Influences of the Wenchuan Earthquake on sediment supply of debris flows

The 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake and the subsequent rainstorms induced a large number of landslides, which later were transformed into debris flows. To evaluate the effect of the earthquake on the sediment supply of debris flows, eight debris flow basins near Beichuan City, Sichuan Province, China were chosen as the study area. The area variations of the debris flow source after the Wenchuan Earthquake and the subsequent rainstorm are analyzed and discussed in this paper. Interpretations of aerial photographs (after the 5.12 Wenchuan Earthquake) and SPOT5 images (after the rainstorm event of September 24, 2008) as well as field investigations were compared to identify the transformation of landslide surface in the study area, indicating that the landslide area in the eight debris flow basins significantly increased. The loose sediment area on the channel bed increased after the rainstorm event. In order to estimate the relationship of the landslide area with the rainfall intensity in different return periods, a model proposed by Uchihugi was adopted. Results show that new landslide area induced by heavy rainfall with 50-year and 100-year return period will be 0.87 km2 and 1.67 km2, respectively. The study results show the Wenchuan earthquake had particular influences on subsequent rainfall-induced debris flow occurrence.     

Potential sediment sources identification of debris flows in the Jiangjia Gully,China

It is of great significance for gully prevention and management to identify the potential sediment source of debris flow. Debris flow in a gully always originates from tributaries that have different gravity potential energies and sediment condition. In this study, tributaries of the Jiangjia Gully(JJG) in Yunnan province, China, are taken as the study area to determine the possible sediment sources of debris flow. It was found that tributaries with a high evolution index(EI, the integral of the hypsometric curve) always had high gravity potential energy, which favors the occurrence of landslide activity. Furthermore, the relationship between sediment distribution, gravity potential energy, and EI is compared, respectively. The results showed that the EI had a greater influence on the occurrence of landslides, and sediments were concentrated in tributaries with EI between 0.5 and 0.6. Accordingly, tributaries with EI 0.5 were identified as the sediment sources of debris flow. In addition, the shape of a tributary was related to EI and can reflect the condition of water and sediment storage.     

Slope debris flows in the Wenchuan Earthquake area

Avalanches and landslides, induced by the Wenchuan Earthquake on May 12, 2008, resulted in a lot of disaggregated, solid material on slopes that could be readily mobilized as source material for debris flows. Rainstorms triggered numerous slope debris flows with great damage to highways and rivers over the subsequent two years. Slope debris flows (as opposed to channelized debris flows) are defined as phenomena in which high-concentration mixtures of debris and water flow down slopes for short distances to highways and river banks. Based on field investigations and measurements of 19 slope debris flows, their main characteristics and potential mitigation strategies were studied. High rainfall intensity is the main triggering factor. Critical rainfall intensities for simultaneous occurrence of single, several and numerous slope debris flow events were 20 mm/day, 30mm/day, and 90 mm/day, respectively. Field investigations also revealed that slope debris flows consist of high concentrations of cobbles, boulders and gravel. They are two-phase debris flows. The liquid phase plays the role of lubrication instead of transporting medium. Solid particles collide with each other and consume a lot of energy. The velocities of slope debris flows are very low, and their transport distances are only several tens of meters. Slope debris flows may be controlled by construction of drainage systems and by reforestation.     

Characteristic rainfall for warning of debris flows

A characteristic rainfall is introduced to overcome the difficulties encountered in determining a critical rainfall value for triggering debris flow.The characteristic value is defined as the rainfall at which debris-flow occurrence probability shows a rapid increase,and can be used as a warning rainfall threshold for debris flows.Investigation of recorded debris flows and 24-hour rainfall data at Jiangjia basin,Yunnan Province,in southwestern China,demonstrates the existence of such a characteristic rainfa...     

Grain composition and erosive equilibrium of debris flows

Debris flows consist of grains of various sizes ranging from 10~(-6) m ～1 m. Field observations in the Jiangjia Gully (JJG) and other sites throughout China indicate that the grain size distribution of sediment in debris flows can be characterized by an exponential function fit to the cumulative distribution. The exponent value for the function varies by location and may be useful in distinguishing between debris flows from different valleys. For example, minimum values and ranges of the exponent are associated with the high frequency of debris flows in the JJG. Furthermore, the distribution presents piecewise fractality (i.e. scaling laws hold in various ranges of the grain size) and we propose that the fractal structure determines the matrix and that the fractal dimension plays a crucial role in material exchange between a debris flow and the substrate it flows over. Finally, the empirical data support an exponential relation between grain composition and non-dimensional shear stress for the critical state of the channel. Overall we propose a material-determinism approach to studying debris flows which contrasts with the enviro-determinism that has dominated much recent work in this field.     

Experimental analysis for the dynamic initiation mechanism of debris flows

Debris flow is one of the major secondary mountain hazards following the earthquake. This study explores the dynamic initiation mechanism of debris flows based on the strength reduction of soils through static and dynamic triaxial tests. A series of static and dynamic triaxial tests were conducted on samples in the lab. The samples were prepared according to different grain size distribution, degree of saturation and earthquake magnitudes. The relations of dynamic shear strength, degree of saturation, and number of cycles are summarized through analyzing experimental results. The findings show that the gravelly soil with a wide and continuous gradation has a critical degree of saturation of approximately 87%, above which debris flows will be triggered by rainfall, while the debris flow will be triggered at a critical degree of saturation of about 73% under the effect of rainfall and earthquake(M>6.5). Debris flow initiation is developed in the humidification process, and the earthquake provides energy for triggering debris flows. Debris flows are more likely to be triggered at the relatively low saturation under dynamic loading than under static loading. The resistance of debris flow triggering relies more on internal frication angle than soil cohesion under the effect of rainfall and earthquake. The conclusions provide an experimental analysis method for dynamic initiation mechanism of debris flows.     

Magnitude-frequency relationship of debris flows in the Jiangjia Gully,China

The magnitude-frequency(MF) relationship of debris flows is the basis for engineering designs and risk quantification. However, because of the lack of debris flow monitoring data, research progress in this area has been relatively slow. The MF relationship of debris flows in Jiangjia Gully, Yunnan Province was evaluated based on a regression analysis of 178 debris flow events that occurred from 1987-2004. The magnitude-cumulative frequency(MCF) relationship of the debris flows in the Jiangjia Gully is consistent with the linear logarithmic transformation function. Moreover, observed data for debris flows in Hunshui Gully of Yunnan Province and Huoshao Gully, Liuwan Gully, and Niwan Gully of Gansu Province were used to verify the function. The results showed that the MCF relationship of highfrequency debris flows is consistent with the power law equation, although the regression coefficients in the equation are considerably different. Further analysis showed a strong correlation between the differences in the constants and the drainage area and daily maximum precipitation.     

Characteristics of clustering debris flows in Wenchuan earthquake zone

Clustering debris-flow events, namely many debris flows simultaneously triggered by a regional rainstorm in a large-scale mountainous area, occurred in four regions of Wenchuan earthquake stricken areas in 2008 and 2010. The characteristics of the clustering debris flows are examined with regard to triggering rainfall, formation process, and relationship with the earthquake by field survey and remote sensing interpretation. It is found that the clustering events occurred nearly at the same time with the local peak rainstorms, and the rainfall intensity-duration bottom limit line for clustering debris flows is higher than the worldwide line. It means that more rainfall is needed for the occurrence of the clustering debris flows. Four kinds of major formation processes for these debris flows are summarized： tributary-dominated, mainstream- dominated, transformation from slope failures, and mobilization or liquefaction of landslide. The four regions has a spatial correlation with the strong- quake-influenced zone with the peak ground acceleration = 0.2 g and the seismic intensity 〉 X.     

Developing a risk assessment model for typhoon-triggered debris flows

A methodology is developed for interactive risk assessment of physical infrastructure and spatially distributed response systems subjected to debris flows.The proposed framework is composed of three components,namely geotechnical engineering,geographical information systems and disaster management.With the integration of slope stability analysis,hazard scenario and susceptibility,geological conditions are considered as temporary static data,while meteorological conditions are treated as dynamic data with a focus on typhoons.In this research,the relevant parameters required for database building are defined,and the procedures for building the geological database and meteorological data sets are explained.Based on the concepts and data sets,Nantou and Hualien in Taiwan are used as the areas for case studies.     

Comparison of the entrainment rate of debris flows in distinctive triggering conditions

Debris flows can be extremely destructive because they can increase in magnitude via progressive entrainment. In this paper, a total of 18 landslide-type debris flows and 268 channelized debris flows in Wenchuan earthquake and Taiwan region, as well as other regions were collected to analyze the entrainment rate of debris flows in each triggering condition. Results show that there is a power relationship between volume of initial triggered mass and final deposited debris for landslide type debris flow. The debris flows during 2008 and 2013 in Wenchuan earthquake-region have smaller entrainment rate than that from 2001 t0 2009 in Taiwan. The entrainment rate of debris flow events from 2001 to 2009 in Taiwan shows a decaying tendency as elapsed time. Comparison of the entrainment rate in the two earthquake-hit regions with other regions proves that entrainment rate has a close relation with major sediment availability and secondary rainstorm conditions.     

Gravel accumulation in deposits of viscous debris flows with hyper-concentration

According to the observational data of viscous debris flows with hyper-concentration, debris flows can be classified into three types： high-viscous, viscous, and sub-viscous debris flows. Distinct formation mechanism of different graded bedding structures in deposits of viscous debris flows was analyzed in this paper by using their yield-stress ratio and flow plug ratio. This paper specially analyzed the effect of Weissenberg which the gravels in squirm condition of hyper-concentration viscous flows would tend to move vertically, and the formation mechanism of the gravels accumulated at surface was also studied. The analysis in this paper can establish a foundation for the studies on differentiation of bedding structures of debris flow deposits and studies on dynamic parameters of debris flows.     

Site-specific Vulnerability Assessment for Debris Flows： Two Case Studies

Introduction Here vulnerability is related to the hazard-affected bodies including human beings and material objects. Without hazard-affected bodies, there would be no disasters. Disaster is a combination of the hazard-affected bodies and the hazard-forma…     

Characteristics of earthquake-triggered landslides and post-earthquake debris flows in Beichuan County

Field investigations and aerial photography after the earthquake of May 12,2008 show a large number of geo-hazards in the zone of extreme earthquake effects.In particular,landslides and debris flows,the geo-hazards that most threaten post-disaster reconstruction,are widely distributed.We describe the characteristics of these geo-hazards in Beichuan County using high-resolution remote sensing of landslide distribution,and the relationships between the area and volume of landslides and the peak-discharges of debris flows both pre-and post-earthquake.The results show:1) The concentration(defined as the number of landslide sources per unit area:Lc) of earthquaketriggered landslides is inversely correlated with distance from the earthquake(DF) fault.The relationship is described by the following equation:Lc = 3.2264exp(-0.0831DF)(R2 = 0.9246);2) 87 % of the earthquake-triggered landslides were less than 15×104 m2 in area,and these accounted only for 50% of the total area;84% of the landslide volumes were less than 60×104 m3,and these accounted only for 50% of the total volume.The probability densities of the area and volume distributions are correlated:landslide abundance increases with landslide area and volume up to maximum values of 5 × 104 m2 and 30 × 104 m3,respectively,and then decreases exponentially.3) The area(AL) and volume(VL) of earthquake-triggered landslides are correlated as described with the following equation:VL=6.5138AL1.0227(R2 = 0.9131);4) Characteristics of the debris flows changed after the earthquake because of the large amount of landslide material deposited in the gullies.Consequently,debris flow peak-discharge increased following the earthquake as described with the following equation:Vpost = 0.8421Vpre1.0972(R2 = 0.9821)(Vpre is the peak discharge of pre-earthquake flows and the Vpost is the peak discharge of post-earthquake flows).We obtained the distribution of the landslides based on the above analyses,as well as the magnitude of both the landslides and the post-earthquake debris flows.The results can be useful for guiding post-disaster reconstruction and recovery efforts,and for the future mitigation of these geo-hazards.However,the equations presented are not recommended for use in site-specific designs.Rather,we recommend their use for mapping regional seismic landslide hazards or for the preliminary,rapid screening of sites.     

Two-dimensional numerical model for debris flows in the Jiangjia Gully, Yunnan Province

Debris flows are recurrent natural hazards in many mountainous regions.This paper presents a numerical study on the propagation of debris flows in natural erodible open channels,in which the bed erosion and sedimentation processes are important.Based on the Bingham fluid theory,a mathematical model of the two-dimensional non-constant debris flow is developed.The governing equations include the continuity and momentum conservation equations of debris flow,the sediment convection-diffusion equation,the bed erosion-deposition equation and the bed-sediment size gradation adjustment equation.The yield stress and shear stress components are included to describe the dynamic rheological properties.The upwind control-volume Finite Volume Method (FVM) is applied to discretize the convection terms.The improved SIMPLE algorithm with velocity-free-surface coupled correction is developed to solve the equations on non-orthogonal,quadrilateral grids.The model is applied to simulate a debris flow event in Jiangjia Gully,Yunnan Province and to predict the flow pattern and bed erosion-deposition processes.The results show the effectiveness of the proposed numercial model in debris flow simulation and potential hazard analysis.     

Measuring the internal velocity of debris flows using impact pressure detecting in the flume experiment

Measuring the internal velocity of debris flows is very important for debris flow dynamics research and designing debris flow control works. However, there is no appropriate method for measuring the internal velocity because of the destructive power of debris flow process. In this paper, we address this problem by using the relationship between velocity and kinetic pressure, as described by surface velocity and surface kinetic pressure data. Kinetic pressure is the difference of impact pressure and static pressure. The former is detected by force sensors installed in the flow direction at the sampling section. Observations show that static pressure can be computed using the formula for static water pressure by simply substituting water density for debris flow density. We describe the relationship between surface velocity and surface kinetic pressure using data from seven laboratory flume experiments. It is consistent with the relationship for single phase flow, which is the measurement principle of the Pitot tube.     

Changes in runout distances of debris flows over time in the Wenchuan earthquake zone

A large number of debris flows occurred in the Wenchuan earthquake zone after the 12 May 2008 earthquake.The risks posed by these debris flows were rather high.An appropriate model is required to predict the possible runout distance and impacted area.This paper describes a study on the runout characteristics of the debris flows that occurred in the Wenchuan earthquake zone over the past four years.A total of 120 debris flows are analyzed.Separate multivariate regression models are established for the runout distances of hill-slope debris flows and channelized debris flows.The control variables include type of debris flow,debris flow volume,and elevation difference.Comparison of the debris flows occurring before and after the earthquake shows that the runout distance increased after the earthquake due to sufficient material supply and increased mobility of the source materials.In addition,the runout distances of annual debris flow events in 2008,2010 and 2011 are analyzed and compared.There is a tendency that the runout distance decreases over time due to the decreasing source material volume and possible changes of debris flow type.Comparison between the debris flows in the earthquake zone and the debris flows in Swiss Alps,Canada,Austria,and Japan shows that the former have a smaller mobility.     

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.     

Risk assessment of highways affected by debris flows in Wenchuan earthquake area

Since the Wenchuan earthquake in China on May 12^th, 2008, highways in earthquake-affected areas have been frequently interrupted by debris flows. We analyzed the hazard effect modes and damage processes along highways and developed three key indexes, scale of debris flows, deposits on highways and river blockage, to describe quantitatively the highway disasters. By combining the empirical methods and the actual terrain conditions, we proposed new methods to determine the value of hazard indexes. In addition, we used the economic value and resistance of highway as vulnerability assessment indexes, then determined the specific subindexes for the subgrade, bridges and culverts, and developed a way for the quantified vulnerability zoning. Moreover, we proposed the assessment and mapping methods for highway risk. The risk is described into 5 grades: extremely low risk, low risk, middle risk, high risk and extremely high risk. We applied these methods in a case study carried out on provincial highway S303 from Yingxiu Town to Wolong Town, in Wenchuan County. Analysis of debris flow risk for the whole highway, showed that the total length of highway in extremely low risk area was 28.26 km, 4.83 km in low risk area, 8.0 km in middle risk area, 3.65 km in high risk area, and 3.06 km in extremely high risk area. The assessment results are consistent with the field survey data which reflected the disaster situation. This risk method can be used objectively to evaluate the debris-flow risk along highways, and is useful for highway reconstruction in mountainous areas suffering from active debris flows.     

Effects of a flexible net barrier on the dynamic behaviours and interception of debris flows in mountainous areas

Flexible net barriers are a new type of effective mitigation measure against debris flows in valleys and can affect the kinematic energy and mass of debris flows. Here, ten flume tests were performed to study the dynamic behaviours of debris flows with differences in volumes, concentrations (solid volume fraction), and travel distances after interception by a uniform flexible net barrier. A high-speed camera was used to monitor the whole test process, and their dynamic behaviours were recorded. A preliminary computational framework on energy conversion is proposed according to the deposition mechanisms and outflow of debris flow under the effects of the flexible net barrier. The experimental results show that the dynamic interaction process between a debris flow and the flexible net barrier can be divided into two stages: (a) the two-phase impact of the leading edge of the debris flow with the net and (b) collision and friction between the body of the debris flow and intercepted debris material. The approach velocity of a debris flow decreases sharply (a maximum of 63%) after the interception by the net barrier, and the mass ratio of the debris material being intercepted and the kinetic energy ratio of the debris material being absorbed by the net barrier are close due to the limited interception efficiency of the flexible net barrier, which is believed to be related to the flexibility. The energy ratio of outflow is relative small despite the large permeability of the flexible net barrier.     

Characteristics of a drainage channel with staggered indented sills for controlling debris flows

The characteristics of a new type of drainage channel with staggered indented sills for controlling debris flows were studied. The intermediate fluid in the non-viscous debris flow exhibited a helical movement, whereas the fluid near the sidewall had a stop-start movement pattern; the viscous debris flow exhibited a stable structure between the indented sills. The experimental results indicate that the mean velocity of the debris flow increased with increasing channel gradients, and the debris flow velocity was slightly affected by the angle of the sills. The average velocity of the non-viscous debris flow increased in the range of(0.5–1.5) interval between the indented sills, whereas the average velocity of the viscous debris flow increased initially and then decreased in the range of(0.75–1.25) interval between the indented sills. The depth of the non-viscous debris flow tended to gradually increase as the channel gradients increased, whereas the depth of the viscous debris flow gradually decreased as the channel gradients increased. When the discharge of the debris flow was constant, the angle and the interval between the indented sills had a slight effect on the depth of the viscous debris flow, whereas the depth of the non-viscous debris flow exhibited a different trend, as the sill angles and intervals were varied.