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

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Segadelli ◽  
Federico Grazzini ◽  
Michele Adorni ◽  
Maria Teresa De Nardo ◽  
Anna Fornasiero ◽  
...  

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.

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1131-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth E. Kunkel ◽  
David R. Easterling ◽  
David A. R. Kristovich ◽  
Byron Gleason ◽  
Leslie Stoecker ◽  
...  

Abstract Daily extreme precipitation events, exceeding a threshold for a 1-in-5-yr occurrence, were identified from a network of 935 Cooperative Observer stations for the period of 1908–2009. Each event was assigned a meteorological cause, categorized as extratropical cyclone near a front (FRT), extratropical cyclone near center of low (ETC), tropical cyclone (TC), mesoscale convective system (MCS), air mass (isolated) convection (AMC), North American monsoon (NAM), and upslope flow (USF). The percentage of events ascribed to each cause were 54% for FRT, 24% for ETC, 13% for TC, 5% for MCS, 3% for NAM, 1% for AMC, and 0.1% for USF. On a national scale, there are upward trends in events associated with fronts and tropical cyclones, but no trends for other meteorological causes. On a regional scale, statistically significant upward trends in the frontal category are found in five of the nine regions. For ETCs, there are statistically significant upward trends in the Northeast and east north central. For the NAM category, the trend in the West is upward. The central region has seen an upward trend in events caused by TCs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikrishnan Siva Subramanian ◽  
Ali. P. Yunus ◽  
Faheed Jasin ◽  
Minu Treesa Abraham ◽  
Neelima Sathyam ◽  
...  

Abstract The frequency of unprecedented extreme precipitation events is increasing, and consequently, catastrophic debris flows occur in regions worldwide. Rapid velocity and long-runout distances of debris flow induce massive loss of life and damage to infrastructure. Despite extensive research, understanding the initiation mechanisms and defining early warning thresholds for extreme-precipitation-induced debris flows remain a challenge. Due to the nonavailability of extreme events in the past, statistical models cannot determine thresholds from historical datasets. Here, we develop a numerical model to analyze the initiation and runout of extreme-precipitation-induced runoff-generated debris flows and derive the Intensity-Duration (ID) rainfall threshold. We choose the catastrophic debris flow on 6 August 2020 in Pettimudi, Kerala, India, for our analysis. Our model satisfactorily predicts the accumulation thickness (7 m to 8 m) and occurrence time of debris flow compared to the benchmark. Results reveal that the debris flow was rapid, traveling with a maximum velocity of 9 m/s for more than 9 minutes. The ID rainfall threshold defined for the event suggests earlier thresholds are not valid for debris flow triggered by extreme precipitation. The methodology we develop in this study is helpful to derive ID rainfall thresholds for debris flows without historical data.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linh N. Luu ◽  
Robert Vautard ◽  
Pascal Yiou ◽  
Jean-Michel Soubeyroux

Abstract. In the autumn, the French Mediterranean area is frequently exposed to heavy precipitation events whose daily accumulation can exceed 300 mm. One of the key processes contributing to these precipitation amounts is the deep convection, which can be resolved explicitly by state-or-the-art convection-permitting model to reproduce heavy rainfall events that are comparable to observations. However, this approach has never been used in climate simulation for the Mediterranean coastal region. In this research, we investigate the added values of using three ensembles of climate simulations at convection-permitting resolution (approx. 3 km) in replicating extreme precipitation events in both daily and shorter time scale over the South of France. These three convection-permitting simulations are performed with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). They are forced by three EURO-CORDEX simulations, which are also downscaled with WRF at the resolution of 0.11° (approx. 12 km). We found that a convection-permitting approach provides a more realistic representation of extreme daily and 3-hourly rainfall simulations in comparison with EURO-CORDEX simulations. Their similarity with observations allows a use for climate change studies and its impacts.


Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison K. Post ◽  
Kristin P. Davis ◽  
Jillian LaRoe ◽  
David L. Hoover ◽  
Alan K. Knapp

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Changjun Wan ◽  
Changxiu Cheng ◽  
Sijing Ye ◽  
Shi Shen ◽  
Ting Zhang

Precipitation is an essential climate variable in the hydrologic cycle. Its abnormal change would have a serious impact on the social economy, ecological development and life safety. In recent decades, many studies about extreme precipitation have been performed on spatio-temporal variation patterns under global changes; little research has been conducted on the regionality and persistence, which tend to be more destructive. This study defines extreme precipitation events by percentile method, then applies the spatio-temporal scanning model (STSM) and the local spatial autocorrelation model (LSAM) to explore the spatio-temporal aggregation characteristics of extreme precipitation, taking China in July as a case. The study result showed that the STSM with the LSAM can effectively detect the spatio-temporal accumulation areas. The extreme precipitation events of China in July 2016 have a significant spatio-temporal aggregation characteristic. From the spatial perspective, China’s summer extreme precipitation spatio-temporal clusters are mainly distributed in eastern China and northern China, such as Dongting Lake plain, the Circum-Bohai Sea region, Gansu, and Xinjiang. From the temporal perspective, the spatio-temporal clusters of extreme precipitation are mainly distributed in July, and its occurrence was delayed with an increase in latitude, except for in Xinjiang, where extreme precipitation events often take place earlier and persist longer.


Author(s):  
Maurizio Iannuccilli ◽  
Giorgio Bartolini ◽  
Giulio Betti ◽  
Alfonso Crisci ◽  
Daniele Grifoni ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document