Debris flows in Glacier National Park, Montana: geomorphology and hazards

Debris flows are one of the many active slope-forming processes within Glacier National Park, Montana. Most debris flow landforms exhibit classic morphology with a distinct failure scarp, incised channel, channel levees, and toe deposits that often develop a lobate form. The Precambrian metasediments that dominate Glacier National Park's geology weather into angular clasts that range in size from platy gravels to boulders. Classic debris flows occur in areas where the topographic expression provides a debris source from cliff faces and an accumulation of regolith, often in the form of talus slopes. Many of these debris flows have long runout zones and can travel many hundreds of meters. Often they cross hiking trails or roads, including the main east–west highway, Going-to-the-Sun Road. Debris flows impacting the road have resulted in several near fatalities, and hikers have been forced to cross active debris flows to reach safe ground. The magnitude of debris flows varies between high magnitude channel incising events and low magnitude channel filling and/or reworking events. The frequency of debris flow events is irregular and appears to be controlled by the hydrology of triggering storms and antecedent moisture conditions, not by the debris supply. As a result, debris flow magnitude is not a function of frequency, but is more closely related to the characteristics of antecedent conditions and individual storms.     

Magnitude–frequency relationships of debris flows and debris avalanches in relation to slope relief

Probability of occurrence, hazard intensity and encounter probability are key parameters in the quantitative risk analysis (QRA) of landslides. All are strongly dependent on magnitude of the landslides. As a result, magnitude–frequency analysis should be a part of QRA. Deriving representative magnitude–frequency relationships for debris avalanches and debris flows, however, is difficult. One key problem is illustrated with the example of a unique database from the coastal region of British Columbia, Canada, which was compiled entirely from detailed ground investigations. The magnitude of debris avalanches and debris flows is not an independent statistical quantity, but a function of the scale of a given slope, as characterized by the slope length. Thus, attempting to derive probability and magnitude for a given location or sub-region from a regionally-derived magnitude–frequency curve may lead to incorrect predictions. The same problem is pertinent to the application of the same approach to any type of landslide in which the largest combined dimension of the source volume (including entrainment) is of the same order as the length of the slope. It is recommended that greater emphasis be placed on site-specific geological observations, at the expense of generalized statistics.     

The effects of logging on frequency and distribution of landslides in three watersheds on Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Three hundred and sixty three landslides in three watersheds that totaled 382 km² were identified from air photographs, beginning at a date that preceded logging to the present. The three watersheds all lie on Vancouver Island; however, they have different precipitation regimes, topography, and amounts logged. Landslide areas in the watersheds varied in size from 200 m² to more than 1 ha. Nearly 80% of the landslides were debris slides; 15% were debris flows, and the remainder primarily rock falls. Following logging, the number of landslides increased substantially in all watersheds although the amount of increase was variable: approximately 11, 3, and 16 times in Macktush Creek, Artlish River, and Nahwitti River, respectively. Other analyses of changes in landslide density also produced highly variable results, with the number of landslides increasing between 2.4 and 24 times. Further, 2–12 times more landslides reached streams following logging activities. Densities for landslides impacting streams increased for the period of record from 1.5 to 10 times following logging activities. The densities were substantially greater where only landslides that reached streams since development began in a watershed were considered. Roads had the greatest spatial impact in the watersheds (compared to their total area), with frequencies determined to have increased by 27, 12, and 94 times for Macktush, Artlish, and Nahwitti, respectively. The results highlight the relative impact of roads and their role in slope stability.     

Frequency of debris flows and their relation with precipitation: A case study in the Central Alps, Italy

Debris flows are very important and widespread mass movements, and represent a remarkable geomorphological hazard. This research deals with debris flows in an alpine environment, studied using dendrogeomorphological dating techniques, outlining their relation with precipitation, and analysing possible changes in their frequency and intensity over time. The study area is the upper Valle del Gallo (Northern Italy), a typical high mountain environment dominated by mass wasting processes, where many debris-flow fans occupy the valley bottom. Dendrogeomorphological research was conducted on twelve of these fans and two channels located on slopes. Tree growth anomalies (abrasion scars, compression wood and abrupt growth changes) were used as dating methods. Two hundred and thirty nine debris debris-flow events between 1875 and 2003 were dated using 757 trees (Pinus montana Mill.). Analysis between dated events and precipitation suggests that debris flows in the study area could be triggered by 20–30 mm of rain concentrated in a few hours. The debris-flow frequency tends to increase gradually, but the highest value seems to have occurred in the period 1974–1983. This trend agrees with the historical occurrence of flooding events in Northern Italy as inferred by literature, and with similar studies conducted in the Swiss Alps. The results of this research are intended as a contribution for understanding the response of geomorphological processes to climatic changes.     

Combining airborne and terrestrial laser scanning for quantifying erosion and deposition by a debris flow event

We quantified the sediment volume transported by a major debris flow event in the Halltal, Austrian Alps, using a combination of terrestrial (TLS) and airborne laser scanning (ALS) which has rarely been carried out before. A digital terrain model (DTM) derived from ALS data (pre-event surface) was combined with a DTM derived from TLS data (post-event surface). Both datasets were aligned and compared in a cut and fill analysis estimating differential volumes.The main focus lay on the evaluation and accuracy assessment of the applied method. Tie-point based registration of both datasets proved to be insufficient; additional alignment by Multi Station Adjustment was necessary to minimise the averaged height error between both datasets, amounting for a volumetric error of less than 10% which is comparable to pure ALS-campaigns. Larger errors were estimated for complex terrain with low scanning resolutions. A particular problem in data processing was the low and dense shrub vegetation in the study area which required a specifically adapted filter algorithm. An insufficient ground representation was observed for the ALS-data overestimating ground heights for averaged 70 cm. Despite these limitations, the approach proved to be suitable for accurate extreme event quantification.The starting zones of the debris flows lie at the bedrock-debris interface where runoff is concentrated. Volumes of 5000 to 12,000 m³ were assessed. Volume estimation worked better for the erosional than for the depositional features; this is because the erosional gullies are relatively deep and the calculation is not affected by pre-event vegetation. While erosion and sedimentation are balanced for one of the three catchments investigated, the deposited volumes are higher than the detected eroded volumes for the other two. The reasons are not fully understood. The magnitude of the flows was determined by catchment size, topographical characteristics and deforestation by a major wildfire in 1946.     

The morphometric and stratigraphic framework for estimates of debris flow incidence in the North Cascades foothills, Washington State, USA

Active debris flow fans in the North Cascade Foothills of Washington State constitute a natural hazard of importance to land managers, private property owners and personal security. In the absence of measurements of the sediment fluxes involved in debris flow events, a morphological-evolutionary systems approach, emphasizing stratigraphy, dating, fan morphology and debris flow basin morphometry, was used. Using the stratigraphic framework and 47 radiocarbon dates, frequency of occurrence and relative magnitudes of debris flow events have been estimated for three spatial scales of debris flow systems: the within-fan site scale (84 observations); the fan meso-scale (six observations) and the lumped fan, regional or macro-scale (one fan average and adjacent lake sediments). In order to characterize the morphometric framework, plots of basin area v. fan area, basin area v. fan gradient and the Melton ruggedness number v. fan gradient for the 12 debris flow basins were compared with those documented for semi-arid and paraglacial fans. Basin area to fan area ratios were generally consistent with the estimated level of debris flow activity during the Holocene as reported below. Terrain analysis of three of the most active debris flow basins revealed the variety of modes of slope failure and sediment production in the region.Micro-scale debris flow event systems indicated a range of recurrence intervals for large debris flows from 106−3645 years. The spatial variation of these rates across the fans was generally consistent with previously mapped hazard zones. At the fan meso-scale, the range of recurrence intervals for large debris flows was 273−1566 years and at the regional scale, the estimated recurrence interval of large debris flows was 874 years (with undetermined error bands) during the past 7290 years. Dated lake sediments from the adjacent Lake Whatcom gave recurrence intervals for large sediment producing events ranging from 481−557 years over the past 3900 years and clearly discernible sedimentation events in the lacustrine sediments had a recurrence interval of 67−78 years over that same period.     

A method for assessing regional debris flow risk: an application in Zhaotong of Yunnan province (SW China)

Based on the definitions of the United Nations, the assessment of risk involves the evaluation of both hazard and vulnerability. This forms the basis of a generalized assessment model of debris flow risk. Hazard is a measure of the threatening degree of an extreme event and is expressed theoretically as a function of event magnitude and frequency of occurrence. Mathematically, it is the definite integral area under the magnitude–frequency curve. Based on the need for a model applicable in regions that lack data, a new method that incorporates theoretical concepts with empirical analysis is presented to calculate the regional hazardousness of debris flows. Debris flow hazard can be estimated from gully density, mean annual rainfall and percentage of cultivated land on steep slope. Vulnerability is defined as the potential total maximum losses due to a potential damaging phenomenon for a specified area and during a reference period. On a regional scale, it is dependent on the fixed assets, gross domestic product, land resources and population density, as well as age, education and wealth of the inhabitants. A nonlinear, power-function model to compute the vulnerability degree is presented. An application of the proposed method to Zhaotong prefecture of Yunnan province, SW China, provides high accuracy and reasonable risk estimates. The highest risk of debris flow is in Zhaotong county with a value of 0.48; the lowest risk of debris flow is in Yanjin county with a value of 0.16. The other counties have debris flow risks ranging from 0.22 to 0.46. This provides an approach for assessing the regional debris flow risk and a basis for the formulation of a regional risk management policy in Zhaotong prefecture.     

Sources of debris flow material in burned areas

The vulnerability of recently burned areas to debris flows has been well established. Likewise, it has been shown that many, if not most, post-fire debris flows are initiated by runoff and erosion and grow in size through erosion and scour by the moving debris flow, as opposed to landslide-initiated flows with little growth. To better understand the development and character of these flows, a study has been completed encompassing 46 debris flows in California, Utah, and Colorado, in nine different recently burned areas. For each debris flow, progressive debris production was measured at intervals along the length of the channel, and from these measurements graphs were developed showing cumulative volume of debris as a function of channel length. All 46 debris flows showed significant bulking by scour and erosion, with average yield rates for each channel ranging from 0.3 to 9.9 m³ of debris produced for every meter of channel length, with an overall average value of 2.5 m³/m. Significant increases in yield rate partway down the channel were identified in 87% of the channels, with an average of a three-fold increase in yield rate. Yield rates for short reaches of channels (up to several hundred meters) ranged as high as 22.3 m³/m. Debris was contributed from side channels into the main channels for 54% of the flows, with an average of 23% of the total debris coming from those side channels. Rill erosion was identified for 30% of the flows, with rills contributing between 0.1 and 10.5% of the total debris, with an average of 3%. Debris was deposited as levees in 87% of the flows, with most of the deposition occurring in the lower part of the basin. A median value of 10% of the total debris flow was deposited as levees for these cases, with a range from near zero to nearly 100%. These results show that channel erosion and scour are the dominant sources of debris in burned areas, with yield rates increasing significantly partway down the channel. Side channels are much more important sources of debris than rills. Levees are very common, but the size and effect on the amount of debris that reaches a canyon mouth is highly variable.     

The mobilization of debris flows from shallow landslides

According to critical state theory, a soil will approach a critical void ratio during shear such that loose soils contract and dense soils dilate. Theory indicates that failing soils must be loose to generate the pore pressures needed for the mobilization of debris flows. Previously published results from large-scale experiments have also suggested that soils must be initially loose to fail as debris flows. In this contribution, this mechanism for soil liquefaction is tested in the field through observations and geotechnical analysis of soils that failed during a large storm in central California. Surprisingly, we find that the debris flows mobilized from soils that were initially dense. In addition, we find that the potential for debris flow mobilization was strongly linked to the fines/sand ratio. We present results from a numerical model that indicate that, as dilational soils approach the critical void ratio, the arresting effect of negative pore pressures generated by dilation is greatly reduced, leading to a rapid increase in basal pore pressure and rapid downslope acceleration. In addition, the model results suggest that the downslope displacement required to reach the critical state porosity in a dilative soil will be on the order of 0.1 to 1 m. Because the rate of the approach to critical state is fundamentally a function of the hydraulic conductivity of the soil, sandy soils will approach critical state much more rapidly than clay-rich soils.     

A hydroclimatic threshold for landslide initiation on the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver, British Columbia

Landslides triggered by rainfall are the cause of thousands of deaths worldwide every year. One possible approach to limit the socioeconomic consequences of such events is the development of climatic thresholds for landslide initiation. In this paper, we propose a method that incorporates antecedent rainfall and streamflow data to develop a landslide initiation threshold for the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver, British Columbia. Hydroclimatic data were gathered for 18 storms that triggered landslides and 18 storms that did not. Discriminant function analysis separated the landslide-triggering storms from those storms that did not trigger landslides and selected the most meaningful variables that allow this separation. Discriminant functions were also developed for the landslide-triggering and nonlandslide-triggering storms. The difference of the discriminant scores, ΔCS, for both groups is a measure of landslide susceptibility during a storm. The variables identified that optimize the separation of the two storm groups are 4-week rainfall prior to a significant storm, 6-h rainfall during a storm, and the number of hours 1 m³/s discharge was exceeded at Mackay Creek during a storm. Three thresholds were identified. The Landslide Warning Threshold (LWT) is reached when ΔCS is −1. The Conditional Landslide Initiation Threshold (CTL_I) is reached when ΔCS is zero, and it implies that landslides are likely if 4 mm/h rainfall intensity is exceeded at which point the Imminent Landslide Initiation Threshold (ITL_I) is reached. The LWT allows time for the issuance of a landslide advisory and to move personnel out of hazardous areas. The methodology proposed in this paper can be transferred to other regions worldwide where type and quality of data are appropriate for this type of analysis.     

Effective mitigation of debris flows at Lemon Dam, La Plata County, Colorado

To reduce the hazards from debris flows in drainage basins burned by wildfire, erosion control measures such as construction of check dams, installation of log erosion barriers (LEBs), and spreading of straw mulch and seed are common practice. After the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire in southwest Colorado, these measures were implemented at Knight Canyon above Lemon Dam to protect the intake structures of the dam from being filled with sediment. Hillslope erosion protection measures included LEBs at concentrations of 220–620/ha (200–600% of typical densities), straw mulch was hand spread at concentrations up to 5.6 metric tons/hectare (125% of typical densities), and seeds were hand spread at 67–84 kg/ha (150% of typical values). The mulch was carefully crimped into the soil to keep it in place. In addition, 13 check dams and 3 debris racks were installed in the main drainage channel of the basin.The technical literature shows that each mitigation method working alone, or improperly constructed or applied, was inconsistent in its ability to reduce erosion and sedimentation. At Lemon Dam, however, these methods were effective in virtually eliminating sedimentation into the reservoir, which can be attributed to a number of factors: the density of application of each mitigation method, the enhancement of methods working in concert, the quality of installation, and rehabilitation of mitigation features to extend their useful life. The check dams effectively trapped the sediment mobilized during rainstorms, and only a few cubic meters of debris traveled downchannel, where it was intercepted by debris racks.Using a debris volume-prediction model developed for use in burned basins in the Western U.S., recorded rainfall events following the Missionary Ridge Fire should have produced a debris flow of approximately 10,000 m³ at Knight Canyon. The mitigation measures, therefore, reduced the debris volume by several orders of magnitude. For comparison, rainstorm-induced debris flows occurred in two adjacent canyons at volumes within the range predicted by the model.     

Dynamic process-based risk assessment of debris flow on a local scale

After the Wenchuan earthquake in China, debris flows have been more frequent. Multiple debris flows commonly occur in earthquake-affected areas during heavy rainfall, often causing losses of lives and property. We analyzed the dynamic movement of debris flows and proposed a quantitative method of debris flow hazard assessment, based on kinetic energy. Validated using field study of an actual debris flow disaster, these analyzes help determine the type, quantity, distribution, economic worth, and susceptibility of elements at risk. We established a method to determine vulnerability of elements at risk and we propose a systematic and quantitative method for local risk analysis of debris flows. We applied the proposed method to a debris flow in Qipan gully, which caused serious damages for Duwen Highway and Qipan settlements of Sichuan Province in 2013. With the support of a debris-flow movement numerical simulation, remote sensing, and GIS techniques, the proposed method analyzed disaster effects and divided the hazardous areas into three risk zones. Calculated risk zones coincided with the actual distribution and severity of damage of the event, suggesting that the risk assessment generated by the proposed method is consistent with results from the actual disaster.     

Simulation of event-based landslides and debris flows at watershed level

A coupled model has been developed to simulate, at watershed level, landslides and debris flows induced by a severe typhoon (tropical cyclone) in Taiwan. The model comprises a landslide susceptibility model to predict landslide occurrence, an empirical model to select debris-flow initiation points, and a debris flow model to simulate the transport and deposit of failed materials from the identified source areas. In raster format with a 10 m spatial resolution, the model output includes unstable cells, debris-flow initiation cells, debris-flow velocities, runout paths, and deposition zones. The model was first tested and calibrated in a small area, where the damage by landslides had been investigated and recorded. It was then applied to a watershed, and the simulation results were validated by comparing them with a landslide/debris-flow inventory map prepared from satellite images using a multiple change detection technique. Model test and validation results confirm the usefulness of the model in predicting the number and size of affected areas (landslides and runouts combined), runout path, and volume of runout deposits. It is a common practice in Taiwan to separate landslide and debris-flow inventories and to study debris flows only in select drainage basins. This study suggests that landslide and debris flow should be modeled as a sequential process for efficient watershed management.     

Multi-proxy evidence of postglacial climate and environmental change at Two Frog Lake,central mainland coast of British Columbia,Canada

Pollen and diatoms preserved in the radiocarbon dated sediments of Two Frog Lake in the Seymour-Belize Inlet Complex of the central mainland coast of British Columbia document postglacial climate change. Two Frog Lake was isolated from the sea prior to 11,040 ± 50 yr BP (13,030 cal. yr BP) when the climate was cool and dry, and open Pinus contorta woodlands covered the landscape. These woodlands were replaced by a mixed conifer forest ca. 10,200 yr BP (ca. 12,300 cal. yr BP) when the climate became moister. A relatively dry and warm early Holocene climate allowed Pseudotsuga menziesii to migrate northward to this site where it grew with Picea, Tsuga heterophylla and Alnus. The climate became cooler and moister at ca. 8,000 yr BP (ca. 9,200 cal. yr BP), approximately 500–1,000 years prior to sites located south of Two Frog Lake and on the Queen Charlotte Islands, but contemporary with sites on the northern mainland coast of British Columbia and south coastal Alaska. Climate heterogeneity in central coastal British Columbia appears to have occurred on a synoptic scale, suggesting that atmospheric dynamics linked to a variable Aleutian Low pressure system may have had an important influence on early Holocene climate change in the Seymour-Belize Inlet Complex. The transition to cooler and moister conditions facilitated the expansion of Cupressaceae and the establishment of a modern-type coastal temperate rainforest dominated by Cupressaceae and T. heterophylla. This was associated with progressive lake acidification. Diatom changes independent of vegetation change during the late Holocene are correlative with the mid-Neoglacial period, when cooler temperatures altered diatom communities.     

Paleolimnological potential of chrysophyte cysts and scales and of sponge spicules as indicators of lake salinity

Chrysophyte cysts and scales and sponge spicules were enumerated, along with diatoms, from the surface sediments of 102 western Canadian lakes. The salinities of these lakes ranged from 0.042 to 369 g L⁻¹ in late summer. Sponge spicules and chrysophyte cysts and scales were more common in fresher waters, although chrysophyte cysts were also present in subsaline and hyposaline waters at lower relative percentages. These siliceous microfossils can easily be distinguished and counted along with diatom valves, with little extra effort. It is likely that using these additional indicators will strengthen paleolimnological inferences of past lakewater salinity.     

Climate change effects on landslides along the southwest coast of British Columbia

Antecedent rainfall and short-term intense rainfall both contribute to the temporal occurrence of landslides in British Columbia. These two quantities can be extracted from the precipitation regimes simulated by climate models. This makes such models an attractive tool for use in the investigation of the effect of global warming on landslide frequencies.In order to provide some measure of the reliability of models used to address the landslide question, the present-day simulation of the antecedent precipitation and short-term rainfall using the daily data from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis model (CGCM) is compared to observations along the south coast of British Columbia. This evaluation showed that the model was reasonably successful in simulating statistics of the antecedent rainfall but was less successful in simulating the short-term rainfall.The monthly mean precipitation data from an ensemble of 19 of the world's global climate models were available to study potential changes in landslide frequencies with global warming. Most of the models were used to produce simulations with three scenarios with different levels of prescribed greenhouse gas concentrations during the twenty-first century. The changes in the antecedent precipitation were computed from the resulting monthly and seasonal means. In order to deal with models' suspected difficulties in simulating the short-term precipitation and lack of daily data, a statistical procedure was used to relate the short-term precipitation to the monthly means.The qualitative model results agree reasonably well, and when averaged over all models and the three scenarios, the change in the antecedent precipitation is predicted to be about 10% and the change in the short-term precipitation about 6%. Because the antecedent precipitation and the short-term precipitation contribute to the occurrence of landslides, the results of this study support the prediction of increased landslide frequency along the British Columbia south coast during the twenty-first century.     

Empirical models to predict the volumes of debris flows generated by recently burned basins in the western U.S.

Recently burned basins frequently produce debris flows in response to moderate-to-severe rainfall. Post-fire hazard assessments of debris flows are most useful when they predict the volume of material that may flow out of a burned basin. This study develops a set of empirically-based models that predict potential volumes of wildfire-related debris flows in different regions and geologic settings.The models were developed using data from 53 recently burned basins in Colorado, Utah and California. The volumes of debris flows in these basins were determined by either measuring the volume of material eroded from the channels, or by estimating the amount of material removed from debris retention basins. For each basin, independent variables thought to affect the volume of the debris flow were determined. These variables include measures of basin morphology, basin areas burned at different severities, soil material properties, rock type, and rainfall amounts and intensities for storms triggering debris flows. Using these data, multiple regression analyses were used to create separate predictive models for volumes of debris flows generated by burned basins in six separate regions or settings, including the western U.S., southern California, the Rocky Mountain region, and basins underlain by sedimentary, metamorphic and granitic rocks.An evaluation of these models indicated that the best model (the Western U.S. model) explains 83% of the variability in the volumes of the debris flows, and includes variables that describe the basin area with slopes greater than or equal to 30%, the basin area burned at moderate and high severity, and total storm rainfall. This model was independently validated by comparing volumes of debris flows reported in the literature, to volumes estimated using the model. Eighty-seven percent of the reported volumes were within two residual standard errors of the volumes predicted using the model. This model is an improvement over previous models in that it includes a measure of burn severity and an estimate of modeling errors. The application of this model, in conjunction with models for the probability of debris flows, will enable more complete and rapid assessments of debris flow hazards following wildfire.     

Charcoal morphotypes in lake sediments from British Columbia (Canada): an assessment of their utility for the reconstruction of past fire and precipitation

Quantitative analysis of variations in morphological types of charcoal were undertaken in sediment cores from three lakes on the Interior Plateau (BC, Canada) over the period AD 1919–2000. Seven distinct morphological types of charcoal were identified based on particle shape and structural features and were compared with seasonal precipitation and recorded area burned within 20 km-radius of study lakes. Fragile-type charcoal fragments, termed type M, displayed significant relationships to recorded area burned in sediment cores from Prosser (r ² = 0.5; p = 0.0001) and Opatcho (r ² = 0.2; p = 0.02) lakes. However, nonsignificant correlations (p > 0.05) were found between total charcoal and area burned. Robust and highly elongated morphotypes C and F were correlated to recorded spring precipitation (r ² = 0.5; p = 0.002) in Opatcho Lake. Charcoal from a sediment core from Big Lake, the lake with the largest watershed, was significantly but inversely related to past fires (r ² = 0.44; p = 0.0003), suggesting important contributions from secondary transportation and deposition. Models were developed to infer relative area burned and precipitation for the study lakes. Our results suggest that charcoal morphotypes are related to the biogeoclimatic and lake watershed characteristics. This study also suggest that charcoal morphotypes can provide insights on past fire and climate, which was not possible based on traditional analysis of total charcoal.     

A morphometric analysis of gullies scoured by post-fire progressively bulked debris flows in southwest Montana, USA

In the fall of 2001, an intense thunderstorm in southwest Montana triggered many debris flows in the burned area of Sleeping Child Creek. In most instances, the debris flows cut deep gullies into previously unchannelized colluvial hollows and deposited large volumes of sediment onto the valley floor. The presence of rill networks above the gullies as well as the absence of landslide features indicate that the gullies were scoured by progressively bulked debris flows, a process in which dilute surface runoff becomes increasingly more laden with sediment until it transforms into a debris flow. In this contribution, we present a morphometric analysis of six of the gullies to better understand this relatively understudied process. We find that the locations of the rill heads and gully heads conform to slope-area thresholds that are characteristic of erosion by overland flow. Our data also suggest that the volumes of the debris flows increase exponentially with normalized drainage area, thus lending support to an assumption used in a recently proposed debris flow incision law. Finally, the debris flow fans have been relatively unaltered since deposition, suggesting that the valley may be currently aggrading while the hillslopes are being denuded.     

From fishing to farming: Shellfish aquaculture expansion and the complexities of ocean space on Canada's west coast

Ocean spaces are social and political, and just as with terrestrial governance, oceans governance is prone to ambiguity, contradiction, and contestation. The validity and dynamics of these claims will be demonstrated through a study of discourse and structured agreements employed to involve coastal First Nations in the expansion of the shellfish aquaculture sector in British Columbia. Analysis focuses on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, a region identified as having good biophysical potential for shellfish aquaculture and much of which is territorial home of the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations. Through community interviews and document and discourse analysis, the article highlights that: seafood, including shellfish, is intimately connected with Nuu-chah-nulth identity; many Nuu-chah-nulth have long-engaged in subsistence and commercial harvests of wild-growing shellfish; and, there are important prospective differences between longer-standing shellfish harvests and shellfish aquaculture. Findings and discussion offer perspective on the sorts of choices that First Nations might encounter in the pursuit of shellfish aquaculture, as well as raise bigger questions about whether or how Nations might tradeoff territorial authority and collective harvest opportunities against leasing state-sanctioned private marine tenures.