Loess caves, a special kind of geo-hazard on loess plateau, northwestern China

Abstract

The loess caves developed on Chinese loess plateau are not only a typical phenomenon of soil and water loss, but also a special kind of geological hazard. Many loess dilapidations, collapses and medium to small-sized landslides are related to the loess caves. To understand the characteristics and the geo-disasters induced by loess caves, the loess caves developed on Chinese loess plateau were rigorously investigated. Based on a long-term field surveys on about 800 fixed points in Gansu, Ningxia and northern Shaanxi, the classifications and characterization of loess caves in Chinese loess plateau are discussed in detail. Moreover, the regionally developmental regularity hierarchical development regularity of loess cave and its characteristics are studied in this paper, which show that the density of loess caves on the northwestern loess plateau is higher than that in the southeastern loess plateau than that in the southeast in China. And the main control factors affecting the development of loess caves are analyzed. Interestingly, the development of the caves is related to the loess layer, land characteristics, geologic structure (including the joints and the fracture system), micro topography, hydro-geological factors and climatic conditions.