A new approach to assessing vulnerability of mountain highways subject to debris flows in China

Mountain highways in China are located in various natural geographical areas with intense tectonic activity, steep topography and a high frequency of extreme precipitation events. These conditions make the highways vulnerable to the occurrence of multiple large debris flows simultaneously during heavy rainfall. To manage this hazard risk, a broader understanding of the hazard effects of debris flows and the vulnerability of highways is needed to reduce the losses resulting from these hazardous events. Accordingly, we analysed the effects of debris flow hazards on mountain highways and established an updated systematic indicator system to describe the vulnerability of highway infrastructure and movable hazard-affected objects. Next, we proposed a new integrated model of highway vulnerability based on the environmental sensibility, structural properties and functional effects of the highway infrastructure and on the exposure probability and quantity of movable hazard-affected objects. By analysing the characteristics of elements affected by debris flows, we developed a systematic and quantitative method of vulnerability assessment for mountain highways. Finally, this implemented method was applied to a case study in the Xiqu section of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, an area seriously affected by debris flows during each rainy season. The hazard characteristics of disasters were analysed, and the affected highway sections were divided into four vulnerability levels. The analysis of the results indicated that the calculated vulnerability coincides with the actual effects of the disaster, which strongly suggests that the vulnerability assessment generated by the proposed method can serve as a pertinent guide for route selection, road rehabilitation and hazard mitigation of highways affected by debris flows in mountainous regions.

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NITROGEN AND CARBON DISCHARGE FROM EXTREME PRECIPITATION EVENTS: A CASE STUDY FROM THE SANTEE EXPERIMENTAL FOREST WATERSHED ON THE ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN

10.1130/abs/2019se-327586 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Devendra M. Amatya ◽

◽

Timothy J. Callahan ◽

Charles A. Harrison ◽

Carl C. Trettin

Keyword(s):

Coastal Plain ◽

Extreme Precipitation ◽

Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽

Extreme Precipitation Events ◽

Forest Watershed ◽

Atlantic Coastal ◽

Precipitation Events

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Evaluation of uncertainties in mean and extreme precipitation under climate change for northwestern Mediterranean watersheds from high-resolution Med and Euro-CORDEX ensembles

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-22-673-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 673-687 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Antoine Colmet-Daage ◽

Emilia Sanchez-Gomez ◽

Sophie Ricci ◽

Cécile Llovel ◽

Valérie Borrell Estupina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

High Resolution ◽

Extreme Precipitation ◽

Climate Models ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Regional Climate Models ◽

Historical Period ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Extreme Precipitation Events ◽

Precipitation Events

Abstract. The climate change impact on mean and extreme precipitation events in the northern Mediterranean region is assessed using high-resolution EuroCORDEX and MedCORDEX simulations. The focus is made on three regions, Lez and Aude located in France, and Muga located in northeastern Spain, and eight pairs of global and regional climate models are analyzed with respect to the SAFRAN product. First the model skills are evaluated in terms of bias for the precipitation annual cycle over historical period. Then future changes in extreme precipitation, under two emission scenarios, are estimated through the computation of past/future change coefficients of quantile-ranked model precipitation outputs. Over the 1981–2010 period, the cumulative precipitation is overestimated for most models over the mountainous regions and underestimated over the coastal regions in autumn and higher-order quantile. The ensemble mean and the spread for future period remain unchanged under RCP4.5 scenario and decrease under RCP8.5 scenario. Extreme precipitation events are intensified over the three catchments with a smaller ensemble spread under RCP8.5 revealing more evident changes, especially in the later part of the 21st century.

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New approach of water quantity vulnerability assessment using satellite images and GIS-based model: An application to a case study in Vietnam

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139784 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 737 ◽

pp. 139784 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thu Thuy Nguyen ◽

Huu Hao Ngo ◽

Wenshan Guo ◽

Hong Quan Nguyen ◽

Chinh Luu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vulnerability Assessment ◽

Satellite Images ◽

Water Quantity ◽

New Approach

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Predicting Extreme-Precipitation Effects on the Geomorphology of Small Mountain Catchments: Towards an Improved Understanding of the Consequences for Freshwater Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Water ◽

10.3390/w12010079 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 79 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Stefano Segadelli ◽

Federico Grazzini ◽

Michele Adorni ◽

Maria Teresa De Nardo ◽

Anna Fornasiero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extreme Precipitation ◽

Debris Flows ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Convective System ◽

Stream Channels ◽

Freshwater Biodiversity ◽

Rainfall Analysis ◽

Extreme Precipitation Events ◽

Hourly Rainfall ◽

Precipitation Events

In 2015 an intense rainfall event hit the Valleys of the Trebbia, Nure, and Aveto watercourses in the Northern Apennines. In about 6 h a mesoscale convective system deployed a stunning amount of precipitation of 340 mm, with an extreme hourly rainfall intensity of >100 mm/h. It triggered debris flows along slopes and stream channels, landslides and floods, which caused serious damages. Through the optimal combination of rainfall data and radar volumes, in this work we present a detailed rainfall analysis, which will serve as a basis to create a quantitative correlation with debris flows over elementary hydrological units. We aim at providing an objective basis for future predictions, starting from the recognition of the forcing meteorological events, and then arriving at the prediction of triggering phenomena and to the debris-flow type. We further provide seven observations/case studies on the effects of extreme-precipitation events on freshwater environments in small mountain catchments. Extreme-precipitation events are becoming more frequent and widespread globally but their ecological effects are still insufficiently understood. In general, the effects of extreme events on inland-waters’ ecosystems are highly context-dependent, ranging from deleterious to beneficial. We therefore highlight the necessity of further studies to characterize these effects in more depth to be able to include appropriate mitigation measures in environmental planning and stewardship.

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