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Structural and geomorphological controls of the present-day landslide in the Moulares phosphate mines (western-central Tunisia)

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Abstract

Present-day deformations occurring within both waste dump and bedrock in the Northern Table mine of Moulares, western central Tunisia, show complex landslides of kilometric dimensions. Rock bodies in this mine slide due to the shear stress concentration along a complex sliding surface. As a result of gravity displacement, these rocks display diverse associate structures such as detachment, open fractures, folds, and striated thrust planes. Interaction between predisposition factors (inherited structures, topography, slope, gravity) and triggering factors (artificial vibrations and seismotectonic activity) provided favourable conditions for the sliding. Sloping fractured ground, marly lithology and meteoric water act further to exacerbate the instability in the ground and encourage rock failure. Additionally, the seismic hazard due to the sustained tectonic activity of the Gafsa fault and the vibrations due to explosive detonation can together trigger significant landslide movement.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Martin G. Culshaw, Roger Cojean and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and helpful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, UR11ES15 Environnements Sédimentaires, Systèmes Pétroliers et Caractérisation des Réservoirs, Université de Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Ferid Dhahri, Abdelkader Mhamdi & Noureddine Boukadi

  2. Faculté des Sciences de Gafsa, Université de Gafsa, 2112, Gafsa, Tunisia

    Ferid Dhahri, Ramdhane Benassi & Abdelkader Mhamdi

  3. Centre de Recherches de Métlaoui, Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsa, Gafsa, Tunisia

    Kamel Zeyeni

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  1. Ferid Dhahri
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  2. Ramdhane Benassi
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  3. Abdelkader Mhamdi
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  4. Kamel Zeyeni
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  5. Noureddine Boukadi
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Correspondence to Ferid Dhahri.

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Dhahri, F., Benassi, R., Mhamdi, A. et al. Structural and geomorphological controls of the present-day landslide in the Moulares phosphate mines (western-central Tunisia). Bull Eng Geol Environ 75, 1459–1468 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-015-0827-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-015-0827-5

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