Influence of atmospheric temperature on shallow slope stability

The occurrence of landslide has correlations with the atmospheric temperature change. Assessing the influence of changes in atmospheric temperature on landslides is helpful for the landslide treatment. This study simulates rainfall infiltration in a homogeneous soil slope under varying atmospheric temperatures based on water–air two–phase flow theory and the heat transfer equation. The safety factor of a slide slip is calculated using the residual thrust method under different atmospheric temperatures. The results show that changes in atmospheric temperature affect the seepage field of a slope, possibly affecting the slope stability. Under the same initial and rainfall conditions, the higher the atmospheric temperature is, the higher the rainfall infiltration rate; the deeper the infiltration depth is, the higher the air pressure in the slope and the lower the slope safety factor. Numerical simulations show apparent correlations between atmospheric temperature changes and the safety factor of a slope. Thus, the higher the atmospheric temperature is, the lower the safety factor of a slope. Under certain conditions, changes in atmospheric temperature may trigger landslides.