BC, Deng QD, Li J, Raisbeck GM, Yiou F (2008) Estimation of slip rates in the southern Tien Shan using cosmic ray exposure dates of abandoned alluvial fans. GSA Bull 110(3):377–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bukinich DD (1913) Usoi earthquake and its consequences. Russian Records 187, Wednesday, August 14, 1913 (In Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Delvaux D, Abdrakhmatov KE, Lemzin IN, Strom AL (2001) Landslides and surface breaks of the 1911, Ms 8.2 Kemin earthquake, Kyrgyzstan. Russ Geol Geophys 42:1167–1177

    Google Scholar 

  • Djanuzakov KD, Omuraliev M, Omuralieva A, Iliasov BI, Grebennikova VV (2003) Strong Earthquakes in Tien Shan within the territory of Kyrgyzstan and the adjacent regions of Central Asia. Bishkek, Ilim, p 201 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans SG, Roberts NJ, Ischuck A, Delaney KB, Morozova GS, Tutubalina O (2009) Landslides triggered by the 1949 Khait earthquake, Tajikistan, and associated loss of life. Eng Geol 109(3–4):195–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fedorenko VS (1988) Rockslides and rock falls and their prediction. Moscow State University Publishing House, Moscow, p 214 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fedorenko VS, Denikaev ShSh, Lim VV (1981) Main engineering-geological aspects of the Sarez Lake problem. Eng Geol 3:70–80 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaziev E (1984) Study of the Usoi Landslide in Pamir. In: Proceedings of 4th international symposium on landslides, Toronto, vol 1, pp 511–514

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghose S, Mellors RJ, Korjenkov AM, Hamburger MW, Pavlis TL, Pavlis GL, Mamyrov E, Muraliev AR (1997) The Ms = 7.3 1992 Suusamyr, Kyrgyzstan earthquake: 2. Aftershock focal mechanisms and surface deformation. Bull Seismol Soc Am 87:23–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Golitzin PB (1915) Sur le tremblement de terre du 18 de février 1911. Comptes Rendus De L’academie Des Sciences De Paris 160:810–813

    Google Scholar 

  • Gubin IE (1943) The Garm Earthquake in 1941. Published by the Tajik branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, p 132 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gubin IE (1960) Patterns of seismic manifestations of the Tajikistan territory (geology and seismicity). Academy of Sciences of USSR Publishing House (in Russian), Moscow

    Google Scholar 

  • Havenith H-B (2002) Landslides triggered by earthquakes. Experimental studies in the Tien Shan mountains (Central Asia) and dynamic modelling. Ph. D. Thesis. Université de Liège, Faculté des Sciences Appliquées, p 239

    Google Scholar 

  • Havenith H-B, Strom A, Jongmans D, Abdrakhmatov K, Delvaux D, Trefois P (2003) Seismic triggering of landslides, Part A: field evidence from the Northern Tien Shan. Nat Hazard 3:135–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ignatiev IV (1886) The earthquake in the Tokmak district in the 1885. Proc Russian Imperial Geograph Soc 22 (2) (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ischuk AR (2011) Usoi Rockslide Dam and Lake Sarez, Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan. In: Evans SG, Hermanns R, Strom AL, Scarascia-Mugnozza G (eds) Natural and artificial rockslide dams. Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences, vol 133. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 423–440

    Google Scholar 

  • Ischuk NR, Strom AL (2016) Geological effects of the earthquake at the Sarez Lake on the 7th of December, 2015. GeoRisk 3:56–74 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Khromovskikh VS (1984) Rocky dragon. Mysl Publishers, Moscow (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kondorskaya NV, Shebalin NV (1982) New catalog of strong earthquakes in the U.S.S.R. from ancient times through 1977. NOAA, Boulder

    Google Scholar 

  • Korjenkov AM, Mamyrov E, Omuraliev M, Kovalenko VA, Usmanov SF (2004) Rock avalanches and landslides formed in result of strong Suusamyr (1992, M = 7,4) earthquake in the Northern Tien Shan—test structures for mapping of paleoseismic deformations by satellite images. In: Buchroithner MF (ed) High mountain remote sensing cartography VII (HMRSC VII). Kartographische Bausteine, Band 23, Dresden, pp 117–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Krukovskiy GL (1969) On the role of slope failure phenomena in formation of high mountain Yashinkul and Kokkul lakes located in the southern part of Ferghana valley in the Tegermach River Basin. Hydrogeology and engineering geology of the arid zones of the USSR. Tashkent 9(II):25–31 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuchai VK (1971) Use of paleoseismic dislocations for studying seismic regime (exemplified by the pleistoseismal zone of the 1946 Chatkal earthquake). Geol Geophys 4:124–129 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kulikova G, Krüger F (2015) Source process of the 1911M8.0 Chon-Kemin earthquake: investigation results by analogue seismic records. Geophys J Int 201:1891–1911. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kulikova G, Schurr B, Krüger F, Brzoska E, Heimann S (2016) Source parameters of the Sarez-Pamir earthquake of 1911 February 18. Geophys J Int 205:1086–1098

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lange OK (1926) Expedition on the survey of the Usoi blockage and the Sarez Lake. Nat Econ Central Asia 10:76–79 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lange OK (1929) Modern state of the Usoi blockage. Proc Central Asian Geograph Soc 19 Tashkent (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonov NN (1960) The Khait 1949 earthquake and geological conditions of its origin. Proc Acad Sci USSR Geophys Series 3:409–424 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Leonov NN (1970) The 1946 Chatkal earthquake. In: Problems of the engineering seismology, Issue 13, Moscow, Nauka, pp 64–77 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Matveev YD (1968) Regulationg of the colossal rock falls and landslides in the Toktogul dam construction region. In: Problems of engineering geology and soil science. Issue 2. Moscow, pp 245–258 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mushketov IV (1890) The Vernyi earthquake of 28/05 (9/06) 1887. In: Proceedings of geological committee, vol 10, issue 1, St. Petersburg, p 154 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mushketov IV, Orlov AP (1893) Catalogue of Earthquakes of Russian Empire. In: Proceedings of Russian geographic society, p 26 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Neshikhovskiy RA (1988) Floods on rivers and lakes. Hydrometeoizdat, Leningrad, p 184 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Nikonov AA, Shebalina TY (1986) Lichenometric method of seismic dislocations dating. Institute of Physics of Earth, Moscow, p 185 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Niyazov RA (2015) Landslides triggered by the Pamir-Hindukush earthquakes. Tashkent, ISBN 978-9943-4519-2-6, p 223 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Panasenko GD (1952) Collapse of the Chokurak Mountain. Transactions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 35, No 3 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Preobrajensky IA (1920) The Usoi Landslide. Geol Comm Papers Appl Geol 14:21 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pushkarenko VP, Nikitin AM (1984) Experience in the regional investigation of the state of mountain lake dams in Central Asia and the character of breach mudflow formation. Landslides and Mudflows (in two volumes). UNESCO/UNEP. Moscow (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rezvoi DP, Rezvoi PD (1969) Lake that vanished …. Priroda (Nature) 7:81–83 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Reizvikh VN, Krukovskiy GL, Nikitin AM (1971) Causes and conditions of the Yashinkul Lake outburst. Collect Papers Tashkent Hydro-Meteorol Observatory 4:49–95 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rezvoi DP, Alexeenko AV, Bolgar BD, Ermolenko YA, Marushkin IA, Rezvoi PD, Soloshenko II (1971) Rockfall-dammed lakes of the Alai Range—important factor of the high mountain relief formation. Reports and News of the L’vov branch of the Ukraine Geographical Society (1968–1969). Lvov University Publishing House, pp 71–73 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Selivanov PI, Andreev VI (1959) About water level behavior and possible evolution of the Sarez Lake. Meteorol Hydrol 3 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Semionov AA (1958) List of earthquakes in Central Asia and adjacent countries from ancient times till 1830. Proc Inst Seismol, Acad Scie Tajik SSR 94:37–52 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Semionov PG, Semionova VA (1958) Catalogue of earthquakes felt on the territory of Tajikistan during the periods (of time) 1865–1940 and 1941–1952. Proc Inst Seismol Acad Sci Tajik SSR 86(3):143 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheko AI (1968) Assessment of the Usoi blockage stability and possibility of the Sarez Lake breach. Bull Moscow Soc Nat Scient. Sect Geol 43(4):151–159 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheko AI, Lekhatinov AM (1970) Present date state of the Usoy blockadge and tasks of future investigations. In: Materials of scientific-technical meeting on the methodical problems of mud flows, rockfalls and landslides investigation and forecast, Dushanbe, Donish, pp 219–223 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shpilko GA (1914) The 1911 earthquake in Pamirs and its effects. Proc Russian Geograph Soc 3:69–94 (in Russian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Strom AL (2010) Landslide dams in Central Asia region. Landslides J Japan Landslide Soc 47(6):309–324

    Google Scholar 

  • Strom A (2013) Use of indirect evidence for the prehistoric earthquake-induced landslide identifi-cation. In: Ugai K, Yagi H, Wakai A (eds) Earthquake-induced landslides. Springer, Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, London (ISBN 978-3-642-32237-2), pp 21–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Strom A (2014) Sarez Lake problem: ensuring long-term safety. In: Sassa K, Canuti P, Yin Y (eds) Proceedings of world landslide forum 3, 2–6 June 2014, Beijing, vol 3, pp 633–639

    Google Scholar 

  • Strom A, Abdrakhmatov K (2018) Rockslides and rock avalanches of Central Asia: distribution, morphology, and internal structure. Elsevier, p 450

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z (1988) Preliminary study landslip of paleoearthquake in Xinjiang. J Seismol 3(27):1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang Z, Zhang Y, Li J, Yi GH (1985) A preliminary study on the original tectonics of the Nilk Quake (M = 8) in Xinjiang Occurred on Mar. 8, 1812. Acta Seismologica Sinica 7(4):434–444

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Jiangsu Provincial Seismological Bureau, China, for allowing us to introduce the research results and use of figures in the paper by Yang (1988) published on Journal of Seismology (now: Journal of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Engineering).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geodynamics Research Center LLC, Moscow, Russia

    Alexander Strom

  2. DPRI, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

    Gonghui Wang

Authors
  1. Alexander Strom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gonghui Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexander Strom .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Kanto Gakuin University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

    Ikuo Towhata

  2. Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, Japan

    Gonghui Wang

  3. The State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu, Sichuan, China

    Qiang Xu

  4. GNS Science, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand

    Chris Massey

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Strom, A., Wang, G. (2022). Some Earthquake-Induced Rockslides in the Central Asia Region. In: Towhata, I., Wang, G., Xu, Q., Massey, C. (eds) Coseismic Landslides. Springer Natural Hazards. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-6597-5_6

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation