scholarly journals Hydrometeorological Triggering of Periglacial Debris Flows Using a Bayesian Approach: A Case Study of the Hailuogou Gully Region, China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Ningsheng Chen ◽  
Guisheng Hu ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Genxu Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Characteristics ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽  
Hydrometeorological Conditions ◽  
Debris Flow Initiation

Abstract Mount Gonggais located in the east of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau; many debris flows have occurred in small basins with a small glacier cover or snow cover in this area. The hydrometeorological conditions that caused debris flows in this region are complex, making forecasting and early warning difficult. Previous studies for these small-glacial-covered basins have primarily considered rainfall as the only inducing factor of debris flows, and often the effects of temperature are neglected. Thus, we carried out a probabilistic analysis of variables derived from hydrometeorological factors for the Mount Gongga region, Sichuan, China, where debris flows were recorded on 14 days between 1988 and 2019. By analyzing hydrological characteristics when debris flows occurred, three distinct dominant trigger types could be identified. The results show that 7 (50%) of the observed debris flow events during the study period, high-intensity rainfall was the dominant trigger, snowmelt by high temperature was identified as the dominant trigger for 2 (14%). Furthermore, 5 (36%) debris flow events could be attributed to the combined effects of long-lasting (or short-medium) rainfall and sustained higher temperatures. We find that the differences between the trigger types are statistically significant, and a susceptibility prediction differentiating between trigger types can outperform simple rainfall-only situations. This study contributes to an improved understanding of the hydrometeorological impact on debris flow initiation in high elevation watersheds.

scholarly journals Dynamic Process Analysis and Hazard Prediction of Debris Flow in Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Area—A Case Study at Ridi Gully

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Zou ◽  
Gordon G. D. Zhou ◽  
Shusong Li ◽  
Chaojun Ouyang ◽  
Jinbo Tang
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Dynamic Process ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Plateau Area ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

IMPACT OF EARTHQUAKE ON DEBRIS FLOWS — A CASE STUDY ON THE WENCHUAN EARTHQUAKE

2011 ◽  
Vol 05 (05) ◽  
pp. 493-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
NING-SHENG CHEN ◽  
GUI-SHENG HU ◽  
MING-FENG DENG ◽  
WEI ZHOU ◽  
CHENG-LIN YANG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Wenchuan Earthquake ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Land Form ◽  
Earthquakes In China ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Debris Flow Initiation ◽  
Stable Stage

This paper describes a study about the impact of earthquakes on debris flows with a focus on the Great Wenchuan Earthquake 2008 in China. The land form, precipitation, and source material are the three key factors for debris flow initiation in the Wenchuan surrounding area. Classifications and examples of four types of debris flow initiation triggering (gully triggering, slope triggering, liquefaction triggering, and gully erosion triggering) have been presented. The initiation mechanisms are attributed to hydraulic and geomechanical aspects. The actual debris flow cases linked with the Great Wenchuan Earthquake and other earthquakes in China have been used to illustrate the increased magnitudes of debris flows due to a large amount of loose materials created by the seismic actions. The critical precipitation for debris flows is reduced by the earthquake. It is predicted that the impact of the Great Wenchuan Earthquake on the local debris flows would be significant in the next 5–6 years, and much less in the following years (up to 20 years). Finally, the debris flow system will reach a relative stable stage. This prediction is based on the historical observations at other earthquake areas and the qualitative analysis on debris flow initiation mechanisms.

scholarly journals Distribution and characteristics of large landslides in a fault zone: a case study of the NE Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Geomorphology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107592
Author(s):  
Tianjun Qi ◽  
Xingmin Meng ◽  
Feng Qing ◽  
Yan Zhao ◽  
Wei Shi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau

scholarly journals The temporally varying roles of rainfall, snowmelt and soil moisture for debris flow initiation in a snow-dominated system

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 3493-3513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Mostbauer ◽  
Roland Kaitna ◽  
David Prenner ◽  
Markus Hrachowitz
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Debris Flow ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Temporal Separation ◽  
Antecedent Soil Moisture ◽  
Trigger Mechanisms ◽  
Debris Flow Initiation

Abstract. Debris flows represent frequent hazards in mountain regions. Though significant effort has been made to predict such events, the trigger conditions as well as the hydrologic disposition of a watershed at the time of debris flow occurrence are not well understood. Traditional intensity-duration threshold techniques to establish trigger conditions generally do not account for distinct influences of rainfall, snowmelt, and antecedent moisture. To improve our knowledge on the connection between debris flow initiation and the hydrologic system at a regional scale, this study explores the use of a semi-distributed conceptual rainfall–runoff model, linking different system variables such as soil moisture, snowmelt, or runoff with documented debris flow events in the inner Pitztal watershed, Austria. The model was run on a daily basis between 1953 and 2012. Analysing a range of modelled system state and flux variables at days on which debris flows occurred, three distinct dominant trigger mechanisms could be clearly identified. While the results suggest that for 68 % (17 out of 25) of the observed debris flow events during the study period high-intensity rainfall was the dominant trigger, snowmelt was identified as the dominant trigger for 24 % (6 out of 25) of the observed debris flow events. In addition, 8 % (2 out of 25) of the debris flow events could be attributed to the combined effects of low-intensity, long-lasting rainfall and transient storage of this water, causing elevated antecedent soil moisture conditions. The results also suggest a relatively clear temporal separation between the distinct trigger mechanisms, with high-intensity rainfall as a trigger being limited to mid- and late summer. The dominant trigger in late spring/early summer is snowmelt. Based on the discrimination between different modelled system states and fluxes and, more specifically, their temporally varying importance relative to each other, this exploratory study demonstrates that already the use of a relatively simple hydrological model can prove useful to gain some more insight into the importance of distinct debris flow trigger mechanisms. This highlights in particular the relevance of snowmelt contributions and the switch between mechanisms during early to mid-summer in snow-dominated systems.

Debris flow initiation from ravel-filled channel bed failure following wildfire in a bedrock landscape with limited sediment supply

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa C. Palucis ◽  
Thomas P. Ulizio ◽  
Michael P. Lamb
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Sandy Sediment ◽  
Channel Network ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
First Order ◽  
Dry Ravel ◽  
Debris Flow Initiation

Steep, rocky landscapes often produce large sediment yields and debris flows following wildfire. Debris flows can initiate from landsliding or rilling in soil-mantled portions of the landscape, but there have been few direct observations of debris flow initiation in steep, rocky portions of the landscape that lack a thick, continuous soil mantle. We monitored a steep, first-order catchment that burned in the San Gabriel Mountains, California, USA. Following fire, but prior to rainfall, much of the hillslope soil mantle was removed by dry ravel, exposing bedrock and depositing ∼0.5 m of sandy sediment in the channel network. During a one-year recurrence rainstorm, debris flows initiated in the channel network, evacuating the accumulated dry ravel and underlying cobble bed, and scouring the channel to bedrock. The channel abuts a plowed terrace, which allowed a complete sediment budget, confirming that ∼95% of sediment deposited in a debris flow fan matched that evacuated from the channel, with a minor rainfall-driven hillslope contribution. Subsequent larger storms produced debris flows in higher-order channels but not in the first-order channel because of a sediment supply limitation. These observations are consistent with a model for post-fire ravel routing in steep, rocky landscapes where sediment was sourced by incineration of vegetation dams—following ∼30 years of hillslope soil production since the last fire—and transported downslope by dry processes, leading to a hillslope sediment-supply limitation and infilling of low-order channels with relatively fine sediment. Our observations of debris flow initiation are consistent with failure of the channel bed alluvium due to grain size reduction from dry ravel deposits that allowed high Shields numbers and mass failure even for moderate intensity rainstorms.

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