Paper contribution

Progressive Reactivation of the Baliyanala Landslide: Geological Controls and 3D Numerical Assessment

Saurabh Prakash Aher; Sarada Prasad Pradhan; Vikram Vishal

Proceedings
EUROCK 2026
Pages
1073-1080
Submitted
28 January 2026
Accepted
15 June 2026
Published
12 August 2026

Summary

Abstract

The Baliyanala landslide is a long-lived, progressive landslide that was initially triggered in the year 1882 and has since undergone multiple episodes of deformation and reactivation. The landslide is developed within a Neoproterozoic metasedimentary Krol Formation, that has experienced significant tectonic activity. The geological framework is characterized by pervasive foliation, closely spaced discontinuities, and fault damage zone, which collectively impart pronounced mechanical anisotropy to the rock mass. Consequently, slope deformation at the Baliyanala landslide is spatially heterogeneous, with displacement patterns governed by the orientation, persistence, and interaction of anisotropic fabrics. Fault related damage has further reduced shear strength of the rock mass subjected to groundwater interaction, facilitating progressive weakening, localized strain accumulation, and repeated reactivation under varying stress conditions. Slope stability analysis was carried out using three-dimensional finite element modeling (3D FEM) in RS3 software, where anisotropic rock mass behaviour was explicitly represented through weak plane and ubiquitous-joint formulations. The numerical models successfully captured stress–strain localization, progressive failure mechanisms, and the spatial variability of deformation observed in the field. Model results enabled the identification of both actively deforming zones and areas susceptible to future instability and were found to be in good agreement with documented deformation patterns within the study area. This integrated geological and numerical approach provides valuable insights into the long-term evolution of progressive landslides in fault-damaged metasedimentary terrains and supports improved assessment of slope instability hazards.

Contributors

Authors

  1. Saurabh Prakash Aher Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India ORCID 0009-0007-6152-7665
  2. Sarada Prasad Pradhan Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India
  3. Vikram Vishal Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India

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