3. Research on the Characteristics and Slope Deformation Regularity of the Badong Formation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

The Three Gorges reservoir area is characterized by widely distributed strata of the Badong formation, in which large-size landslides and deep-reaching loosely consolidated formations are likely to occur. Therefore, it is significant to reveal the mechanism and patterns of the large-size landslides that occur in the Badong formation for a better understanding of the development of the nature of deformation and process of formation of the deep-trending loose-slope stratum in the Wushan, Fengjie, and Badong renewal city zones. In this chapter, the geological characteristics of the rock mass of the Badong formation are analyzed on the basis of a systematic explanation of the rock mass strata, space variation of the lithological combinations as well as the space variation of stratum thickness, and structural deformation of the Badong formation. To demonstrate the basic law of long-term deformation of the Badong formation slopes and the patterns of later stage reformation and landslide evolution, the authors use the Huangtupo landslide as an example, as it is a typical failure in the Badong formation.