| Hawaiian flank failures are recognized as the largest landslides on Earth. Approximately seventy of these events have been documented along the Hawaiian Island chain. In this study, Hawaiian flank stability is analyzed using the 3.1 km HSDP drill core. Field and laboratory strength testing of the various lithologies present in the HSDP core show a relative weakness in the incipiently altered hyaloclastites, which may represent a potential slip surface for large-scale flank failures. Using the data obtained during strength testing in conjunction with various cross-sections and failure criteria, Hawaiian flank stability is analyzed using limit equilibrium analyses. These analyses predict stability in most of the cases analyzed. When slope failure is predicted, decreased rock mass quality is seen to have substantial influence. The effects of parameter change, sea level change, and seismicity on flank stability are also analyzed. |
