Modelling failure mechanisms to explain rock slope change along the Isle of Purbeck coast, UK

Abstract

Results are presented of distinct element computer modelling used to examine rates and mechanisms of change in rock slopes and cliffs, where material intact properties determine process and form but the most significant controls are the joint pattern and cross-joint properties. The modelling approach does not appear to have been used before in a geomorphological context and provides an alternative approach for examining cliff development. Field and laboratory data have been collected for the Portland Limestone outcrop of the Isle of Purbeck, central southern England. The Portland Limestome is a hard, shelly, crystalline sediment of the Upper Jurassic. It has a regular discontinuity pattern throughout the outcrop in Purbeck. While joint orientation remains relatively constant, bedding changes from horizontal to vertical, a consequence of the Purbeck Monocline. There are resulting implications for spatial variations in rock slope evolution. The modelling exercise enhances previous knowledge on rock failure mechanisms and slope development along the Purbeck coast and demonstrates its potential in research where landforms are developed in lithified, jointed rock masses. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.