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A large-scale obliquely inclined bedding rockslide, activated by a heavy rainstorm, occurred on July 8, 2020, at 7:05 (UTC + 8) in Shiban Village, Songtao Miao Autonomous County, Guizhou Province, China. The loss of life in this event was greatly reduced owing to the local warning system for rainstorm-induced geohazards. To understand the failure characteristics, triggering factors, the genetic mechanism of the landslide, the geomorphological features, geological characteristics, hydrological conditions, and rainfall characteristics were systematically studied by a synthetic approach including field investigations, satellite imagery, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography, laboratory tests, and rainfall data statistics. The results indicated that the interface between the soft and hard rock, the well-developed joints, and the free face in front of the slope constituted the boundaries of this landslide. The concave topography at the back and southern edge of the landslide, the bare ground, and the cataclastic structure of the rock mass provided favorable conditions for the collection or infiltration of rainwater. The concentrated rainstorm was the direct trigger for the landslide, which led to a rapid inflow and retention of rainfall in the landslide through favorable landform and geological conditions. The groundwater recharge that cannot be drained in time caused the mechanical deterioration of rock mass and induced a rapid increase in pore water pressure in the landslide. Moreover, the water level of the Ganlong River at the toe of the slope also rose rapidly, and the uplift pressure in front of the slope increased accordingly. Under the combined action of these adverse factors, the overall anti-sliding force of the slope was less than the sliding force, finally resulting in the landslide. Remarkably, the local warning system for rainstorm-induced geohazards successfully forecasted the landslide, but the shortcoming is that the forecast time in advance is short. Nevertheless, the prediction has significantly reduced human casualties and provided valuable experience for the prediction of this type of landslide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium sulfate accumulation in the water system is a common problem in the production of primary metals from sulfide minerals. In flash smelting-flash converting copper smelters, when molten copper matte quenched in industrial water to produce matte granules, Na2SO4 precipitated and entered the system, which had negative influence on the matte converting process. The reaction behaviors of copper matte powder containing Na2SO4 have been studied through thermodynamic calculation and single-particle experiments. Calculated results showed that a liquid sulfate phase, Na2S containing copper matte, and Cu–Na alloy may form in the processing conditions of the converting process. The influence of the Na2SO4 dosage, fluxing conditions, and processing temperature has been systematically studied, and the results obtained showed that: (1); Na2SO4 physically precipitated on matte particles, and the Cu–Na alloy phase was found within copper phase in reacted particles; (2); Na2SO4 contamination hindered oxygen transfer by forming a low melting sulfate phase, and the de-sulfuration rate of matte powder changed dramatically along with the variation in Na2SO4 amount; (3); CaO flux was able to promote the converting reactions and Na2SO4 transformation; (4); Na2SO4 melt and formed a sulphate layer on matte particles at 1000 °C, Cu–Na alloy phase was found in samples collected at 1200 °C, and Cu–Na–O phase was detected in blister copper at 1600 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]