scholarly journals Yield Stress Model for Natural Debris Flows in Presence of Fine and Coarse–Grained Sediments

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 1865
Author(s):  
Leonardo Schippa

When dealing with natural geo–hazards, it is important to understand the influence of sediment sorting on debris flows. The presence of coarse fraction is one of the aspects which affects the rheological behaviour of natural viscous granular fluid mixtures. In this paper, experiments on reconstituted debris flow mixtures with different coarse–to–fine sediment ratios are considered. Such mixtures behave just as non–Newtonian yield stress fluids and their rheological behaviour is largely affected by the presence of coarse fraction. Experimental results demonstrate that yield stress is very sensitive not only to bulk sediment concentration but also to coarse sediment fraction. A novel yield stress model is presented. It accounts for an empirical grading function depending on the coarse–to–fine grain content. The yield stress model performed satisfactorily in comparison with the experiments, showing that it is almost independent of the coarse–to–fine grain fraction in case of dominant coarse sediment content.

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2507-2514 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Scotto di Santolo ◽  
A. M. Pellegrino ◽  
A. Evangelista

Abstract. A model able to describe all the processes involved in a debris flow can be very complex owing to the sudden changing of the material that turns from solid into liquid state. The two phases of the phenomenon are analysed separately referring to soil mechanics procedures with regard to the trigger phase, and to an equivalent fluid for the post-failure phase. The present paper is devoted to show the experimental results carried out to evaluate the behaviour assumed by a pyroclastic-derived soil during the flow. A traditional fluid tool has been utilized: a standard rotational rheometer equipped with two different geometries. The soils tested belong to deposits that cover the slopes of the Campania region, Italy, often affected by debris flows. The influence of solid concentration Cv and grain size distribution was tested: the soils were destructurated, sieved and mixed with water starting from the in situ porosity. All material mixtures showed a non-Newtonian fluid behaviour with a yield stress τy that increases with a solid volumetric concentration and decreases for an increase of sand fraction. The experimental data were fitted with standard model for fluids. A simple relation between Cv and τy was obtained. The yield stress seems to be a key parameter for describing and predicting the post-failure behaviour of debris flows. These results suggest that in the field a small change in solid fraction, due to rainfall, will cause a slight decrease of the static yield stress, readily inducing a rapid flow which will stop only when the dynamic yield stress is reached, namely on a much smoother slope. This can explain the in situ observed post-failure behaviour of debris flows, which are able to flow over very long distances even on smooth slopes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Adam Soule ◽  
Michael Zoeller ◽  
Carolyn Parcheta

AbstractHawaiian and other ocean island lava flows that reach the coastline can deposit significant volumes of lava in submarine deltas. The catastrophic collapse of these deltas represents one of the most significant, but least predictable, volcanic hazards at ocean islands. The volume of lava deposited below sea level in delta-forming eruptions and the mechanisms of delta construction and destruction are rarely documented. Here, we report on bathymetric surveys and ROV observations following the Kīlauea 2018 eruption that, along with a comparison to the deltas formed at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō over the past decade, provide new insight into delta formation. Bathymetric differencing reveals that the 2018 deltas contain more than half of the total volume of lava erupted. In addition, we find that the 2018 deltas are comprised largely of coarse-grained volcanic breccias and intact lava flows, which contrast with those at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō that contain a large fraction of fine-grained hyaloclastite. We attribute this difference to less efficient fragmentation of the 2018 ‘a‘ā flows leading to fragmentation by collapse rather than hydrovolcanic explosion. We suggest a mechanistic model where the characteristic grain size influences the form and stability of the delta with fine grain size deltas (Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō) experiencing larger landslides with greater run-out supported by increased pore pressure and with coarse grain size deltas (Kīlauea 2018) experiencing smaller landslides that quickly stop as the pore pressure rapidly dissipates. This difference, if validated for other lava deltas, would provide a means to assess potential delta stability in future eruptions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Yaworsky ◽  
Brian F. Codding

Explaining how and why populations settle a new landscape is central to many questions in American archaeology. Recent advances in settlement research have adopted predictions from the Ideal Free Distribution model (IFD). While tests of IFD predictions to date rely either on archaeologically derived coarse-grained diachronic data or ethnographically derived fine-grained synchronic data, here we provide the first test using historically derived data that is both fine-grained and diachronic. Fine-grain diachronic data allow us to test model predictions at a temporal scale in line with human settlement decisions and to validate proxies for application in archaeological contexts. To test model predictions pertaining to the relationship between population density and habitat quality, we use data from the historical settlement of Utah. The results demonstrate a negative relationship between population density and the quality of habitats occupied. These results are consistent with IFD predictions, suggesting that Euro-American settlement of Utah resulted from individuals attempting to maximize individual returns via agricultural productivity. Our results provide a quantitative and testable explanation for population dispersion over time and explain the spatial distribution of population density today. The results support predictions derived from a general theory of behavior, providing an explanatory framework for colonization events worldwide.


2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1011-1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sueng Won Jeong ◽  
Serge Leroueil ◽  
Jacques Locat

The rate-dependent rheological behaviour of soils of different origins and characteristics was studied and the applicability of the power law model was examined. The studied soils were divided into three groups: (i) low-activity soils, (ii) high-activity soils, and (iii) silt-rich soils. The results show that the power law applies to all these soils and is representative of soil behaviour in a strain rate range corresponding to debris flows, which is generally not the case with the Bingham model. For low-activity clays, the power law index, n, is typically equal to 0.12 and seems to increase with the plasticity index; it is larger (i.e., in the range of 0.2–0.6) for silt-rich soils. Comparison of n values for tests performed on intact and remoulded low-activity clay specimens indicates that the power law index is possibly strain-rate dependent.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Davis ◽  
D. K. Zerkle ◽  
L. B. Smilowitz ◽  
B. F. Henson
Keyword(s):  

1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 1700-1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis A. St-Onge ◽  
Jean Lajoie

The late Quaternary olistostrome exposed in the lower Coppermine River valley fills a paleovalley that ranges in apparent width from 150 to 400 m and was cut into Precambrian bedrock before the last glaciation. The olistostrome is here named the Sleigh Creek Formation. The coarse fraction of the formation is matrix supported; beds are massive or reversely graded and have sharp, nonerosive contacts. These characteristics suggest deposition of the coarse fraction by debris flows. The olistostrome sequence is bracketed by, and wedged into, a marine rhythmite sequence, which indicates that deposition occurred in a marine environment.About 10 500 years BP glacier ice in the Coronation Gulf lowland dammed the valley to the south, which was occupied by glacial Lake Coppermine. Sediments accumulated in this lake in a 30 m thick, coarsening upward sequence ranging from glaciolacustrine rhythmites of silt and fine sand at the base to coarse sand alluvium, and deltaic gravels at the top. As the Coronation Gulf lowlands became ice free, the Coppermine River reoccupied its former drainage course to the north. The steep south to north gradient and rapid downcutting by the river through the glacial lake sediments produced unstable slope conditions. The resulting debris flows filled a bedrock valley network below the postglacial sea level, forming the diamicton sequence.The interpretation of the Sleigh Creek Formation raises questions concerning silimar diamicton deposits usually defined as "flowtills." More generally, the results of this study indicate that care must be used when attempting paleogeographic reconstructions of "glaciogenic" deposits in marine sequences in any part of the geologic record.


2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (30) ◽  
pp. 20247-20256 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Anupama ◽  
V. B. Khopkar ◽  
V. Kumaran ◽  
B. Sahoo

The magneto-rheological behaviour of fluids containing soft-ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 micro-octahedrons (M = magnetization, τY = dynamic yield-stress and H = applied-magnetic-field).


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-35
Author(s):  
Maria GROUMPOU ◽  
◽  
Pavlos AVRAMIDIS ◽  
George ILIOPOULOS ◽  
Helen PAPAEFTHYMIOU ◽  
...  

A riverbed swamp in the Krathis River, N. Peloponnese, is studied and analyzed geomorphologicaly. Our analysis is also based on sedimentological, geochemical, palaeontological and radiometric dating data which enabled the investigation of the possible relationship between the studied swamp and the 1913 Tsivlos landslide. Sedimentological analysis showed that the current sedimentation is dominated by fine grain material and occasional coarse-grained beds. Micropalaeontological analysis indicated that the deeper layers of the core are barren, while the upper ones contain fresh water ostracods suggesting hydrodynamically a progressively more stable environment. In accordance, radiocarbon C14 and 137Cs dating showed a progressively decreasing sedimentation rate over the last fifty years. The results of this study show that the Tsivlos landslide is not the only cause for the formation of the modern swamp. Tectonic movements in the area seem to play a decisive role causing uplift and subsidence in the area near an active fault.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (32) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Ian Ball ◽  
Edgar Mendoza-Baldwin ◽  
David Simmonds ◽  
Adrián Pedrozo-Acuña ◽  
Dominic E Reeve

In this paper we present laboratory observations of plunging wave breaker impact pressure responses on a steep coarse-grained beach, extending previous work conducted by Pedrozo-Acuña et al. (2008). Scale laboratory measurements of plunging breaker impact events are reported and compared with the previous full-scale tests. These tests extend the previous relationships to a wider range of surf-similarity parameters and indicate a continued reduction in impact pressure as the transition from plunging impacts to surging impacts is approached. Additional results from scale tests conducted on a smooth impermeable slope also indicate the presence of a maximum impact pressure within the plunging breaker region; however also suggest it may be necessary to include roughness and permeability in the parameterization of the impact pressure.


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