Magnitude–frequency relationship for debris flows on the fan of the Chalance torrent,Valgaudemar (French Alps)

In 1996 a large debris flow occurred on the fan of the Chalance torrent system, a tributary of the Séveraisse river, French Alps. To investigate the magnitude and frequency of such debris flows on this fan, fieldwork was carried out in the summer of 1998. Detailed investigation revealed that several debris flows have occurred in the past 200 years. Lichenometry was used as a dating technique to obtain the frequency of these debris‐flow events. Also the volume of these flows was estimated. With these data a magnitude–frequency relationship was constructed. This relationship shows a maximum magnitude of at least 50 × 10³ m³. Based on data for the past c. 150 years, a debris flow of such a volume appears to have a recurrence interval of approximately 34 years. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Geomorphic coupling between hillslopes and channels in the Swiss Alps

The coupling relationships between hillslope and channel network are fundamental for the understanding of mountainous landscapes' evolution. Here, we applied dendrogeomorphic methods to identify the hillslope–channel relationship and the sediment transfer dynamics within an alpine catchment, at the highest possible resolution. The Schimbrig catchment is located in the central Swiss Alps and can be divided into two distinct geomorphic sectors. To the east, the Schimbrig earth flow is the largest sediment source of the basin, while to the west, the Rossloch channel network is affected by numerous shallow landslides responsible for the supply of sediment from hillslopes to channels. To understand the connectivity between hillslopes and channels and between sources and sink, trees were sampled along the main Rossloch stream, on the Schimbrig earth flow and on the Rossloch depositional area. Geomorphic observations and dendrogeomophic results indicate different mechanisms of sediment production, transfer and deposition between upper and lower segments of the channel network. In the source areas (upper part of the Rossloch channel system), sediment is delivered to the channel network through slow movements of the ground, typical of earth flow, shallow landslides and soil creep. Contrariwise, in the depositional area (lower part of the channel network), the mechanisms of sediment transfer are mainly due to torrential activity, floods and debris flows. Tree analysis allowed the reconstruction of periods of high activity during the last century for the entire catchment. The collected dataset presents a very high temporal resolution but we encountered some limitations in establishing the source‐to‐sink connectivity at the catchment‐wide scale. Despite these uncertainties, for decennial timescales the results suggest a direct coupling between hillslopes and neighbouring channels in the Rossloch channel network, and a de‐coupling between sediment sources and sink farther downstream, with connections possible only during extraordinary events. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of landscape connectivity and landslide dynamics upon channel adjustments and sediment flux in the Liwu Basin,Taiwan

Catchment‐scale analyzes of spatial and temporal variability in landscape connectivity are critical considerations in appraisals of landscape evolution and disaster mitigation in tectonically active mountain belts such as Taiwan. This study uses historical aerial photographs, flow discharge and seismic data to analyze landslide changes and channel adjustments over a 30 year period in the Liwu Basin. Recurrent earthquakes and typhoon events trigger frequent landslide activity, channel adjustment and sediment reworking in this system. Spatial variability in magnitude–frequency relations of hillslope‐valley floor (lateral) and upstream–downstream (longitudinal) connectivity during the study period are shown to reflect annual reworking in source and accumulation zones, while partly‐confined valleys in the mid‐catchment area trap sediment behind landslide‐induced dams that are formed and breached on an approximately decadal basis. This promotes partial longitudinal connectivity in these areas. Landscape responses to disturbance events were especially pronounced following combinations of seismic and typhoon events prior to the 1998 and 2005 images. Although single high magnitude events and series of moderate events affect patterns of landscape connectivity in the Liwu Basin, residence times for sediment storage are very short in this highly‐connected river system, where confined valley settings extend virtually to the coast. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Representing the landslide magnitude–frequency relation: Capilano River basin,British Columbia

We use magnitude–frequency analysis as a statistical tool to quantify the erosion caused by landslides and debris ?ows. Using air‐photo‐ and ground‐derived data we show that the departure from power‐law distribution customarily observed for small magnitude is an artefact of sampling de?ciencies. Nonetheless, the total distribution is not sensitive to the frequency of small slides and total erosion remains adequately represented in the air‐photo‐derived data. Our data also demonstrate a real departure from simple scaling at much larger magnitudes, the cause of which is not de?nitively established. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rock slope failure in a recently deglaciated permafrost rock wall at Piz Kesch (Eastern Swiss Alps), February 2014

In February 2014, a rock pillar with a volume of around 150 000  m³ collapsed at Piz Kesch in the Eastern Swiss Alps. A reconstruction of the conditions prior to the event and of the event itself is presented on the basis of different sources of data. The methods applied include photogrammetry, terrestrial laser scanning, structural geological analysis, examination of meteorological data, carbon‐14 (¹⁴C) dating of organic material in permafrost ice from a tension crack and numerical modelling of likely modes of failure. Despite a complete lack of in situ measurements in the rock wall prior to the event and of direct observations during the event, the available data allow the determination of the approximate timing of the event as well as the structural predisposition, the probable mode of failure and the timescale of several millennia involved in the triggering of the failure of the rock pillar. The interdisciplinary analysis of this event contributes towards understanding the complex interaction of processes involved in large rock slope failures currently occurring in warming mountain permafrost regions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of meteorological controls of reconstructed rockfall activity in the Czech Flysch Carpathians

Rockfall is an important process in the final sculpturing of escarpments and scree slopes that originate in bedrock landslides in the Flysch Carpathians. The spatio‐temporal characteristics of rockfall activity were studied at four localities representative of old landslides in the highest part of the Czech Flysch Carpathians (Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mountains). Historical activity, chronology, and spatial context of rockfall activity were reconstructed using dendrogeomorphic techniques and rockfall rate index (RR). A total of 1132 increment cores from 283 trees growing in the rockfall transport and accumulation zones enabled the dating of 989 rockfall events. Reconstruction of a 78‐year‐long RR chronology suggests similar rockfall histories and trends at all study sites, indicating the existence of major common factors driving rockfall dynamics in the region. Temporal analysis and correlation of the RR series obtained with monthly mean temperatures, numbers of days with temperature transitions through 0 °C and monthly precipitation totals show that meteorological characteristics have evident but variable influence on rockfall activity. The most important factor is the effect of freeze–thaw cycles throughout the year, supplemented by low temperatures, especially during autumn. The influence of precipitation totals is of lesser importance. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From geotechnical analysis to quantification and modelling using LiDAR data: a study on rockfall in the Reintal catchment,Bavarian Alps,Germany

In the year 2007, enhanced rockfall activity was observed within the scarp of a 500 BP rockslide in the Reintal catchment (Northern Calcareous Alps, Germany); the largest of a series of events took place in August, when almost 50000 m³ of rock were detached from the subvertical rock face and deposited on a talus cone. In this case study, we focus on three aspects of rockfall research: first, we compile detailed geomorphological and geotechnical findings to explain the causes of the recent events. The results of laboratory tests and stability estimations suggest that rockfall activity will persist in the future as the old rockslide scarp still contains unstable rock masses. Second, we use digital elevation data from a pre‐event airborne LiDAR survey (ALS) and post‐event terrestrial laserscanning (TLS) to quantify landform changes and the mass balance of the rockfall event(s). The widespread availability of ALS elevation data provides a good opportunity to quantify fresh events using a comparatively inexpensive TLS survey; this approach is complicated by uncertainties resulting from the difficult coregistration of ALS and TLS data and the specific geometric problems in steep (ALS) and flat (TLS) terrain; it is therefore limited to at least medium‐sized events. Third, the event(s) is simulated using the results of the LiDAR surveys and a modified GIS‐based rockfall model in order to test its capability of predicting the extent and the spatial distribution of deposition on the talus cone. Results show that the model generally reproduces the process domain and the spatial distribution of topographic changes but frequently under‐ and over‐estimates deposition heights. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dating of rockfall damage in trees yields insights into meteorological triggers of process activity in the French Alps

Rockfall release is a rather unpredictable process. As a result, the occurrence of rockfall often threatens humans and (infra)structures. The assessment of potential drivers of rockfall activity therefore remains a major challenge, even if the relative influence of rainfall, snowmelt, or freeze–thaw cycles has long been identified in short-term monitoring projects. In the absence of longer-term assessments of rockfall triggers and possible changes thereof, our knowledge of rockfall dynamics remains still lacunary as a result of the persisting scarcity of exhaustive and precise rockfall databases. Over the last decades, several studies have employed growth disturbances (GDs) in tree-ring series to reconstruct rockfall activity. Paradoxically, these series were only rarely compared to meteorological records. In this study, we capitalize on the homogeneity of a centennial-old reforestation plot to develop two reconstructions – R1 including only growth suppressions, and R2 based on injuries – with limited biases related to decreasing sample size and changes in exposed diameters back in time. By doing so, our study also and quite clearly highlights the large potential that protection forests have in terms of yielding reliable, multidecadal rockfall reconstructions. From a methodological perspective, we find no synchronicity between R1 and R2, as well as an absence of meteorological controls on rockfall processes in R1. This observation pleads for a careful selection of GDs in future reconstructions. In terms of process dynamics, we demonstrate that summer intense rainfall events (>10 mm day⁻¹) are the main drivers for rockfall activity at our study site. Despite the stringency of our detection procedure, correlations between rockfall activity and meteorological variables remain comparable to those reported in previous studies, as a result of the complexity and multiplicity of triggering factors. We therefore call for a more systematic coupling of tree-ring analysis with rockfall and microclimatic monitoring in future studies. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Runout analysis of a large rockfall in the Dolomites/Italian Alps using LIDAR derived particle sizes and shapes

LiDAR data were used to quantify and analyse a rockfall event which occurred in 2003 in the Western Dolomites (Italian Alps). In addition to previously existing airborne laserscanning (ALS) data, high resolution terrestrial laserscanning (TLS) data were collected. By using the original point clouds, the volume, axial ratio and runout length of single boulders as well as the surface roughness in the runout zone of the rockfall were derived. The total volume of the rockfall event of approximately 10 000 m³ was estimated by a reconstruction of the pre‐event surface at the detachment zone. The analysis of the laser scanning data of the accumulation zone revealed a power law scaling for boulder volumes larger than 8 m³. The dependence of runout length on boulder volume is complex; it is moderated by particle sphericity. In addition, we used ALS and TLS data to derive the spatial distribution of surface roughness on the talus cone. TLS allow for more accurate roughness mapping than ALS data, but for most applications the point density of ALS data seems to be sufficiently high to derive measures of roughness. Different sampling approaches for plane fitting on the scale of 5 m did not show significant effects besides the computational time. The results of our analyses provide important perspectives for rockfall modelling and process understanding with potential applications in both ‘applied’ (natural hazards) and ‘pure’ geomorphological research. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Isochron‐burial dating of glaciofluvial deposits: First results from the Swiss Alps

In this study, we use isochron‐burial dating to date the Swiss Deckenschotter, the oldest Quaternary deposits of the northern Alpine Foreland. Concentrations of cosmogenic ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al in individual clasts from a single stratigraphic horizon can be used to calculate an isochron‐burial age based on an assumed initial ratio and the measured ²⁶Al/¹⁰Be ratio. We suggest that, owing to deep and repeated glacial erosion, the initial isochron ratio of glacial landscapes at the time of burial varies between 6.75 and 8.4. Analysis of 22 clasts of different lithology, shape, and size from one 0.5 m thick gravel bed at Siglistorf (Canton Aargau) indicates low nuclide concentrations: <20 000 ¹⁰Be atoms/g and <150 000 ²⁶Al atoms/g. Using an ²⁶Al/¹⁰Be ratio of 7.6 (arithmetical mean of 6.75 and 8.4), we calculate a mean isochron‐burial age of 1.5 ± 0.2 Ma. This age points to an average bedrock incision rate between 0.13 and 0.17 mm/a. Age data from the Irchel, Stadlerberg, and Siglistorf sites show that the Higher Swiss Deckenschotter was deposited between 2.5 and 1.3 Ma. Our results indicate that isochron‐burial dating can be successfully applied to glaciofluvial sediments despite very low cosmogenic nuclide concentrations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of microclimate and geomorphological factors on alpine vegetation in the Western Swiss Alps

Among the numerous environmental factors affecting plant communities in alpine ecosystems, the influence of geomorphic processes and landforms has been minimally investigated. Subjected to persistent climate warming, it is vital to understand how these factors affect vegetation properties. Here, we studied 72 vegetation plots across three sites located in the Western Swiss Alps, characterized by high geomorphological variability and plant diversity. For each plot, vascular plant species were inventoried and ground surface temperature, soil moisture, topographic variables, earth surface processes (ESPs) and landform morphodynamics were assessed. The relationships between plant communities and environmental variables were analysed using non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS) and multivariate regression techniques (generalized linear model, GLM, and generalized additive model, GAM). Landform morphodynamics, growing degree days (sum of degree days above 5°C) and mean ground surface temperature were the most important explanatory variables of plant community composition. Furthermore, the regression models for species cover and species richness were significantly improved by adding a morphodynamics variable. This study provides complementary support that landform morphodynamics is a key factor, combined with growing degree days, to explain alpine plant distribution and community composition. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strategies to improve the explanatory power of a dynamic slope stability model by enhancing land cover parameterisation and model complexity

Despite the importance of land cover on landscape hydrology and slope stability, the representation of land cover dynamics in physically based models and their associated ecohydrological effects on slope stability is rather scarce. In this study, we assess the impact of different levels of complexity in land cover parameterisation on the explanatory power of a dynamic and process-based spatial slope stability model. Firstly, we present available and collected data sets and account for the stepwise parameterisation of the model. Secondly, we present approaches to simulate land cover: 1) a grassland landscape without forest coverage; 2) spatially static forest conditions, in which we assume limited knowledge about forest composition; 3) more detailed information of forested areas based on the computation of leaf area development and the implementation of vegetation-related processes; 4) similar to the third approach but with the additional consideration of the spatial expansion and vertical growth of vegetation. Lastly, the model is calibrated based on meteorological data sets and groundwater measurements. The model results are quantitatively validated for two landslide-triggering events that occurred in Western Austria. Predictive performances are estimated using the Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curve (AUC). Our findings indicate that the performance of the slope stability model was strongly determined by model complexity and land cover parameterisation. The implementation of leaf area development and land cover dynamics further yield an acceptable predictive performance (AUC ~0.71-0.75) and a better conservativeness of the predicted unstable areas (FoC ~0.71). The consideration of dynamic land cover expansion provided better performances than the solely consideration of leaf area development. The results of this study highlight that an increase of effort in the land cover parameterisation of a dynamic slope stability model can increase the explanatory power of the model. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Influence of glacier advance on the development of the multipart Riffeltal rock glacier,Central Austrian Alps

The multipart Riffeltal rock glacier, located in a tributary valley of the Kaunertal, Tyrol, Austria is investigated to enlarge the knowledge about spatial and temporal development of rock glaciers in and at the margins of pro‐glacial areas and to get a better understanding of glacier–rock glacier interactions. The subject of interest consists of a complex system of two adjacent rock glacier tongues and various superposed lobes with differing ages, origin and root zones, and therefore diverse development. To determine the reasons for their diverging development, the internal structure and permafrost occurrence on and in the surrounding area of the rock glacier were studied by application of geomorphological mapping, geophysical methods and measurement of the basal temperature of the winter snow cover (BTS). Permafrost modelling was performed on the basis of BTS data and land surface parameters derived from a high resolution airborne laser scanning (ALS) digital elevation model (DEM). Additionally, the ALS data were used to measure vertical and horizontal changes of the rock glacier surface between 2006 and 2012. Glacier–rock glacier interactions during and since the Little Ice Age (LIA) are evident for the development of the studied rock glacier. A geomorphic map gives important information about the connection between glacial advance or retreat and permafrost or ground ice occurrence. The combination of all information helps in the analysis of diverse kinematic action of neighbouring rock glacier tongues. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大召营高型变电构架的动力特性分析

河南省大召营变电站变电构架为高型构架，这种变电构架的结构形式复杂，规模较为庞大。本文采用ANSYS程序对其建立其有限元模型，并用子空间迭代法对结构进行了模态分析，得到了结构的自然频率和振型特征。通过对该变电站高型变电构架的动力特性分析，明确了结构的刚度特点和，找到了结构抗震的薄弱环节，计算结果对该结构的维修改造是有重要价值的。     

Modelling Groundwater Fluctuations and the Frequency of Movement of a Landslide in the Terres Noires Region of Barcellonnette (France)

Onn the basis of measurements of hydrological parameters and field monitoring of a landslide in the Terres Noires in the basin of Barcelonnette (France), a hydrological model was developed, describing groundwater fluctuations in relation to precipitation. These groundwater fluctuations can be used as input to a stability model in order to assess the temporal frequency of instability of the landslide. The calculated groundwater fluctuations, which can forecast years with landslide incidents, were roughly calibrated against dated movements obtained by dendrochronological research. The hydrological system of the landslide can be understood through a three-layer sequence: a rather permeable colluvial top layer underlain by a less permeable colluvial second layer, both overlying the nearly impermeable in situ non-weathered black marls (Terres Noires). The mean Ksat value for the matrix flow in the top layer is 15·7 cm/day and in the underlying layer 0·7 cm/day. However, water fluxes in these layers occur by two types of groundwater flow: matrix flow obeying Darcy's law, and more rapid gravitational flow through preferential flow paths, increasing the conductivity by a factor of 10 to 100, as cube method Ksat measurements revealed. The model shows long-term yearly fluctuations of the phreatic surface, with peaks at the end of winter, as well as at the beginning of spring, and minimum values during the dry summer period. These long-term fluctuations are explained by the high drainage capacity of the top colluvial layer and the relatively low vertical water fluxes within the underlying colluvial layer. The model shows that maximum critical peak height conditions of the groundwater, causing instability, occur in wet seasons, with at least six consecutive months with high amounts (more than 60 mm) of precipitation. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mapping landscape evolution in 3D: Climate change,natural hazard and human settlements across the 1618 Piuro landslide in the Italian Central Alps

Natural and anthropogenic mountain landscapes coevolve responding on different temporal scales to climate changes and geodynamics by a series of increments that cause the dynamic association of morphological stabilization surfaces, stratigraphic units and landforms. Understanding the incremental history of palimpsest landscapes helps to recognize and forecast the effects of climate change on the sensitive mountain environments, contributes to archaeological and historical reconstruction and supports management strategies for natural risks prevention and mitigation. The Italian Bregaglia Valley provides an excellent site to unravel the recent/historical increments of evolution of landforms and human settlement, permitting to map the paleo-digital terrain models (DTMs) corresponding to the relevant landscape turning points. After the last de-glaciation, two large-scale landslides reshaped the valley floor, both predisposed by deep-seated gravitational slope deformations and one surely triggered by intense rainfalls. The most recent and impacting event buried in 1618 the rich border town of Piuro, the ancient one occurred in the same area at least 1.5 ka before. Combining stratigraphic, geomorphological, topographic, archaeological and historical data, we drew the paleo-DTMs of the pre- and post-1618 settings of Piuro, sketching the landscape evolution. Since two millennia, human settlements took advantage of the decadal to secular most stable surfaces, represented by the inactive lobes of debris-flow fans, the highest trunk river terraces and the top of humps formed by the ancient landslide body in the valley centre. Stratigraphic relationships, archaeological findings and age determinations show that both landslides diverted the trunk river and covered the existing fan lobes. On a secular timescale, fan progradation and trunk river terracing buried and reworked both the landslide bodies. The paleo-DTMs show their original areal extent and permit to compute their volume and to sketch the setting of the buried Piuro settlements, drawing the changes of the Mera trunk river course and the chronology of activity of the lateral debris-flow fan lobes.     

Runoff evolution in the Swiss Alps: projections for selected high‐alpine catchments based on ENSEMBLES scenarios

The Alps are often referred to as the ‘water tower of Europe’. In Switzerland, many branches of the economy, especially the hydropower industry, are closely linked to and dependent on the availability of water. Assessing the impact of climate change on streamflow runoff is, thus, of great interest. Major efforts have already been made in this respect, but the analyses often focus on individual catchments and are difficult to intercompare. In this article, we analysed nine high‐alpine catchments spread over the Swiss Alps, selected for their relevance to a wide range of morphological characteristics. Runoff projections were carried out until the end of the current century by applying the Glacier Evolution Runoff Model (GERM) and climate scenarios generated in the framework of the ENSEMBLES project. We focused on assessing the uncertainty induced by the unknown climate evolution and provided general, statistically based statements, which should be useful as a ‘rule of thumb’ for analyses addressing questions related to water management. Catchments with a high degree of glacierization will undergo the largest changes. General statements about absolute variations in discharge are unreliable, but an overall pattern, with an initial phase of increased annual discharge, followed by a phase with decreasing discharge, is recognizable for all catchments with a significant degree of glacierization. In these catchments, a transition from glacial and glacio‐nival regime types to nival will occur. The timing of maximal annual runoff is projected to occur before 2050 in all basins. The time of year with maximal daily discharges is expected to occur earlier at a rate of 4·4 ± 1·7 days per decade. Compared to its present level, the contribution of snow‐ and icemelt to annual discharge is projected to drop by 15 to 25% until the year 2100. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pronounced increase in slope instability linked to global warming: A case study from the eastern European Alps

In recent decades, slope instability in high-mountain regions has often been linked to increase in temperature and the associated permafrost degradation and/or the increase in frequency/intensity of rainstorm events. In this context we analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution and potential controlling mechanisms of small- to medium-sized mass movements in a high-elevation catchment of the Italian Alps (Sulden/Solda basin). We found that slope-failure events (mostly in the form of rockfalls) have increased since the 2000s, whereas the occurrence of debris flows has increased only since 2010. The current climate-warming trend registered in the study area apparently increases the elevation of rockfall-detachment areas by approximately 300 m, mostly controlled by the combined effects of frost-cracking and permafrost thawing. In contrast, the occurrence of debris flows does not exhibit such an altitudinal shift, as it is primarily driven by extreme precipitation events exceeding the 75th percentile of the intensity-duration rainfall distribution. Potential debris-flow events in this environment may additionally be influenced by the accumulation of unconsolidated debris over time, which is then released during extreme rainfall events. Overall, there is evidence that the upper Sulden/Solda basin (above ca. 2500 m above sea level [a.s.l.]), and especially the areas in the proximity of glaciers, have experienced a significant decrease in slope stability since the 2000s, and that an increase in rockfalls and debris flows during spring and summer can be inferred. Our study thus confirms that “forward-looking” hazard mapping should be undertaken in these increasingly frequented, high-elevation areas of the Alps, as environmental change has elevated the overall hazard level in these regions.     

Coupled estimation of the energy slope and associated sand-silt transport during high stream power events in alluvial rivers

A coupled routing for the transport capacity and the energy slope is introduced through the definition of the control factor m whose value is linked to the bed form configuration.The coupling aims to further incorporate the interactions occurring in alluvial rivers and thus enhance the prediction of the fine sediment fluxes,especially during high stream power events.Based on a predictive rule for the control factor m that only involves water depth,velocity and bedform constitutive texture,the novel method is confronted to observations collected in one of the most strongly dynamic alluvial river namely the Lower Yellow River.Comparisons between time series of measured and computed concentrations illustrate that during high velocity events the main dynamics of the sediment transport is correctly reproduced.The main advantage of the present approach is to supply consistent time evolutions of sediment concentrations without making use of any detailed shear information.     

Design hydrograph estimation in small and ungauged watersheds: continuous simulation method versus event‐based approach

The proper assessment of design hydrographs and their main properties (peak, volume and duration) in small and ungauged basins is a key point of many hydrological applications. In general, two types of methods can be used to evaluate the design hydrograph: one approach is based on the statistics of storm events, while the other relies on continuously simulating rainfall‐runoff time series. In the first class of methods, the design hydrograph is obtained by applying a rainfall‐runoff model to a design hyetograph that synthesises the storm event. In the second approach, the design hydrograph is quantified by analysing long synthetic runoff time series that are obtained by transforming synthetic rainfall sequences through a rainfall‐runoff model. These simulation‐based procedures overcome some of the unrealistic hypotheses which characterize the event‐based approaches. In this paper, a simulation experiment is carried out to examine the differences between the two types of methods in terms of the design hydrograph's peak, volume and duration. The results conclude that the continuous simulation methods are preferable because the event‐based approaches tend to underestimate the hydrograph's volume and duration. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.