Research Interests and Expertise: I am a PhD researcher specializing in geological hazards, with a particular focus on the mechanisms of breaching in landslide and moraine dams and the resulting outburst floods. My research integrates experimental investigations and numerical modeling to enhance our understanding of dam failure processes and their downstream impacts.
In my experimental work, I have designed and developed a custom instrumented flume capable of real-time monitoring of dynamic (force plate) and seismic (geophones) signals during dam breaching and outburst flood events. This setup allows for a detailed analysis of the physical and mechanical processes governing breach initiation and evolution. On the numerical side, I employ depth-averaged continuum models in combination with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools such as OlaFOAM and OpenFOAM to simulate breach dynamics and flood wave propagation.
My research aims to improve the scientific understanding of natural dam failures and contribute to the development of more effective hazard assessment and risk mitigation strategies. To date, my publications (10 in total) have received 
🌈🌈🌈 If you are interested in further discussions on academic topics related to my research, please don’t hesitate to reach out via email at luxueqiang2018@gmail.com or luxueqiang18@mails.ucas.ac.cn.
🔥 Recent News
- 🧨🧨 Nov. 11, 2022: Our Research on “Landslide Dam Breaches” Featured as AGU Weekly Highlight. 🔗 [Original Website]
- 🧨🧨 Jul.11, 2022: The ANSO (Alliance of National and International Science Organizations) Highlights Our Research on “Wave Overtopping” Published in Engineering Geology. 🔗 [Original Website]
📝 Research Highlights
Gordon G.D. Zhou, XUEQIANG LU*, Yunxu Xie, Kahlil F. E. Cui, and Hui Tang. (2022). Mechanisms of the non‐uniform breach morphology evolution of landslide dams composed of unconsolidated sediments during overtopping failure. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 127(10), e2022JF006664.
[Original Website] [Google Scholar]
Highlights
- Erosion along dam surfaces varies non-uniformly in both vertical and lateral directions;
- The non-uniform breach morphology evolution promotes a positive feedback between the breach flow velocity and dam surface gradients;
- The gradual saturation of the breach flow with sediment influences the non-uniform breach morphology evolution of breaching landslide dams.
XUEQIANG LU, Gordon G.D. Zhou*, Kahlil F. E. Cui, Hui Tang, and Yunxu Xie. (2022). Overtopping volume of impulse waves in glacier lakes: Experimental and numerical investigation using rigid dams. Engineering Geology, 306, 106763.
[Original Website] [Google Scholar]
Highlights
- A quantitative relationship between the runup and overtopping volume of solitary waves is newly established;
- A novel overtopping equation, developed from geometric arguments, captures its dependence on the wave and dam properties;
- An empirical method relating the wave and dam properties to the outburst flood volume is proposed.
📑 Other Publications
-
JGR: ES. 2025 Kahlil F. E. Cui., …, XUEQIANG LU and Tao Zhao. (2025). Modeling the dense granular flow rheology of particles with different surface friction: implications for geophysical mass flows. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 130, e2024JF008048.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JF008048 [Google Scholar] -
Eng. Geol. 2025 Hongwei Luo, Gordon G.D. Zhou*., XUEQIANG LU., …, and Alessandro Pasuto. (2025). Experimental investigation on the formation and failure of landslide dams considering the landslide mobility and river flow. Engineering Geology, 346, 107873.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2024.107873 [Google Scholar] -
Eng. Geol. 2022 Gordon G.D. Zhou., Shuai Li*., XUEQIANG LU and Hui Tang. (2022). Large-scale landslide dam breach experiments: Overtopping and “overtopping and seepage” failures. Engineering Geology, 304, 106680.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2022.106680 [Google Scholar] -
Eng. Geol. 2022 Yunxu Xie., Gordon G.D. Zhou*., Kahlil F.E. Cui and XUEQIANG LU. (2022). Numerical investigation of debris flows using a two-phase continuum model incorporating a visco-inertial rheology. Engineering Geology, 308, 106797.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2022.106797 [Google Scholar] -
Eng. Geol. 2021 Dongri Song., Xiaoqing Chen*., Gordon G.D. Zhou., XUEQIANG LU., …, and Qian Chen. (2021). Impact dynamics of debris flow against rigid obstacle in laboratory experiments. Engineering Geology, 291, 106211.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106211 [Google Scholar] -
J. Mt. Sci. 2019 Mingjun Zhou., Gordon G.D. Zhou*., Kahlil F.E. Cui., …, and XUEQIANG LU. (2019). Influence of inflow discharge and bed erodibility on outburst flood of landslide dam. Journal of Mountain Science, 16(4), 778–792.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5312-8 [Google Scholar]
👨🏻🏫 Conference Papers
-
DFHM8 Kahlil F.E. Cui., Gordon G.D. Zhou*., …, and XUEQIANG LU. (2023). Particle size segregation and diffusion in saturated granular flows: Implications for grain sorting in debris flows. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 415, p. 01003). EDP Sciences.
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202341501003 [Google Scholar] -
DFHM8 Gordon G.D. Zhou., Kahlil F.E. Cui*., …, XUEQIANG LU and Yunxu Xie. (2023). Keynote lecture. Impact dynamics of debris flow against slit dam: Experimental and numerical investigation. In E3S Web of Conferences (Vol. 415, p. 06022). EDP Sciences.
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202341506022 [Google Scholar]
🏆 Honors and Awards
- 2017.09, National Outstanding Graduation Design (Thesis) Award in Rock Mechanics and Engineering, Awarded by the Chinese Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering, this prestigious recognition is granted to only 39 exceptional theses nationwide, honoring outstanding contributions to the field of rock mechanics and engineering;
👨🏻🏫 Academic Presentation
- 2023.09, The XIV Congress of the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment, Oral Presentation: Non-Uniform Breach Evolution of Landslide Dams During Overtopping Failure, Paper No:B235 [PPT]
📄 Projects
— Current Projects —
- National Key Laboratory of Mountain River Conservation and Governance (Sichuan University) Application for Open Collaboration Funding, No. SKHL2308, Numerical simulation of the disaster chain of “landslide - river blockage – dammed lake – outburst flooding” whole process, 2024.01 – 2025.12, CNY 40,000, Ongoing, Participant;
— Previous Projects —
- Sino-German Science Center of NSFC, Sino-German Cooperative Exchange Project, M-0145, Mountain Hazards under Climate Change, 2021-01 to 2024-12, CNY 741,072, finished, Participant;