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Volume 45 Issue 1
Feb.  2026
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Article Navigation >  CARSOLOGICA SINICA  > 2026  >  45(1): 167-178
GONG Cheng, GUAN Zhende, MENG Yan, YANG Yong, HUANG Hai. Identification and development characteristics analysis of underwater rock-cells in the karst bank slope of the Wu Gorge section,Three Gorges Reservoir Area[J]. CARSOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 45(1): 167-178. doi: 10.11932/karst20260110
Citation: GONG Cheng, GUAN Zhende, MENG Yan, YANG Yong, HUANG Hai. Identification and development characteristics analysis of underwater rock-cells in the karst bank slope of the Wu Gorge section,Three Gorges Reservoir Area[J]. CARSOLOGICA SINICA, 2026, 45(1): 167-178. doi: 10.11932/karst20260110
shu

Identification and development characteristics analysis of underwater rock-cells in the karst bank slope of the Wu Gorge section,Three Gorges Reservoir Area

doi: 10.11932/karst20260110
  • 1.

    Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS/Key Laboratory of Karst Dynamics, MNR & GZAR/International Research Centre on Karst under the Auspices of UNESCO, Guilin, Guangxi 541004, China

  • 2.

    Pingguo Guangxi, Karst Ecosystem, National Observation and Research Station, Pingguo,Guangxi 531406, China

  • 3.

    Chongqing Geosafety Research Center, China Geological Survey, Chongqing 401329, China

  • 4.

    Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Chongqing 401120, China

  • 5.

    Institute of Exploration Technology, China Academy of Geological Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan 611734, China

  • Received Date: 2025-02-18
  • Accepted Date: 2025-07-10
  • Rev Recd Date: 2025-07-01
    • Available Online: 2026-05-27
    Abstract
  • The Wu Gorge section of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area is located in the border zone between the Daba Mountains in northeastern Chongqing and the mountains in western Hubei, administratively under the jurisdiction of Wushan county in Chongqing, about 400 kilometers away from the Chongqing urban area. The area is located in the karst mountainous area, affected by dissolution, unloading and geological tectonics, with a complicated geological environment, which has formed a large number of columnar or plate-like steeply standing dangerous rock bodies. Under the cyclic fluctuation of reservoir water level (145–175 m), stress release of rock body and rainfall-groundwater seepage coupling, the rock body of the bank slope undergoes multiple deterioration processes such as chemical erosion/dissolution, mechanical transportation and stress corrosion, which leads to strong deterioration of the damage of the rock body at the base of the hazardous rock body.With regard to the deterioration mechanism of karst bank slopes in the reservoir area, studies have revealed the control effect of water level fluctuation on the deterioration of rock bodies by means of on-site investigation, in-situ testing, and indoor experiments. The results reveal that reservoir water fluctuation accelerates the differential dissolution of carbonate rocks by changing the CO2 partial pressure and water-rock contact time; in addition, hydraulic hollowing results in the continuous transportation of weak interlayers and fissure fill, forming a rock-cell structure extending into the mountain mass. Although existing studies have already explained the chemical-mechanical coupling mechanism of rock degradation in the draw down zone of bank slopes, there is still a lack of systematic knowledge about the development characteristics of submerged rock-cells on bank slopes and their influence on the long-term stability of the upper critical rocks. Relevant studies have shown that the basal rock cavity structure of high-steep slopes is both a sensitive indicator of the accumulation of rock damage and a key potential boundary of rock destabilization, and the morphology of the basal rock cavity and the depth of the cavity development have a significant controlling effect on the fracture damage mode and destabilization mechanism of large-scale collapses. However, due to the limitation of detection technology, it is difficult to obtain the distribution and geometrical parameters (e.g., cavity size and cavity depth) of cavities in the submerged section (below 145 m) of the bank slope drawdown zone in the traditional geological surveys, which restricts the understanding of the long-term stability of water-related hazardous rocks. In recent years, Multi-Beam Echo Sounding System (MBES) has provided a new way to recognize complex underwater structures with high accuracy by using high-density topographic data acquisition capability. In this paper, the Wu Gorge section of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area is selected as the study area, and the MBES combined with three-dimensional sonar point cloud data fusion analysis technology is used to construct a technical method for detecting and identifying underwater rock cavities in karst slopes in the reservoir area, and identify the spatial distribution pattern and developmental characteristics of the underwater rock cavities in the study area. The results show that: (1) A total of 24 underwater rock cells are developed in the Wu Gorge, with 66.7% coexisting with water-related unstable rock zones, particularly in the Jianchuandong, Huangyanwo, and Quzitan unstable rock zones exhibiting the highest density. (2) The planar morphologies of underwater rock cells are classified as inverted funnel-shaped and elliptical, with the former controlled by vertical tectonic joint propagation and the latter governed by a coupled "dissolution-collapse" catastrophic process. (3) The development of underwater rock cells is influenced by multiple factors, including lithology, slope structure, and fold tectonics. Lithologically, they are concentrated in the third member of the Jialingjiang Formation (T1j3) of the Triassic period, comprising thin to medium-bedded limestone interbedded with argillaceous limestone (accounting for 62.5%). Tectonically, three predominant developmental zones are formed at the contacts of the Shennvfeng anticline, Qingshi anticline core strata, and the southern wing of the Shennvxi-Guandukou syncline. In terms of slope structure, horizontal slopes (41.7%) and oblique slopes (29.2%) dominate, with large-scale underwater rock cells primarily developing on oblique slopes.These findings provide precise insights into the developmental status of underwater rock cells in the Wu Gorge of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, offering a scientific basis for subsequent targeted rockfall monitoring, reinforcement, and other protective measures.

     

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