The critical rainfall characteristics for torrents and debris flows in the Wenchuan earthquake stricken area

Critical rainfall assessment is a very important tool for hazard management of torrents and debris flows in mountainous areas. The Wenchuan Earthquake 2008 caused huge casualties and property damages in the earthquake-stricken area, which also generated large quantities of loose solid materials and increased occurrence probabilities of debris flows. There is an urgent need to quantify the critical rainfall distribution in the area so that better hazard management could be planned and if real time rainfall forecast is available, torrent and debris flow early-warning could be issued in advance. This study is based on 49-year observations （1954-2003） of up to 678 torrent and debris flow events. Detailed contour maps of 1 hour and 24 hour critical rainfalls have been generated （Due to the data limitation, there was insufficient 10 minute critical rainfall to make its contour map）. Generally, the contour maps from 1 hour and 24 hours have similar patterns. Three zones with low, medium and high critical rainfalls have been identified. The characteristics of the critical rainfall zones are linked with the local vegetation cover and land forms. Further studies and observations are needed to validate the finding and improve the contour maps.     

Effect of rainfall on a colluvial landslide in a debris flow valley

A colluvial landslide in a debris flow valley is a typical phenomena and is easily influenced by rainfall. The direct destructiveness of this kind of landslide is small, however, if failure occurs the resulting blocking of the channel may lead to a series of magnified secondary hazards. For this reason it is important to investigate the potential response of this type of landslide to rainfall. In the present paper, the Goulingping landslide, one of the colluvial landslides in the Goulingping valley in the middle of the Bailong River catchment in Gansu Province, China, was chosen for the study. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), together with traditional monitoring methods, were used to monitor changes in water content and the deformation of the landslide caused by rainfall. ERT was used to detect changes in soil water content induced by rainfall. The most significant findings were as follows:(1) the water content in the centralupper part (0~41 m) of the landslide was greater than in the central-front part (41~84 m) and (2) there was a relatively high resistivity zone at depth within the sliding zone. The deformation characteristics at the surface of the landslide were monitored by TLS and the results revealed that rainstorms caused three types of deformation and failure: (1) gully erosion at the slope surface; (2) shallow sliding failure; (3) and slope foot erosion. Subsequent monitoring of continuous changes in pore-water pressure, soil pressure and displacement (using traditional methods) indicated that long duration light rainfall (average 2.22 mm/d) caused the entire landslide to enter a state of creeping deformation at the beginning of the rainy season. Shear-induced dilation occurred for the fast sliding (30.09 mm/d) during the critical failure sub-phase (EF). Pore-water pressure in the sliding zone was affected by rainfall. In addition, the sliding L1 parts of the landslide exerted a discontinuous pressure on the L2 part. Through the monitoring and analysis, we conclude that this kind of landslide may have large deformation at the beginning and the late of the rainy season.     

Typhoon-dominated influence on wood debris distribution and transportation in a high gradient headwater catchment

Wood debris is an important component of mountain streams. It causes serious damage and renders difficulty of water resource management in Taiwan. In this study, the quantity of wood debris and variation of migratory wood debris during flood events were examined. The downstream of Gaoshan Creek and Qijiawan Creek, located at Central Taiwan, was selected as the study area. The distribution and dynamic of wood debris in a high gradient headwater catchment were quantified using field surveys. A formula of critical depth for wood debris entrainment was used to evaluate the wood debris migration during three flooding events. In the study area, wood abundance and unit volume increased downstream, and wood density decreased downstream within a channel network. The channel morphology, riparian vegetation, and wood debris characteristics were found to influence the wood storage. As a result, the wood debris has an irregular accumulative distribution in the steep stream, and it migrates easily in the stream because of a high flow discharge. Strong relationships between the channel width and wood debris variables are discovered. Moreover, wood debris has a tendency to accumulate at sites with low stream power and wood debris dams, topographical notches, and unique geological structures. Our findings assist in the understanding of the effects of channel characteristics on distributions of wood debris in steep stream systems.     

Source-sink landscape spatial characteristics and effect on non-point source pollution in a small catchment of the Three Gorge Reservoir Region

The source and sink landscape patterns refer to landscape types or units that can either promote positive evolvement of non-point source (NPS) pollution process, or can prevent/defer the ecological process, respectively. Therefore, the role of a catchment landscape pattern in nutrient losses can be identified based on the spatial arrangement of source and sink landscapes. To reveal the relations between landscape spatial characteristics and NPS pollution in small catchment, a case study was carried out in a Wangjiagou small catchment of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR), China. Google earth imagery for 2015 were processed and used to differentiate source and sink landscape types, and six subcatchments were selected as sample regions for monitoring nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients. Relative elevation, slope gradient and relative flow length was used to construct the Lorenz curves of different source and sink landscape types in the catchment, in order to assess the source and sink landscape spatial characteristics. By calculating the location-weighted landscape indices of each subcatchment and total catchment, the landscape spatial load characteristics affecting the NPS pollution was identified, with a further Pearson correlation analysis for location-weighted landscape indices and nitrogen-phosphorus monitoring indicators. The analysis of Lorenz curve has revealed that the obtained distribution trend of Lorenz curve and curve area quantified well the spatial characteristics of source and sink landscape pattern related to the relative elevation, slope gradient and relative flow length in small catchment. Results of Pearson correction analysis indicated that location-weighted landscape index (LWLI) combining of terrain and landscape type factor did better in reflecting the status of nitrogen and phosphorus loss than the indices related to relative elevation, slope gradient and relative flow length.     

Study on the rainfall and aftershock threshold for debris flow of post-earthquake

Due to the special condition of provenance and disaster environment after "5·12" Earthquake, the probability and conditions of the occurrence of gully debris flow change greatly after the event, which make it difficult to prevent disaster effectively. In this study the hydrological model of ground water table in loose sediment is established. According to infinite slope theory, the safety factor of deposits is defined as the ratio of resistance force to driving force. The starting condition of post-earthquake gully debris flow is clearly studied by analyzing the effects of rainfall intensity, seismic strength, slope gradient and mechanical properties on the balance of accumulation body. Then the formulas of rainfall and aftershock threshold for starting of gully debris flow are proposed, and an example is given to illustrate the effect of rainfall, aftershocks and their coupling action on a debris flow. The result shows the critical rainfall intensity decreases as the lateral seismic acceleration and channel gradient increases, while the critical intensity linearly increases as the friction angle increases.     

The properties of dilute debris flow and hyper-concentrated flow in different flow regimes in open channels

Particle Image Velocimetry(PIV) technique was used to test the analogues of hyperconcentrated flow and dilute debris flow in an open flume. Flow fields, velocity profiles and turbulent parameters were obtained under different conditions. Results show that the flow regime depends on coarse grain concentration. Slurry with high fine grain concentration but lacking of coarse grains behaves as a laminar flow. Dilute debris flows containing coarse grains are generally turbulent flows. Streamlines are parallel and velocity values are large in laminar flows. However, in turbulent flows the velocity diminishes in line with the intense mixing of liquid and eddies occurring. The velocity profiles of laminar flow accord with the parabolic distribution law. When the flow is in a transitional regime, velocity profiles deviate slightly from the parabolic law. Turbulent flow has an approximately uniform distribution of velocity and turbulent kinetic energy. The ratio of turbulent kinetic energy to the kinetic energy of time-averaged flow is the internal cause determining the flow regime: laminar flow(k/K0.1); transitional flow(0.1 k/K1); and turbulent flow(k/K1). Turbulent kinetic energy firstly increases with increasing coarse grain concentration and then decreases owing to the suppression of turbulence by the high concentration of coarse grains. This variation is also influenced by coarse grain size and channel slope. The results contribute to the modeling of debris flow and hyperconcentrated flow.     

Phosphorus sorption-desorption characteristics of ditch sediments from different land uses in a small headwater catchment in the central Sichuan Basin of China

Investigation of phosphorus (P) sorption-desorption characteristics of drainage ditch sediments is important for better understanding on sediment P transport behaviors in ditches. Surface ditch sediment samples were collected from headwater sub-catchment of forestland, sloping cropland, paddy field, and residential area in a representative catchment in the central Sichuan Basin. These sediment samples were used for determination of P sorption-desorption characteristics by a batch equilibrium technique. Results showed that the maximum P sorption capacities (Qm) in the sediments ranged from 159.7 to 263.7 mg/kg, while higher Qm were observed in the ditch sediments from the paddy fields. The Qm was significantly and positively correlated with oxalate-extractable Fe and Al oxides (r=0.97 and 0.98, p < 0.01), clay fraction (r = 0.78, p < 0.05) and organic matter (r = 0.95, p < 0.01). Sediment pH, clay and organic matter influenced the P sorption through amorphous Fe and Al oxides. CaCO3 content was negatively correlated with the Qm (r = -0.83, p < 0.05), implying that saturated CaCO3 (> 50 g/kg) would not increase P sorption capacity in the ditch sediments. The ditch sediments featured a linear desorption curve, suggesting that P release risk would be enhanced with the increase of the P adsorption. The P desorption rate was positively correlated with Olsen P (r = 0.94, p < 0.01), but negatively related to the fine particle-size fractions (r = -0.92, p < 0.01), the sum of the amorphous Fe and Al oxides (r = -0.67, p < 0.05) and the P sorption capacity (r = -0.59, p < 0.05). The ditch sediments from residential area had a higher P release risk than that from the other ditches of forestland, sloping cropland and paddy field. The P sorption index (PSI) derived from single-point measurement was significantly correlated with the P sorption capacity (r = 0.99, p < 0.01), and could be used for estimating Qm as 1.64 times PSI plus 24.0 (Qm = 1.64 PSI + 24.0) for similar sediments with highly calcareous soils and sediments. Ditch cleaning and sediment removal for the ditch in residential area were recommended in this area to reduce the P release risk.     

Multifractal characteristics and spatial variability of soil particle-size distribution in different land use patterns in a small catchment of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region,China

Characterizing soil particle-size distribution is a key measure towards soil property.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the multifractal characteristics of soil particle-size distribution among different land-use from a purple soil catchment and to generalize the spatial variation trend of multifractal parameters across the catchment.A total of 84 soil samples were collected from four kinds of land use patterns(dry land,orchard,paddy,and forest)in an agricultural catchment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region,China.The multifractal analysis method was applied to quantitatively characterize the soil particle size distribution.Six soil particle size distribution(PSD)multifractal parameters(D(0),D(1),D(2),(35)a(q),(35)f[a(q)],α(0))were computed.Additionally,a geostatistical analysis was employed to reveal the spatial differentiation and map the spatial distribution of these parameters.Evident multifractal characteristics were found.The trend of generalized dimension spectrum of four land use patterns was basically consistent with the range of 0.8 to 2.0.However,orchard showed the largest monotonic decline,while the forest demonstrated the smallest decrease.D(0)of the four land use patterns were ranked as:dry land相似文献   

Hybrid simulation of the initiation and runout characteristics of a catastrophic debris flow

On 13 August 2010, a catastrophic debris flow with a volume of 1.17 million m³ occurred in Xiaojiagou Ravine near Yingxiu town of Wenchuan county in Sichuan Province, China. The main source material was the landslide deposits retained in the ravine during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. This paper describes a two-dimensional hybrid numerical method that simulates the entire process of the debris flow from initiation to transportation and finally to deposition. The study area is discretized into a grid of square zones. A two dimensional finite difference method is then applied to simulate the rainfall-runoff and debris flow runout processes. The analysis is divided into three steps; namely, rainfall-runoff simulation, mixing water and solid materials, and debris flow runout simulation. The rainfall-runoff simulation is firstly conducted to obtain the cumulative runoff near the location of main source material and at the outlet of the first branch. The water and solid materials are then mixed to create an inflow hydrograph for the debris flow runout simulation. The occurrence time and volume of the debris flow can be estimated in this step. Finally the runout process of the debris flow is simulated. When the yield stress is high, it controls the deposition zone. When the yield stress is medium or low, both yield stress and viscosity influence the deposition zone. The flow velocity is largely influenced by the viscosity. The estimated yield stress by the equation, τ _y = ρghsin θ, and the estimated viscosity by the equation established by Bisantino et al. (2010) provide good estimates of the area of the debris flow fan and the distribution of deposition depth.     

Activity evolution of landslides and debris flows after the Wenchuan earthquake in the Qipan catchment,Southwest China

The Wenchuan earthquake that occurred on 12 May 2008 induced numerous landslides. Loose landslide materials were deposited on hillslopes, and deep channels were easily remobilized and transformed into debris flows by extreme rainstorms. Twelve years after the Wenchuan earthquake, debris flows were still active in the Qipangou Ravine in the quake-hit area. In this paper, we continuously tracked the spatiotemporal evolution of the landslides and vegetation restoration and evaluated the evolution of debris flow activity in the Qipan catchment with the aid of a GIS platform and field investigations from 2008 to 2019. We observed that the area with active landslides increased sharply immediately following the earthquake, and then decreased with time; however, the total area of landslides continued to increase from 6.93 km2 in 2008 to 10.55 km2 in 2019. The active landslides shifted towards lower angles and higher elevations after 2013. Since 2009, the vegetation coverage has been gradually increasing and approaching the coverage present before the earthquake as of 2019. The landslide activity was high and the vegetation recovery rates were rapidly rising during the first five years after the earthquake; the recovery rates then slowed over time. Therefore, we divided the evolution that occurred during the post landslide period into an active period(2008-2013), a self-adjustment period(2013-2026) and a stable period(after 2026). We then proposed a quantitative model to determine the trends of landslide activity rates and NDVI values in the catchment, which indicated that the landslide activities and postseismic vegetation restoration rates in this catchment will return to preseismic levels within approximately two decades. We also analysed the runout volumes of the debris flows after the earthquakes(Diexi and Wenchuan) and the standard deviation of the vegetation coverage and predicted that the debris flow activities will last for an additional 50 years or more.     

Dynamic characteristics and hazard assessment of debris flow in Shangyao valley

Shangyao valley is located in Jin’an village of Songpan in Sichuan. Many material sources are accumulated in valleys. The debris flow will be triggered by a rain storm with short-duration and strong intensity, which may threaten people’s lives and property in downstream. Based on the investigation,the formation conditions of debris flow and its dynamic characteristics are analyzed and its hazard assessment is investigated. Research shows that there is the potential cause of debris flow in Shangyao valley,which is of the middle risk class.     

Geomorphologic analysis and physico-dynamic characteristics of Zhatai-Gully debris flows in SW China

Zhatai gully is a typical debris flow channel in Butuo county of Sichuan province, southwestern China. The geomorphologic features are analyzed and the physical-dynamic characteristics are discussed on the basis of field investigation and laboratory tests. Geomorphologic analysis indicates that Zhatai-gully drainage in relation to debris flow can be divided into source area, transport area, and deposition area. The source area has a steep slope and has very limited vegetation cover, which favors runoff, allowing loose solid materials to be mobilized easily and rapidly. In the transport area, there are many small landslides, lateral lobes, and loose materials distributed on both banks. These landslides are active and constantly providing abundant source of soils for the debris flows. In the deposition area, three old debris-flow deposits of different ages can be observed. The dynamic calculation shows that within the recurrence intervals of 50 and 100 years, debris flow discharges are 155.77m³/s and 1y8.19m³/s and deposition volumes are 16.39 x 10⁴ m³ and 18.14 x 10⁴ m³, respectively. The depositional fan of an old debris flow in the outlet of the gully can be subdivided into six layers. There are three debris flow deposits on left and two on the right side of the gully. Grain-size tests of sediments from the soil, gulley bed deposits, and the fresh and old debris flow deposits showed that high amounts of clay and fine gravel were derived from the soil in the source area whereas much of the gravel fraction were sourced from the gully bed deposits. Comprehensive analysis indicates that Zhatai gully is viscous debris-flow gully with moderate to high frequency and moderate to large magnitude debris flows. The risk of a debris flow disaster in Zhatai-gully is moderate and poses a potential threat to the planned hydroelectric dam. Appropriate engineering measures are suggested in the construction and protection of the planned hydroelectric station.     

Experimental study on the energy dissipation characteristics of debris flow deceleration baffles

Debris flow can cause serious damages to roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructures.Arranging several rows of deceleration baffles in the significant influence on the mobility and deposition characteristic of debris flow. The deposit amount first increased then decreased when the flow density rises,flow path can reduce the flow velocity and ensure better protection of life and property. In debris flow prevention projects, deceleration baffles can effectively reduce the erosion of the debris flow and prolong the running time of the drainage channel.This study investigated the degree to which a 6 m long flume and three rows of deceleration baffles reduce the debris flow velocity and affect the energy dissipation characteristics. The influential variables include channel slope, debris flow density, and spacing between baffle rows. The experimental results demonstrated that the typical flow pattern was a sudden increase in flow depth and vertical proliferation when debris flow flows through the baffles. Strong turbulence between debris flow and baffles can contribute to energy dissipation and decrease the kinematic velocity considerably. The results showed that the reduction ratio of velocity increased with the increase in debris flow density,channel slope and spacing between rows. Tests phenomena also indicated that debris flow density hasand the deposit amount of debris flow density of 1500kg/m~3 reached the maximum when the experimental flume slope is 12°.     

THE ORIGIN AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GLACIAL DEBRIS FLOW IN THE DUKU HIGHWAY OF TIANSHAN MOUNTAINS，

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Effects of rainfall intensity and topography on rill development and rill characteristics on loessial hillslopes in China

Rill development is a major soil erosion process that causes severe soil degradation.This study examined the effects of representative rainfall intensities(50 and 75 mm h-1),slope gradients(10°and 150),and slope lengths(7.5 and 10.0 m)on rill development and rill characteristics on loessial hillslopes in China.Loessial soil was collected from the cropland of Ansai Town,Yan'an City,Shaanxi Province.The soil with 28.3%sand,58.1%silt,and13.6%clay was packed into a soil pan to conduct rainfall simulations in 2012.The results showed that the time of the knickpoint occurrence(5-16 min),the rill headcut extension(9-33 min),and the mean headward erosion rate(1.7-5.o cm min-1)were better representative indicators for reflecting the changes in the rill development than other indicators used in this study.For a quick evaluation of the rill erosion severity,the rill coverage ratio(1%-12%,generallyincreasing with an increase in the rainfall intensity)was better than the other indicators for treatments with different rainfall intensities,and the rill width-depth ratio(1.56-2.27,generally decreasing with an increase in the slope gradient)was better than the other indicators for treatments with different slope gradients.Furthermore,the rill inclination angle(8.2°-19.1°,significantly increasing with an increase in the slope length)and rill density(0.19-1.34 m·m-2,generally increasing with an increase in the slope length)were more suitable for evaluating the rill erosion severity on hillslopes with different slope lengths.Therefore,the representative indicators could reflect the differences in the rill development and rill characteristics under different rainfall and topographic situations.The study greatly improved the evaluation of rill erosion severity and the prediction of the development of rills for loessial hillslopes.     

Entrainment effects and the dynamical evolution of debris avalanche/flow on substrate materials

A pair of flumes with variable inclinations were employed to investigate the entrainment mechanics and dynamical evolution of a debris avalanche/flow. A fixed quantity of solid and water mixture was released from a constant elevation and accelerated along a higher chute to impact substrate materials with different water contents and particle size distributions in the lower chute. Two high-speed cameras, pore and earth pressure detecting devices, were placed in the substrate materials where severe scouring occurs in order to collect multiple measurements of dynamical and mechanical parameters. The entrainment dynamics were verified by geometrical analysis and quasi-static simulation. The results show that wet and fine materials that are placed in the lower chute with steeper slopes are easily entrained during debris flow initiation, the pattern of which can be described by Coulomb friction and the Mohr-Coulomb law. Elaborate measurements of dynamical parameters enable the results of an elementary computational framework to predict the time-dependent scouring depth ht, which provides insight into rapidly determining debris flow propagation. Finally, the post-entrainment dynamics were studied. The results indicate that the propagation and the amplification of debris flows along erodible beds are dominated by the velocity and the solid volume fraction of the mixed substrate, and the coarse particle group of the substrate is a key feature affected by momentum changes.     

Nonlinear morphological characteristics of debris flow in Dongcheng area of Helong,Jilin

Helong City is located in the northeastern Changbai Mountain with a poor geological environment, there often occur debris flows, collapses and landslides; especially debris flows restrict the local economic development. Based on fractal theory and the surveying data of 34 debris flows, the authors studied fractal feature of debris flow gully and its various situations of fractal dimensions in different observation scales. The nonlinear relation reveals the development of non-uniformity and self similarity of debris flow gully     

A soil quality index for evaluation of degradation under land use and soil erosion categories in a small mountainous catchment,Iran

Soil erosion and land use type have long been viewed as being particularly important drivers of soil degradation. The objectives of this study,therefore, were to select a new soil quality index(SQI)which varies significantly with land use/soil erosion,and to evaluate the new SQI using expert opinion. In total, 18 soil physical, chemical, and biochemical properties(indicators) were measured on 56 soil samples collected from four land use/soil erosion categories(rangeland/surface erosion, rangeland/subsurface erosion, cultivated land/surface erosion and dry-farming land/surface erosion). Principal component and classification analysis(PCCA)identified five PCs that explained 77.7% of the variation in soil properties with the biochemical PC varying significantly with land use/soil erosion.General discriminant analysis(GDA) selected urease and clay as the most sensitive properties distinguishing the land use/soil erosion categories.The GDA canonical scores for the new SQI were significantly correlated with expert opinion soil surface summed scores(for soil movement, surface litter, pedestalling, rills and flow pattern) derivedusing the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management(BLM) method. A forward stepwise general regression model revealed that the new SQI values were explained by soil movement,surface litter, and the summed values of the soil surface factors. Overall, this study confirmed that soil quality in the study area in Iran is controlled by land use and corresponding soil erosion.