Identification and geological and geotechnical characterization of active gravitational processes on Paraná River slopes in Villa Hernandarias, Entre Ríos

Abstract

Landslides are usually associated with mountainous regions, far in our country from large urban centers. However, there are vast examples of unstable hillsides linked to mature river valleys. (SINAGIR 2018, Cravero et al. 2018, Celli y Rosa Vilardo 2021, Celli et al. 2021, SEGEMAR, 2023). Paraná slopes, located in one of the most humid and productive areas of Argentina, are the scene of remarkable variety of active processes affecting different costal populations. In the area of Villa Hernandarias, on the Entre Ríos margin, a sedimentary sequence, hydrostratigraphically kwnon as Epiparaniana Section, emerges, being the object of analysis in this work, from a geotechnical perspective. In this slope, different landslide and flow mechanisms can be recognized, generating a series of complex movements, closely related to the mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of the different outcropping units, from which four geotechnical units are defined in this work. Additionally, the main factors that determine slope stability are presented, while the active processes recognized in the studied sector are detailed, including the possible development of a mild karst environment in the region.