Exportation of coseismic deposits in areas affected by the Wenchuan earthquake

Coseismic deposits are easily transported outside of valleys, thereby inflicting damage through debris flows or aggregating and elevating riverbeds in the fluvial network. The evolution of coseismic deposits is crucial for predicting the sediment transport capacity and export time for managing postseismic geohazards; however, this evolution remains unclear. In this study, the spatiotemporal evolution of coseismic deposits due to rainfall is quantified at the valley scale to further obtain the sediment transport capacity. The results show that the relative average thickness predominantly controls the evolution pattern of the coseismic deposits. The sediment transport capacity, which is primarily influenced by rainfall conditions and topography, can be drastically increased by dam breaching and channel narrowing. Moreover, the computed export time, which significantly varies with the spatiotemporal distribution of deposits and the local climate, ranges from 2 to 80 years in the areas affected by the Wenchuan earthquake. This study contributes to providing scientific guidelines for efficiently managing postseismic geohazards and planning for disaster mitigation.