Rapid flow-like landslides (RFLLs) are one-type of extremely dangerous mass flows. In the runout process of many RFLLs, the path materials are usually entrained by the landslides, enlarging the scale of them. As an emerging method, the material point method (MPM) has shown significant potential in modeling the entrainment process of RFLLs, while its application in the field is limited. In this study, we proposed an improved MPM model for simulating the entrainment process of RFLLs, aiming at shedding light on its dynamic mechanism. The model was utilized to analyze the entrainment process of a RFLL in China. The results indicate that the model proposed by us could reflect the entrainment phenomenon observed in the field to a certain extent, especially the plowing pattern and lateral spreading process of the path material. The entrainment process of the landslide case consists of three stages: 1) bending of entrained material, 2) formation of shear failure in it, and 3) occurrence of upheaval and lateral deformations. However, several critical limitations of the current model should be addressed to achieve a better understanding toward this phenomenon. The development of stable multi-phase MPM models incorporating the entrainment effect should be a feasible way to tackle these challenges.
 

Landslides,,numerical simulation model,MPM,Entrainment