Author(s)

LiQin Zhou^{1, 2}, Lu Cong^3*

Affiliation(s)

¹State Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610299, Sichuan, China.

²University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

³Chengdu Academy of Educational Sciences (Chengdu Research Office of Basic Education), Chengdu 610036, Sichuan, China.

Corresponding Author

Lu Cong

ABSTRACT

The damming phenomenon caused by landslides is a significant disturbance factor in the evolution of mountainous rivers, influencing river morphology across multiple timescales. The temporal characteristics of this phenomenon are often analyzed by examining the relationship between dam locations and the river longitudinal profile within a specific area. In the Batang section of the upper Jinsha River, located within the Jinsha river suture zone, intense tectonic activity makes the region highly susceptible to geological hazards such as landslides. Through data collection, remote sensing interpretation, and field investigations, we identified nine landslide dams in this area. Systematic studies of these dams were conducted, including preliminary measurements of dam heights and volumes. By reconstructing dam elevations, we calculated the areas, volumes, and peak discharge flows of the associated dammed lakes. A detailed analysis of the Wangdalong landslide dam revealed that its maximum lake surface area reached 106.70 million m², with a maximum volume of 14.57 billion m³. The peak discharge flow was calculated at 31.98×104 m³/s, and the dammed lake existed for a duration of approximately 1.09-1.76 ka. Additionally, a comparison of river geomorphological parameters indicated that the impact of a single dammed lake on the river's longitudinal profile is limited when its duration is relatively short. However, clusters of dammed barriers significantly affect the river steepness index, increasing the likelihood of forming knickpoints. These findings provide valuable insights into the role of landslide dams in shaping the geomorphological evolution of mountainous river systems.

KEYWORDS

Landslide dammed lake; River profile; Luminescence dating; Jinsha River

CITE THIS PAPER

LiQin Zhou, Lu Cong. Reconstruction of several landslide dammed lakes in the upper reaches of Jinsha River and its influence on river profile eastern Tibetan Plateau. Frontiers in Environmental Research. 2025, 3(2): 36-45. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/fer3028.

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