Landslides modeled as bifurcations of creeping slopes with nonlinear friction law (Q675653)

This paper investigates landslide as a consequence of the unstable slide of an initially stationary or creeping slope triggered by a small perturbation, such as the effect due to rainfall. A fully nonlinear numerical analysis is done for all possible scenarios when a finite perturbation is imposed on the equilibrium state. As a slip continues and erosion due to rainfall occurs, nonlinear parameters of the slip surface may evolve such that a previously stable slope may become unstable (i.e. bifurcation occurs) when a small perturbation is imposed. Thus, the present analysis offers a plausible explanation to why slope failure occurs at a particular rainfall, which is not the largest in the history of the slope.