scholarly journals A Study on Behavior Characteristics and Triggering Rainfall of Debris Flow

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changbong Jang ◽  
Youngnam Choi ◽  
Namjae Yoo
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Behavior Characteristics ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

scholarly journals Triggering conditions and depositional characteristics of a disastrous debris flow event in Zhouqu city, Gansu Province, northwestern China

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2903-2912 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Tang ◽  
N. Rengers ◽  
Th. W. J. van Asch ◽  
Y. H. Yang ◽  
G. F. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Northwestern China ◽  
Catastrophic Event ◽  
Catchment Areas ◽  
Triggering Conditions ◽  
Geomorphological Features ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

Abstract. On 7 August 2010, catastrophic debris flows were triggered by a rainstorm in the catchments of the Sanyanyu and Luojiayu torrents, Zhouqu County, Gansu Province northwestern China. These two debris flows originated shortly after a rainstorm with an intensity of 77.3 mm h−1 and transported a total volume of about 2.2 million m3, which was deposited on an existing debris fan and into a river. This catastrophic event killed 1765 people living on this densely urbanised fan. The poorly sorted sediment contains boulders up to 3–4 m in diameter. In this study, the geomorphological features of both debris flow catchment areas are analyzed based on the interpretation of high-resolution remote sensing imagery combined with field investigation. The characteristics of the triggering rainfall and the initiation of the debris flow occurrence are discussed. Using empirical equations, the peak velocities and discharges of the debris flows were estimated to be around 9.7 m s−1 and 1358 m3 s−1 for the Sanyanyu torrent and 11 m s−1 and 572 m3 s−1 for the Luojiayu torrent. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the conditions leading to catastrophic debris flow events.

Post-earthquake changes in debris flow susceptibility in the Upper Minjiang catchment (Sichuan, China), as revealed by meteorological and hydro-meteorological thresholds

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Greco ◽  
Pasquale Marino ◽  
Siva Srikrishnan ◽  
Xuanmei Fan
Keyword(s):  
Water Balance ◽  
Debris Flow ◽  
Wenchuan Earthquake ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Strong Increase ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
2008 Wenchuan Earthquake ◽  
Soil Storage ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

<p>On May 12, 2008, a Mw 7.9 earthquake struck Wenchuan, Longmen Shan Area, in western Sichuan, China, at the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. This earthquake was the largest and most destructive event in the last 60 years, causing more than 87000 casualties. The economic loss was estimated at some 1100 billion RMB. The major fault rupture produced surface displacements up to 3-4 meters, spreading from the epicenter (near the town of Yingxiu) for 240 km along the mountain range.</p><p>The Wenchuan Earthquake triggered almost 200000 co-seismic landslides over a region larger than 110000 km<sup>2</sup>, leading to the accumulation of large volumes of loose material either along slopes or in gullies. After the earthquake, this material caused a strong increase of debris flow occurrence in the subsequent years, mainly in the worst-hit areas, such as Wenchuan, Beichuan and Mao counties. During the years immediately after the earthquake, the rainfall required for debris flow triggering resulted clearly smaller than before (Guo et al., 2016). Afterwards, the response of the debris deposits to rainfall changed, leading to a general recovery of stability and a reduction of debris flow frequency and magnitude (Domènech et al., 2019).</p><p>In this study, the assessment of debris flows occurrence throughout upper Minjiang catchment, to which Wenchuan county belongs, is modeled with two empirical approaches, both based on the available record of precipitations and debris flows in the years 2008-2015. In the first approach, a threshold to predict debris flow occurrence is defined based on intensity and duration of potentially triggering rainfall events (meteorological threshold). With the second approach, also the hydrological conditions predisposing the slopes to debris flows are considered, by assessing the water balance in the catchment with a simplified lumped hydrological model, based on the Budyko framework (Zhang et al., 2008), and defining a threshold to predict debris flows based on rainfall depth and estimated soil storage prior the onset of rainfall (hydro-meteorological threshold).</p><p>The obtained results indicate that the hydro-meteorological threshold allows catching the progressive recovery of stability of the debris deposits much better than the meteorological threshold, leading to identification of increasing thresholds, both in terms of pre-event soil storage and triggering rainfall amount, in the years from 2008 onward. Such a result shows that the adoption of process-based approaches , even empirical and strongly simplified as in the presented case, leads to predictions of debris flow occurrence more robust than those based solely on rainfall information.</p><p> </p><p>References</p><p>Domènech, G., Fan, X., Scaringi, G., van Asch, T.W.J., Xu, Q., Huang, R., Hales, T.C., 2019. Modelling the role of material depletion, grain coarsening and revegetation in debris flow occurrences after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Eng. Geol. 250, 34-44.</p><p>Guo, X., Cui, P., Li, Y., Fan, J., Yan, Y., Ge, Y., 2016. Temporal differentiation of rainfall thresholds for debris flows in Wenchuan earthquake-affected areas. Environ. Earth Sci. 75, 1–12.</p><p>Zhang, L., Potter, N., Hickel, K., Zhang, Y., Shao, Q., 2008. Water balance modeling over variable time scales based on the Budyko framework – Model development and testing. J. Hydrol. 360, 117-131.</p>

scholarly journals Debris flows recorded in the Moscardo catchment (Italian Alps) between 1990 and 2019

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Marchi ◽  
Federico Cazorzi ◽  
Massimo Arattano ◽  
Sara Cucchiaro ◽  
Marco Cavalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Flow Depth ◽  
Italian Alps ◽  
The Public ◽  
Time To Peak ◽  
Velocity Peak ◽  
Basic Features ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

Abstract. This paper presents debris-flows data recorded in the Moscardo Torrent (eastern Italian Alps) between 1990 and 2019. In this time interval, 30 debris flows were observed, 26 of them were monitored by sensors installed on the channel, while four were only documented through post-event observations. Monitored data consist of debris-flow hydrographs, measured utilizing ultrasonic sensors, and rainfall. Debris flows in the Moscardo Torrent occur from early June to the end of September, with higher frequency in the first part of summer. The paper presents data on triggering rainfall, flow velocity, peak discharge, and volume for the monitored hydrographs. Simplified triangular hydrographs and dimensionless hydrographs were derived to show the basic features of the debris flows in the Moscardo Torrent (time to peak, surge duration, flow depth) and permitting comparison with other instrumented catchments. The dataset is made available to the public with the following DOI: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.919707 .

scholarly journals Impact of rainfall spatial aggregation on the identification of debris flow occurrence thresholds

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Marra ◽  
Elisa Destro ◽  
Efthymios I. Nikolopoulos ◽  
Davide Zoccatelli ◽  
Jean Dominique Creutin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Rain Gauge ◽  
Spatial Aggregation ◽  
Scale Parameters ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

Abstract. The systematic underestimation observed in debris flows early warning thresholds has been associated to the use of sparse rain gauge networks to represent highly non-stationary rainfall fields. Remote sensing products permit concurrent estimates of debris flow-triggering rainfall for areas poorly covered by rain gauges, but the impact of using coarse spatial resolutions to represent such rainfall fields is still to be assessed. This study uses fine resolution radar data for ~ 100 debris flows in the eastern Italian Alps to (i) quantify the effect of spatial aggregation (1–20-km grid size) on the estimation of debris flow triggering rainfall and on the identification of early warning thresholds and (ii) compare thresholds derived from aggregated estimates and rain gauge networks of different densities. The impact of spatial aggregation is influenced by the spatial organization of rainfall and by its dependence on the severity of the triggering rainfall. Thresholds from aggregated estimates show up to 8 % and 21 % variations in the shape and scale parameters respectively. Thresholds from synthetic rain gauge networks show > 10 % variation in the shape and > 25 % systematic underestimation in the scale parameter, even for densities as high as 1/10 km−2.

scholarly journals Debris flows recorded in the Moscardo catchment (Italian Alps) between 1990 and 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-97
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Marchi ◽  
Federico Cazorzi ◽  
Massimo Arattano ◽  
Sara Cucchiaro ◽  
Marco Cavalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Flow Depth ◽  
Italian Alps ◽  
The Public ◽  
Time To Peak ◽  
Velocity Peak ◽  
Basic Features ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

Abstract. This paper presents debris-flow data recorded in the Moscardo Torrent (eastern Italian Alps) between 1990 and 2019. In this time interval, 30 debris flows were observed: 26 of them were monitored by sensors installed on the channel, while four were only documented through post-event observations. Monitored data consist of debris-flow hydrographs, measured utilizing ultrasonic sensors, and rainfall. Debris flows in the Moscardo Torrent occur from early June to the end of September, with higher frequency in the first part of summer. The paper presents data on triggering rainfall, flow velocity, peak discharge, and volume for the monitored hydrographs. Simplified triangular hydrographs and dimensionless hydrographs were derived to show the basic features of the debris flows in the Moscardo Torrent (time to peak, surge duration, flow depth) and permitting comparison with other instrumented catchments. The dataset is made available to the public with the following DOI: https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.919707.

scholarly journals Impact of rainfall spatial aggregation on the identification of debris flow occurrence thresholds

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 4525-4532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Marra ◽  
Elisa Destro ◽  
Efthymios I. Nikolopoulos ◽  
Davide Zoccatelli ◽  
Jean Dominique Creutin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Spatial Organization ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Rain Gauge ◽  
Spatial Aggregation ◽  
Rain Gauges ◽  
Fine Resolution ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

Abstract. The systematic underestimation observed in debris flow early warning thresholds has been associated with the use of sparse rain gauge networks to represent highly non-stationary rainfall fields. Remote sensing products permit concurrent estimates of debris-flow-triggering rainfall for areas poorly covered by rain gauges, but the impact of using coarse spatial resolutions to represent such rainfall fields is still to be assessed. This study uses fine-resolution radar data for ∼  100 debris flows in the eastern Italian Alps to (i) quantify the effect of spatial aggregation (1–20 km grid size) on the estimation of debris-flow-triggering rainfall and on the identification of early warning thresholds and (ii) compare thresholds derived from aggregated estimates and rain gauge networks of different densities. The impact of spatial aggregation is influenced by the spatial organization of rainfall and by its dependence on the severity of the triggering rainfall. Thresholds from aggregated estimates show 8–21 % variation in the parameters whereas 10–25 % systematic variation results from the use of rain gauge networks, even for densities as high as 1∕10 km−2.

Estimation of debris flow triggering rainfall: Influence of rain gauge density and interpolation methods

Geomorphology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 243 ◽  
pp. 40-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.I. Nikolopoulos ◽  
M. Borga ◽  
J.D. Creutin ◽  
F. Marra
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Rain Gauge ◽  
Interpolation Methods ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

Monitoring Debris-Flow Surges and Triggering Rainfall at the Lattenbach Creek, Austria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes Huebl ◽  
Roland Kaitna
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Laser Sensor ◽  
Flow Depth ◽  
Radar Sensors ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

ABSTRACT Debris-flow events often comprise a sequence of surges, sometimes termed “roll waves.” The reason for this surging behavior is still a matter of debate. Explanations include the growth of hydraulic instabilities, periodic sediment deposition and release, or grain size sorting. High-resolution field measurements together with triggering rainfall characteristics are rare. We present results for 3 years of monitoring debris-flow events at Lattenbach Creek in the western part of Austria. The monitoring system includes a weather station in the headwaters of the creek, radar sensors for measuring flow depth at different locations along the channel, as well as a two-dimensional rotational laser sensor installed over a fixed cross section that yields a three-dimensional surface model of the passing debris-flow event. We find that the debris flows at Lattenbach Creek were all triggered by rainstorms of less than 2 hours and exhibited surges for each observed event. The velocities of the surges were up to twice as high as the front velocity. Often, the first surges that included boulders and woody debris had the highest flow depth and discharge and showed an irregular geometry. The shape of the surges in the second half of the flow, which carried smaller grain sizes and less woody debris, were rather regular and showed a striking geometric similarity, but still high velocities. The results of our monitoring efforts aim to improve our understanding of the surging behavior of debris flows and provide data for model testing for the scientific community.

Debris-flow data collected in the Moscardo Torrent (eastern Italian Alps) between 1990 and 2019

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Marchi ◽  
Massimo Arattano ◽  
Marco Cavalli ◽  
Federico Cazorzi ◽  
Stefano Crema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Flow Data ◽  
Italian Alps ◽  
Time To Peak ◽  
Flow Monitoring ◽  
Monitoring Activities ◽  
Total Event ◽  
Flow Variables ◽  
Triggering Rainfall

<p>Debris-flow research requires experimental data that are difficult to collect because of the intrinsic characteristics of these processes. Both post-event field observations and monitoring in instrumented channels are suitable to collect debris-flow field data, even if with different resolutions and purposes. Monitoring in instrumented channels enables recording data that cannot be gathered by means of post-event surveys in ungauged channels. Extending the monitoring activities over multidecadal time intervals increases the significance of collected data because longer time series permit recognizing changes in debris-flow response as a consequence of changes in controlling factors, such as climate, land use, and the implementation of control works.</p><p>This paper presents debris-flows data recorded in the Moscardo Torrent (eastern Italian Alps) between 1990 and 2019. As far as we know, the Moscardo Torrent basin was the first catchment equipped with permanent instrumentation for debris-flow monitoring in Europe. The monitoring activities in the Moscardo Torrent began in 1989-1990 and still keep on, although with some gaps due to the implementation of control works in the instrumented channel (1998-2000) and the obsolescence of the instrumentation between 2007 and 2010.</p><p>Thirty debris flows were observed between 1990 and 2019; 26 of them were monitored by sensors installed on the channel (at two measuring stations for most events), while four debris flows were documented by means of post-event observations. Monitored data consist of debris-flow hydrographs, measured by means of ultrasonic sensors, and rainfall. Debris flows in the Moscardo Torrent occur from early June to the end of September, with higher frequency in the first part of summer.</p><p>This contribution presents data on triggering rainfall, flow velocity, peak discharge and volume for the monitored hydrographs. The relatively large number of debris-flow events recorded in the Moscardo Torrent has permitted to recognize the main characteristics of the debris-flow hydrographs. We used the data related to duration and the maximum depth of the debris-flow surges to define triangular hydrographs related to different event severity. Simplified triangular hydrographs show the distinctive features of debris flows (short total event duration and very short time to peak) and can help defining realistic inputs to debris-flow propagation models. A more detailed representation of hydrographs shape was achieved by averaging the recorded hydrographs of debris-flow surges. This analysis was performed on the debris flows recorded between 2002 and 2019: data for 12 surges for each of the two flow measuring stations were available. Dimensionless hydrographs were generated normalizing the flow depth by its maximum value and the time by the total surge duration. Flow peaks were aligned to preserve the sharp shape that is a distinctive feature of debris-flow hydrographs. Finally, the ordinates were averaged, and mean debris-flow hydrographs were obtained.</p><p>Debris-flow data collected in the Moscardo Torrent dataset could contribute to further analysis, including the comparison of triggering rainfall and flow variables with those recorded in other basins instrumented for debris-flows monitoring under different climate and geolithological conditions.</p>

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document