On December 18, 2023, a magnitude MS6.2 earthquake struck Jishishan County, Gansu Province, triggering over 40 seismic subsidence sites within a seismic intensity VI zone, 32 km from the epicenter.The earthquake caused tens of millions in economic losses to mountain photovoltaic power stations. Extensive geological surveys and comparisons with similar landslides (such as soil loosening, widespread cracks, and stepped displacements) triggered by the 1920 Haiyuan MS8.5 earthquake and the 1995 Yongdeng MS5.8 earthquake, this study preliminarily identifies one subsidence sites as a seismic-collapsed loess landslide. To investigate its disaster-causing mechanism: the dynamic triaxial test was conducted to assess the seismic subsidence potential of the loess at the site, and the maximum subsidence amount under different seismic loads were calculated by combining actual data from nearby bedrock stations with site amplification data from the active source; simulation of the destabilization evolution of seismic-collapsed loess landslides by large-scale shaking table tests; and a three-dimensional slope model was developed using finite element method to study the complex seismic conditions responsible for site damage. The research findings provide a theoretical foundation for further investigations into the disaster mechanisms of seismic-collapsed loess landslides.

Abandoned farmlands are increasing due to socio-economic changes and land marginalization, and they require sustainable land management practices. Biocrusts are a common cover on the topsoil of abandoned farmlands and play an important role in improving soil stability and erosion resistance. The critical functions of biocrusts are known to mostly rely on their biofilaments and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), but how these components act at microscopic scale is still unknown, while rheological methods are able to provide new insights into biocrust microstructural stability at particle scale. Here, bare soil and two representative types of biocrusts (cyanobacterial and moss crusts) developed on sandy (Ustipsamments) and sandy loam (Haplustepts) soils in abandoned farmlands in the northern Chinese Loess Plateau were collected at a sampling depth of 2 cm. Changes in the rheological properties of the biocrusts were analyzed with respect to their biofilament network and EPS contents to provide possible explanations. The rheological results showed that compared with bare soil, storage and loss moduli were decreased by the biocrusts on sandy soil, but they were increased by the biocrusts on sandy loam soil. Other rheological parameters tau max, gamma L, gamma YP, and Iz of biocrusts on both soils were significantly higher than those of bare soil, showing higher viscoelasticity. And the moss crusts had about 10 times higher rheological property values than the cyanobacterial crusts. Analysis from SEM images showed that the moss crusts had higher biofilament network parameters than the cyanobacterial crusts, including nodes, crosslink density, branches, branching ratio and mesh index, and biofilament density, indicating that the biofilament network structure in the moss crusts was more compact and complex in contrast to the cyanobacterial crusts. Additionally, EPS content of the moss crusts was higher than that of the cyanobacterial crusts on both soils. Overall, the crosslink density, biofilament density, and EPS content of the biocrusts were significantly and positively correlated with their gamma YP and Iz. The interaction between crosslink density and biofilament density contributed 73.2 % of gamma YP, and that between crosslink density and EPS content contributed 84.0 % of Iz. Our findings highlight the biocrusts-induced changes of abandoned farmland soil rheological properties in drylands, and the importance of biocrust biofilament network and EPS in maintaining abandoned farmland soil microstructural stability to resist soil water/wind erosion and degradation, providing a new perspective for sustainable management of abandoned farmlands.

Soil erosion can be effectively controlled through vegetation restoration. Specifically, roots combine with soil to form a root-soil complex, which can effectively enhance soil shear strength and play a crucial role in soil reinforcement. However, the relationship between root mechanical traits and chemical compositions and shear performance and reinforcing capacity of soil is still inadequate. In this study, we determined the root chemical properties, performed root tensile tests and root-soil composite triaxial tests using two plants-one with a fibrous root system (ryegrass, Lolium perenne L.) and the other with a tap root system (alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.)-and calculated the factor of safety (FOS). The results revealed that the relationship between root diameter and tensile strength differed among different root characters. Holocellulose content and cellulose content were the main factors controlling the root tensile strength of ryegrass and alfalfa, respectively. The shear properties of the root-soil complex (cohesion (c) and internal friction angle (phi)) are correlated with soil water content (SWC) and root mass density (RMD). Root traits had a more substantial effect on c than phi, with significant differences in c between ryegrass and alfalfa at 7 % and 11 % SWC. The root-soil complex had an optimum RMD, and the maximum increase rates of c were 80.57 % and 34.4 %, respectively. Along slopes, sliding first occurs at the foot of the slope, thus demanding emphasis on protection and reinforcement. On steep gradients with low SWC, ryegrass strongly contributes to soil reinforcement, whereas alfalfa is more effective on gentle gradients with high SWC. The results provide scientific references for species selection for vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau and a deeper understanding of the mechanical mechanism of soil reinforcement by roots.

Post-grouting pile technology has gained extensive application in collapsible loess regions through the injection of slurry to compress and consolidate the soil at the pile base, thereby forming an enlarged base that enhances the foundation's bearing capacity and reduces settlement. Despite the prevalent unsaturated state of loess in most scenarios, the conventional design methodologies for piles in collapsible loess predominantly rely on saturated soil mechanics principles. The infiltration of water can significantly deteriorate the mechanical properties of loess due to the reduction in matric suction and the occurrence of collapsible deformation, leading to a substantial degradation in the bearing behavior of piles. To explore the variations in load transfer mechanisms of post-grouting piles in collapsible loess under conditions of intense precipitation, a comprehensive large-scale model test was conducted. The findings revealed that the post-grouting technique effectively mitigates the adverse effects of negative pile shaft friction in saturated zones on the pile's bearing behavior. Furthermore, the failure criteria for piles may shift from the shear failure of the base soil to excessive pile settlement. By incorporating principles of unsaturated soil mechanics, modified load transfer curves were developed to describe the mobilization of both pile shaft friction and base resistance. These curves facilitate the extension of the traditional load transfer method to post-grouting piles in collapsible soils under extreme weather conditions. The proposed revised load transfer method is characterized by its simplicity, requiring only a few soil indices and mechanical properties, making it highly applicable in engineering practice.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) is a critical parameter for assessing water-induced loess collapsibility, erosion, and landslides. However, accurately determining Ks has long been a challenge in geological and geotechnical engineering due to the complexity and inherent spatial variability of loess-paleosol sequences. To address this issue, this study conducted shaft sampling and laboratory experiments to measure the Ks of loess with a deposition time (T) of up to 880 ka. By leveraging the well-defined deposition time scale and global relevance of loess, a predictive model incorporating Ks variability was developed with T as a variable. This paper provides a detailed discussion of the physical significance of the model's parameters, their determination methods, and verifies its applicability. Pore distribution and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were used to reveal the three-stage evolution of Ks over time, as well as the underlying microstructural mechanisms. Additionally, this paper explores the impact of commonly used merging layer methods on Ks variability in engineering practice. The model effectively captures the long-term evolution of Ks in loess and can predict the Ks of loess-paleosol sequences, along with their expected variability, at a lower cost. This provides more reliable parameters for geological hazard assessments and hydrological engineering design.

Malan loess is widely distributed on the Chinese Loess Plateau and poses great challenges to geotechnical, ecological, and agricultural practices due to its unique structure and collapsibility. It is essential to understand the evolution of these properties with depth to assess soil stability and reduce engineering risks in the area. This study investigates the mechanical properties and microstructural evolution of Malan loess with depth and employs multivariate statistical methods to explore their complex interrelationships. Oedometer-collapse tests reveal a 94.2 % reduction in collapsibility coefficient (delta s) from 0.0722 at 1 m to 0.0042 at 9 m, indicating a significant reduction in collapsibility with increasing depth. According to the results of the direct shear test, it showed that the shear strength initially decreases and then increases due to the combined effect of the water content and dry density. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images reveal the densification of the loess structure, with changes in particle contact from point to face contact and the evolution from macropores to mesopores and small pores as depth increases. Quantitative analysis by Avzio showed a decrease of 61.5 % in macropores area and an increase of 62.5 % in small pores area. The results obtained by Pearson's correlation analysis and random forest model showed that among these microstructural characteristics, the total pore area (%IncMSE = 22.77 %) is the most important factor influencing the collapsibility properties of loess and water content (%IncMSE = 17.72 %) acts a key role in controlling shear strength. Additionally, compared to traditional methods, the random forest model offers a more insightful understanding of nonlinear relationships and multifactorial coupling effects. These findings provide scientific guidance for geotechnical engineering in loess regions, aiding in risk mitigation and promoting sustainable construction.

It is generally believed that loess is not prone to liquefaction. However, on December 18, 2023, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred in Gansu Province, China (35.70 degrees N, 102.79 degrees E), triggering a large-scale loess liquefactioninduced flow slide spanning 2.5 km, approximately 10 km from the epicenter. To understand the disastercausing mechanism, this study obtained the physical and mechanical properties of loess in the source area through field surveys and laboratory tests, and characterized the liquefaction behavior of saturated loess layers. The findings indicate that the strong ground motion, saturated loess, and gentle slope collectively contribute to the prevailing dynamic, geological, and topographic conditions. The saturated loess layer primarily comprises silt particles with particle sizes less than 0.075 mm accounting for approximately 92.2 % of its composition. The saturated loess layer at a depth of 11m was liquefied under the action of seismic waves with a peak ground acceleration of 0.40 g, however, due to the unique pore structure of loess, it is observed that pore pressure development rate lags behind strain rise rate during liquefaction process. The majority of strain accumulation occurred during a distinct post-peak stabilization phase following peak seismic activity while pore pressure continues to escalate even after vibration ceases. The results provide scientific insights into understanding the cause contributing to loess liquefaction induced-flow slide disasters due to earthquake.

Freeze-thaw cycles pose a serious threat to the protection and preservation of earthen sites. To investigate the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the shear strength and permeability of site soil, this study took artificially prepared site soil as the research object. Through triaxial shear tests and permeability tests, the strength and permeability characteristics of site soil under different sticky rice slurry content, sticky rice slurry density and freeze-thaw cycles were analyzed. In addition, the mineral composition, chemical structure, and microstructural characteristics of the samples were investigated by combining X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests. The results showed that the addition of sticky rice slurry could increase the shear strength and decrease the permeability coefficient of the soil, while the opposite effect was exhibited after freeze-thaw cycle. The optimum ratio of loess to sticky rice slurry was 95:5, and the optimum density of sticky rice slurry was 1.04 g/cm3. The addition of sticky rice slurry and the increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles did not significantly change the mineral composition of the soil. The SEM results showed that the morphology and arrangement of soil particles became complex after freeze-thaw cycle, the inter-particle connections became loose, and the pore morphology became irregular. The surface porosity of the soil increased, and the proportion of large and medium pores increased. The directionality of the pores was enhanced, and the complexity of the pores increased. The pore arrangement became relatively stable after 15 freeze-thaw cycles. These findings can provide a reference for the restoration of ancient sites in loess areas.

Numerous loess relic sites with cultural and historical values exist in the seasonally frozen ground region of Northwest China. Freeze-thaw action is an essential factor in inducing cracking and collapse of loess relic sites, and the creep behavior of loess also affects its long-term stability. Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology has a promising application in earthen ruin reinforcement due to its environmental friendliness and good compatibility. To evaluate the feasibility of MICP technology for reinforcing loess relic sites in the seasonally frozen ground, triaxial compression tests, triaxial creep tests, and SEM tests were conducted on MICP modified loess after 0, 1, 3, 7, and 9 freeze-thaw cycles. Then, the changing laws of shear strength and creep properties of samples in the freeze-thaw conditions were analyzed. The results show that the MICP technology can enhance the mechanical properties and frost resistance of loess. The shear strength, cohesion, and long-term strength of MICP modified loess are enhanced by 27.8 %, 109 %, and 29.8 %, respectively, under 100 kPa confining pressure, and their reduction is smaller than that of the untreated loess after 9 freeze-thaw cycles; the internal friction angle fluctuates within 1 degrees. Finally, the reinforcement mechanism and freeze-thaw resistance mechanism of MICP technology were revealed. Microbially induced calcium carbonate can cement soil particles, fill interparticle pores, and inhibit the development of pores and cracks caused by freeze-thaw action. The results can provide a theoretical foundation and scientific basis for the long-term stability analysis of loess relic sites reinforced with MICP technology.

Cyclic spherical stresses are prevalent in dynamic stress fields and significantly influence the dynamic behavior of loess, a material characterized by high compressibility and anisotropy. Previous research has primarily focused on shear stresses, often overlooking the impact of spherical stresses. This study investigated the deformation induced by cyclic spherical stress under different initial states. Irreversible and reversible components were identified from both volumetric and shear strains, and their variation patterns were analyzed. Shear strain is found to be generated by the material's anisotropy. The results indicate that the volume of the sample shrinks significantly under cyclic spherical stress, with irreversible volumetric strain increasing nonlinearly as the number of cycles increases. Irreversible shear strains can be categorized into two types based on their formation mechanisms. The first is when significant initial anisotropy leads to radial deformation greater than axial deformation under spherical stress, resulting in shear strain increasing in the negative direction. As consolidation stress increases, the initial anisotropy gradually diminishes. The second is when stress-induced anisotropy results in positive shear strain because consolidation deviatoric stress contributes to an increase in shear strain in the positive direction. As the stress ratio rises, the induced anisotropy is further enhanced. The axial reversible strain of the sample is minor, and the reversible components of volumetric and shear strains primarily arise from radial contraction and expansion. As the spherical stress increases, the sample volume shrinks (positive volumetric strain), whereas the initial anisotropy leads to negative shear strain, resulting in opposite signs. Finally, a method for predicting irreversible strain under cyclic spherical stress is established based on a memoryless geometric distribution.