scholarly journals Rain-generated overland flow as a factor in the development of some stratified slope deposits: A case study from the Pays du Buëch (Préalpes, France)

2002 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henk van Steijn ◽  
Bernard Hétu

Abstract A large exposure of stratified slope deposits, and a partly vegetated active talus, both situated near Veynes (Préalpes du Sud, France) were studied. On the active slope, dry grain flows, erosion by rain-generated overland flow, and 'aggregate' flows caused by high-intensity rainstorms are most typical. The term 'aggregate' flow was chosen because of the abundant presence of silty aggregates (diameter 0.5-3 mm) within these deposits which closely resemble small debris flows. These three processes operate in a fixed sequence thus producing a characteristic stratification pattern. Forms and sediments caused by the processes mentioned are described in detail. Subsequently, the results are applied in the interpretation of the sections of the relict deposits. The correlation and the interpretation problems with regard to processes involved between deposits on the active slope and within the relict sediment mass are discussed, together with the traces of other processes recognised within the latter. The results are placed in a wider context of stratified slope deposits and their palaeoclimatic significance.

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 2119
Author(s):  
Luís Mesquita David ◽  
Rita Fernandes de Carvalho

Designing for exceedance events consists in designing a continuous route for overland flow to deal with flows exceeding the sewer system’s capacity and to mitigate flooding risk. A review is carried out here on flood safety/hazard criteria, which generally establish thresholds for the water depth and flood velocity, or a relationship between them. The effects of the cross-section shape, roughness and slope of streets in meeting the criteria are evaluated based on equations, graphical results and one case study. An expedited method for the verification of safety criteria based solely on flow is presented, saving efforts in detailing models and increasing confidence in the results from simplified models. The method is valid for 0.1 m2/s 0.5 m2/s. The results showed that a street with a 1.8% slope, 75 m1/3s−1 and a rectangular cross-section complies with the threshold 0.3 m2/s for twice the flow of a street with the same width but with a conventional cross-section shape. The flow will be four times greater for a 15% street slope. The results also highlighted that the flood flows can vary significantly along the streets depending on the sewers’ roughness and the flow transfers between the major and minor systems, such that the effort detailing a street’s cross-section must be balanced with all of the other sources of uncertainty.


2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 563-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rupak Sarkar ◽  
Subashisa Dutta ◽  
Sushma Panigrahy
Keyword(s):  

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 873
Author(s):  
Yakob Umer ◽  
Janneke Ettema ◽  
Victor Jetten ◽  
Gert-Jan Steeneveld ◽  
Reinder Ronda

Simulating high-intensity rainfall events that trigger local floods using a Numerical Weather Prediction model is challenging as rain-bearing systems are highly complex and localized. In this study, we analyze the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model’s capability in simulating a high-intensity rainfall event using a variety of parameterization combinations over the Kampala catchment, Uganda. The study uses the high-intensity rainfall event that caused the local flood hazard on 25 June 2012 as a case study. The model capability to simulate the high-intensity rainfall event is performed for 24 simulations with a different combination of eight microphysics (MP), four cumulus (CP), and three planetary boundary layer (PBL) schemes. The model results are evaluated in terms of the total 24-h rainfall amount and its temporal and spatial distributions over the Kampala catchment using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) analysis. Rainfall observations from two gauging stations and the CHIRPS satellite product served as benchmark. Based on the TOPSIS analysis, we find that the most successful combination consists of complex microphysics such as the Morrison 2-moment scheme combined with Grell-Freitas (GF) and ACM2 PBL with a good TOPSIS score. However, the WRF performance to simulate a high-intensity rainfall event that has triggered the local flood in parts of the catchment seems weak (i.e., 0.5, where the ideal score is 1). Although there is high spatial variability of the event with the high-intensity rainfall event triggering the localized floods simulated only in a few pockets of the catchment, it is remarkable to see that WRF is capable of producing this kind of event in the neighborhood of Kampala. This study confirms that the capability of the WRF model in producing high-intensity tropical rain events depends on the proper choice of parametrization combinations.


Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theo van Asch ◽  
Bin Yu ◽  
Wei Hu

Many studies which try to analyze conditions for debris flow development ignore the type of initiation. Therefore, this paper deals with the following questions: What type of hydro-mechanical triggering mechanisms for debris flows can we distinguish in upstream channels of debris flow prone gullies? Which are the main parameters controlling the type and temporal sequence of these triggering processes, and what is their influence on the meteorological thresholds for debris flow initiation? A series of laboratory experiments were carried out in a flume 8 m long and with a width of 0.3 m to detect the conditions for different types of triggering mechanisms. The flume experiments show a sequence of hydrological processes triggering debris flows, namely erosion and transport by intensive overland flow and by infiltrating water causing failure of channel bed material. On the basis of these experiments, an integrated hydro-mechanical model was developed, which describes Hortonian and saturation overland flow, maximum sediment transport, through flow and failure of bed material. The model was calibrated and validated using process indicator values measured during the experiments in the flume. Virtual model simulations carried out in a schematic hypothetical source area of a catchment show that slope angle and hydraulic conductivity of the bed material determine the type and sequence of these triggering processes. It was also clearly demonstrated that the type of hydrological triggering process and the influencing geometrical and hydro-mechanical parameters may have a great influence on rainfall intensity-duration threshold curves for the start of debris flows.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 3493-3513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Mostbauer ◽  
Roland Kaitna ◽  
David Prenner ◽  
Markus Hrachowitz

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.


Author(s):  
Theo W.J. van Asch ◽  
Bin Yu ◽  
Wei Hu

Many studies, which try to analyze the meteorological threshold conditions for debris flows ignore the type of initiation. This paper focuses on the differences in hydrological triggering processes of debris flows in channel beds of the source areas. The different triggering processes were studied in the laboratory and by model simulation on the field scale. The laboratory experiments were carried out in a flume, 8 m long and a width of 0.3 m. An integrated hydro-mechanical model was developed, describing Hortonian and Saturation overland flow, through flow, maximum sediment transport and failure of bed material. The model was tested on the processes observed in the flume. The flume experiments show a sequence of hydrological processes triggering debris flows, namely erosion and transport by intensive overland flow and by infiltrating water causing failure of channel bed material. Model simulations carried out on a schematic hypothetical source area of a catchment show that the type and sequence of these triggering processes are determined by slope angle and the hydraulic conductivity of the bed material. It was also clearly demonstrated that the type of initiation process and the geometrical and hydro-mechanical parameters may have a great influence on rainfall intensity-duration threshold curves, indicating the start of debris flows.


River Systems ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 183-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Pingram ◽  
Kevin J. Collier ◽  
David P. Hamilton ◽  
Bruno O. David ◽  
Brendan J. Hicks

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