Scaling laws for rockfall impact fragmentation emerging from diverse lithologies
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arXiv
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| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866911418345848832 |
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| author | Vergara, Alvaro Palma, Sergio Fuentes, Raul |
| author_facet | Vergara, Alvaro Palma, Sergio Fuentes, Raul |
| contents | Impact-induced fragmentation is a fundamental dissipative process in geosciences, yet its stochastic nature makes predicting debris evolution a persistent challenge. Here, we introduce a discrete element framework to resolve fragmentation mechanics across a diverse lithological spectrum, from high-strength siliciclastic units to massive carbonates, validated against high-resolution field data from documented rockfall events. Our results reveal that, despite the inherent randomness of impact dynamics, fragment size distributions consistently follow a universal Weibull scaling law, independent of lithology or initial kinetic energy. By applying a relative breakage index, we demonstrate a remarkable collapse of fragmentation data onto a single statistical signature, bridging the gap between grain-scale fracture and macroscopic debris evolution. We find that this Weibullian signature acts as a proxy for lithological sensitivity, reflecting distinct efficiencies in converting kinetic energy into new fracture surfaces. This framework explicitly resolves the energy partitioning between surviving blocks and comminuted debris, providing a robust predictive link between impact mechanics and structural resilience. From an engineering perspective, our findings enable a shift from idealised single-block impact assumptions toward a realistic assessment of distributed energy in fragmented particle clouds, offering a physical basis for optimising protective galleries and hazard mitigation strategies in complex mountainous terrains. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_03360 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Scaling laws for rockfall impact fragmentation emerging from diverse lithologies Vergara, Alvaro Palma, Sergio Fuentes, Raul Geophysics Impact-induced fragmentation is a fundamental dissipative process in geosciences, yet its stochastic nature makes predicting debris evolution a persistent challenge. Here, we introduce a discrete element framework to resolve fragmentation mechanics across a diverse lithological spectrum, from high-strength siliciclastic units to massive carbonates, validated against high-resolution field data from documented rockfall events. Our results reveal that, despite the inherent randomness of impact dynamics, fragment size distributions consistently follow a universal Weibull scaling law, independent of lithology or initial kinetic energy. By applying a relative breakage index, we demonstrate a remarkable collapse of fragmentation data onto a single statistical signature, bridging the gap between grain-scale fracture and macroscopic debris evolution. We find that this Weibullian signature acts as a proxy for lithological sensitivity, reflecting distinct efficiencies in converting kinetic energy into new fracture surfaces. This framework explicitly resolves the energy partitioning between surviving blocks and comminuted debris, providing a robust predictive link between impact mechanics and structural resilience. From an engineering perspective, our findings enable a shift from idealised single-block impact assumptions toward a realistic assessment of distributed energy in fragmented particle clouds, offering a physical basis for optimising protective galleries and hazard mitigation strategies in complex mountainous terrains. |
| title | Scaling laws for rockfall impact fragmentation emerging from diverse lithologies |
| topic | Geophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.03360 |