Analysis of debris flow control effect and hazard assessment in Xinqiao Gully,Wenchuan M_(s)8.0 earthquake area based on numerical simulation

Xinqiao Gully is located in the area of the 2008 Wenchuan M_(s)8.0 earthquake in Sichuan province,China.Based on the investigation of the 2023"6-26"Xinqiao Gully debris flow event,this study assessed the effectiveness of the debris flow control project and evaluated the debris flow hazards.Through field investigation and numerical simulation methods,the indicators of flow intensity reduction rate and storage capacity fullness were proposed to quantify the effectiveness of the engineering measures in the debris flow event.The simulation results show that the debris flow control project reduced the flow intensity by41.05%to 64.61%.The storage capacity of the dam decreases gradually from upstream to the mouth of the gully,thus effectively intercepting and controlling the debris flow.By evaluating the debris flow of different recurrence intervals,further measures are recommended for managing debris flow events.

Modelling of debris-flow susceptibility and propagation: a case study from Northwest Himalaya

The geological and geographical position of the Northwest Himalayas makes it a vulnerable area for mass movements particularly landslides and debris flows. Mass movements have had a substantial impact on the study area which is extending along Karakorum Highway(KKH) from Besham to Chilas. Intense seismicity, deep gorges, steep terrain and extreme climatic events trigger multiple mountain hazards along the KKH, among which debris flow is recognized as the most destructive geohazard. This study aims to prepare a field-based debris flow inventory map at a regional scale along a 200 km stretch from Besham to Chilas. A total of 117 debris flows were identified in the field, and subsequently, a point-based debris-flow inventory and catchment delineation were performed through Arc GIS analysis. Regional scale debris flow susceptibility and propagation maps were prepared using Weighted Overlay Method(WOM) and Flow-R technique sequentially. Predisposing factors include slope, slope aspect, elevation, Topographic Roughness Index(TRI), Topographic Wetness Index(TWI), stream buffer, distance to faults, lithology rainfall, curvature, and collapsed material layer. The dataset was randomly divided into training data(75%) and validation data(25%). Results were validated through the Receiver Operator Characteristics(ROC) curve. Results show that Area Under the Curve(AUC) using WOM model is 79.2%. Flow-R propagation of debris flow shows that the 13.15%, 22.94%, and 63.91% areas are very high, high, and low susceptible to debris flow respectively. The propagation predicated by Flow-R validates the naturally occurring debris flow propagation as observed in the field surveys. The output of this research will provide valuable input to the decision makers for the site selection, designing of the prevention system, and for the protection of current infrastructure.

Interaction Mechanisms between Natural Debris Flow and Rigid Barrier Deflectors:A New Perspective for Rational Design and Optimal Arrangement

Rigid barrier deflectors can effectively prevent overspilling landslides,and can satisfy disaster prevention requirements.However,the mechanisms of interaction between natural granular flow and rigid barrier deflectors require further investigation.To date,few studies have investigated the impact of deflectors on controlling viscous debris flows for geological disaster prevention.To investigate the effect of rigid barrier deflectors on impact mechanisms,a numerical model using the smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)method with the Herschel–Bulkley model is proposed to simulate the interaction between natural viscous flow and single/dual barriers with and without deflectors.This model was validated using laboratory flume test data from the literature.Then,the model was used to investigate the influence of the deflector angle and multi-barrier arrangements.The optimal configuration of multi-barriers was analyzed with consideration to the barrier height and distance between the barriers,because these metrics have a significant impact on the viscous flow pile-up,run-up,and overflow mechanisms.The investigation considered the energy dissipation process,retention efficiency,and dead-zone formation.Compared with bare barriers with similar geometric characteristics and spatial distribution,rigid barriers with deflectors exhibit superior effectiveness in preventing the overflow and overspilling of viscous debris flow.Recommendations for the rational design of deflectors and the optimal arrangement of multi-barriers are provided to mitigate geological disasters.

Debris flow runout behaviors considering the influences of densely populated buildings

Debris flows pose serious risks to communities in mountainous areas,often resulting in large losses of human life and property.The impeding presence of urban buildings often affects the runout behavior and deposition of debris flows.But the impact of different building densities and sizes on debris flow dynamics has yet to be quantified to guide urban planning in debris flow risk zones.This study focused on a debris flow that occurred in Zhouqu County,Gansu Province,China on August 7th,2010,which was catastrophic and destroyed many buildings.The FLO-2D software was used to simulate this debris flow in two scenarios,i.e.the presence and the absence of buildings,to obtain debris-flow intensity parameters.The developed model was then used to further analyze the influence of large buildings and narrow channels within the urban environment.The simulation results show that considering the presence of buildings in the simulation is essential for accurate assessment of debris flow intensity and deposition distribution.The layout of buildings in the upstream urban area,such as large buildings or parallel buildings which form narrow channels,can affect the flow velocity and depth of debris flow heading towards downstream buildings.To mitigate damage to downstream buildings,the relative spacing(d/a)between upstream and downstream buildings should not exceed a value of two and should ideally be even lower.These findings provide valuable insights for improving the resistance of mountainous cities to urban debris flows.

Comparison of debris flow susceptibility assessment methods:support vector machine,particle swarm optimization,and feature selection techniques

The selection of important factors in machine learning-based susceptibility assessments is crucial to obtain reliable susceptibility results.In this study,metaheuristic optimization and feature selection techniques were applied to identify the most important input parameters for mapping debris flow susceptibility in the southern mountain area of Chengde City in Hebei Province,China,by using machine learning algorithms.In total,133 historical debris flow records and 16 related factors were selected.The support vector machine(SVM)was first used as the base classifier,and then a hybrid model was introduced by a two-step process.First,the particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm was employed to select the SVM model hyperparameters.Second,two feature selection algorithms,namely principal component analysis(PCA)and PSO,were integrated into the PSO-based SVM model,which generated the PCA-PSO-SVM and FS-PSO-SVM models,respectively.Three statistical metrics(accuracy,recall,and specificity)and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)were employed to evaluate and validate the performance of the models.The results indicated that the feature selection-based models exhibited the best performance,followed by the PSO-based SVM and SVM models.Moreover,the performance of the FS-PSO-SVM model was better than that of the PCA-PSO-SVM model,showing the highest AUC,accuracy,recall,and specificity values in both the training and testing processes.It was found that the selection of optimal features is crucial to improving the reliability of debris flow susceptibility assessment results.Moreover,the PSO algorithm was found to be not only an effective tool for hyperparameter optimization,but also a useful feature selection algorithm to improve prediction accuracies of debris flow susceptibility by using machine learning algorithms.The high and very high debris flow susceptibility zone appropriately covers 38.01%of the study area,where debris flow may occur under intensive human activities and heavy rainfall events.

Dynamic-based model for calculating the boulder impact force in debris flow

The boulder impact force in debris flow is generally calculated by static methods such as the cantilever beam models.However,these methods cannot describe the dynamic scenario of boulder collision on structures,so the inertia and damping effects of the structures are not involved causing an overestimation on the boulder impact force.In order to address this issue,a dynamic-based model for calculating the boulder impact force of a debris flow was proposed in this study,and the dynamic characteristics of a cantilever beam with multiple degrees of freedom under boulder collision were investigated.By using the drop-weight method to simulate boulders within debris flow,seven experiments of drop-weight impacting the cantilever beam were used to calibrate the error of the dynamicbased model.Results indicate that the dynamic-based model is able to reconstruct the impact force history on the cantilever beam during impact time and the error of dynamic-based model is 15.3%in calculating boulder impact force,significantly outperforming the cantilever beam model’s error of 285%.Therefore,the dynamic-based model can overcome the drawbacks of the static-based models and provide a more reliable theoretical foundation for the engineering design of debris flow control structures.

Glacial debris flow susceptibility mapping based on combined models in the Parlung Tsangpo Basin,China

Machine learning(ML)-based prediction models for mapping hazard(e.g.,landslide and debris flow)susceptibility have been widely developed in recent research.However,in some specific areas,ML models have limited application because of the uncertainties in identifying negative samples.The Parlung Tsangpo Basin exemplifies a region prone to recurrent glacial debris flows(GDFs)and is characterized by a prominent landform featuring deep gullies.Considering the limitations of the ML model,we developed and compared two combined statistical models(FA-WE and FA-IC)based on factor analysis(FA),weight of evidence(WE),and the information content(IC)method.The final GDF susceptibility maps were generated by selecting 8 most important static factors and considering the influence of precipitation.The results show that the FA-IC model has the best performance.The areas with a very high susceptibility to GDFs are primarily located in the narrow valley section upstream,on both sides of the valley in the middle and downstream of the Parlung Tsangpo River,and in the narrow valley section of each tributary.These areas encompass 86 gullies and are characterized as"narrow and steep".

Socio-scientific quantification of the comprehensive benefits of debris flow mitigation measures for villages in western Sichuan, China

Debris flow hazards seriously threaten thesafety and sustainable development of mountainousareas. Numerous debris flow mitigation measures havebeen implemented worldwide;however, acomprehensive assessment of the specific disasterreduction effects of these measures and their economic,social and ecological benefits is yet to be performed.The western region of Sichuan Province frequentlysuffers from geohazards such as debris flow, and thegovernment has adopted many mitigation measures.This study assessed the benefits of debris flowmitigation measures and identified the key influencingfactors via a field-based study conducted in 81 villagesin western Sichuan province, China. A framework forthe evaluation of the benefits of rural debris flowmitigation measures was constructed andquantitatively evaluated using a survey. Snowballsampling was performed to recruit 81 village leadersand 468 farmers. The results showed that managementand engineering measures were the main methodsused to mitigate debris flow;ecological measures wereauxiliary. The average satisfaction scores of farmers forthese three types of measures were 4.07, 3.90, and 3.56,respectively (as measured on a five-point Likert scale).In contrast, in terms of the benefits of these mitigationmeasures, only a small proportion of villages (11.11%)obtained a high level of comprehensive benefits fromthe debris flow mitigation measures, while the majority(88.89%) received medium to low-level benefits. Toimprove this situation, we further studied and foundthat the main factors that restricted villages fromachieving high-level comprehensive benefits were theunpredictable nature of debris flows, labour forceoutflow and remoteness. Effective control measures, agood economic environment and strong governmentassistance were reported as crucial factors forimproving these comprehensive benefits. This studyprovides socio-scientific references for decisionmakingon rural debris flow mitigation measures while keeping villages at the centre of economic development.

Dynamic response of buildings under debris flow impact

This study employs the smoothed particle hydrodynamics–finite element method(SPH–FEM) coupling numerical method to investigate the impact of debris flow on reinforced concrete(RC)-frame buildings. The methodology considers the variables of debris flow depth and velocity and introduces the intensity index IDV(IDV = DV) to evaluate three different levels of debris flow impact intensity. The primary focus of this study is to investigate the dynamic response and failure mechanism of RC-frame buildings under debris flow impact, including structural failure patterns, impact force and column displacement. The results show that under a highintensity impact, a gradual collapse process of the RCframe building can be observed, and the damage mode of the frame column reflects shear failure or plastic hinge failure mechanism. First, the longitudinal infill walls are damaged owing to their low out-of-plane flexural capacity;the critical failure intensity index IDV value is approximately 7.5 m2/s. The structure cannot withstand debris flows with an intensity index IDV greater than 16 m2/s, and it is recommended that the peak impact force should not exceed 2100 k N. The impact damage ability of debris flow on buildings mostly originates from the impact force of the frontal debris flow, with the impact force of the debris flow body being approximately 42% lower than that of the debris flow head. Finally, a five-level classification system for evaluating the damage status of buildings is proposed based on the numerical simulation and investigation results of the disaster site.

Protective effects of baffles with different positions,row spacings,heights on debris flow impact

The baffle effectively slowed down debris flow velocity,reduced its kinetic energy,and significantly shortened the distance of debris flow movement.Consequently,they are widely used for protection against natural hazards such as landslides and mudslides.This study,based on the threedimensional DEM(Discrete Element Method),investigated the impact of different baffle positions on debris flow protection.Debris flow velocity and kinetic energy variations were studied through single-factor experiments.Suitable baffle positions were preliminarily selected by analyzing the influence of the first-row baffle position on the impact force and accumulation mass of debris flow.Subsequently,based on the selected baffle positions and four factors influencing the effectiveness of baffle protection(baffle position(P),baffle height(h),row spacing(S_(r)),and angle of transit area(α)),an orthogonal design was employed to further explore the optimal arrangement of baffles.The research results indicate that the use of a baffle structure could effectively slow down the motion velocity of debris flows and dissipate their energy.When the baffle is placed in the transit area,the impact force on the first-row baffle is greater than that when the baffle is placed in the deposition area.Similarly,when the baffle is placed in the transit area,the obstruction effect on debris flow mass is also greater than that when the baffle is placed in the deposition area.Through orthogonal experimental range analysis,when the impact on the first row of baffles is used as the evaluation criterion,the importance of each influencing factor is ranked asα>P>S_(r)>h.When the mass of debris flow behind the baffle is regarded as the evaluation criterion,the rank is changed to P>α>S_(r)>h.The experimental simulation results show that the optimal baffle arrangement is:P_(5),S_(r)=16,α=35°,h=9.

Discharge evolution law of debris flow based on a sharp bend physical modeling test

For the basins with debris flow development,its channel terrain exhibits a tortuous shape,which significantly restricts the movement of debris flows and leads to severe erosion effects on the concave bank.Therefore,this study aims to analyze the shear force of debris flows within the bend channel.We established the relationship between the shear force and bend curvature through laboratory experiments.Under the long-term erosion by debris flows,the curvature radius of bends gradually increases,however,when this increasing trend reaches an equilibrium state with the intensity of debris flow discharge,there will be no significant change in curvature radius.In general,the activity pattern and discharges of debris flows would remain relatively stable.Hence,we can infer the magnitude of debris flow discharges from the terrain parameters of the bend channel.

Regulation effect of the grille spacing of a funnel-type grating water–sediment separation structure on the debris flow performance

The size of pores or the grille spacing of water–sediment separation structures directly affects their regulation effect on the debris flow performance.A suitable pore size or grille spacing can effectively improve the water–sediment separation ability of the structure.The new funnel-type grating water–sediment separation structure(FGWSS)combines vertical and horizontal structures and provides a satisfactory water–sediment separation effect.However,the regulation effect of the grille spacing of the structure on the debris flow performance has not been studied.The regulation effect of the structure grille spacing on the debris flow performance is studied through a flume test,and the optimal structure grille spacing is obtained.An empirical equation of the relationship between the relative grille spacing of the structure and the sediment separation rate is established.Finally,the influence of the water–sediment separation structure on the regulation effect of debris flows is examined from two aspects:external factors(properties of debris flows)and internal factors(structural factors).The experimental results show that the gradation characteristics of solid particles in debris flows constitute a key factor affecting the regulation effect of the structure on the debris flow performance.The optimum grille spacing of the FGWSS matches the particle size corresponding to the material distribution curves d85~d90 of the debris flow.The total separation rate of debris flow particles is related to the grille spacing of the structure and the content of coarse and fine particles in the debris flow.

Evaluation of the Economic Loss Caused by Zhouqu Debris Flow

[Objective] The aim of this study was to evaluate the economic loss caused by Zhouqu debris flow. [Method] After the large debris flows happened on August 7, 2010 in Zhouqu, Gansu Province, we collected data at the first time after the disaster, and then built an assessment model to estimate the potential economic losses. [Result] The total loss reached 16.57×10^2 million Yuan, in which indirect economic loss was up to 2.42×10^2 million yaun while the actual direct economic loss was around 14.15×10^2 million Yuan. [Conclusion] The proportional coefficient method is a rapid and efficient method for evaluating the indirect loss caused by disasters.

Rainfall Factors in the Prediction of Rainfall-induced Debris Flow

Various rainfall factors,which affect the activities of rainfall-induced debris flow,are discussed in this paper.The factors include antecedent precipitation,current precipitation,rainfall duration,intensity,peak,and rainfall pattern.Rainfall-induced debris flow is trigged by the co-action of current rainfall and antecedent rainfall.The advanced system of precipitation monitoring and forecasting in the rainfall-induced debris flow forecast system is established,which consists of four methods-numerical weather prediction,stationary meteorological satellite,weather radar echo and automatic weather station.Since the forecast of rainfall-induced debris flow is based on the prediction of precipitation,the prediction models objectively require more detailed and precise prediction products,which put forward a new research subject for meteorologists.

Prediction of Debris-flow Danger Area by Combining Hydrological and Inundation Simulation Methods

Debris flows have caused serious human casualties and economic losses in the regions strongly affected by the Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake of 2oo8. Debris flow mitigation and risk assessment is a key issue for reconstruction. The existing methods of inundation simulation are based on historical disasters and have no power of prediction. The rain- flood method can not yield detailed flow hydrograph and does not meet the need of inundation simulation. In this paper, the process of water flow was studied by using the Arc-SCS model combined with hydraulic method, and then the debris flow runoff process was calculated using the empirical formula combining the result from Arc-SCS. The peak discharge and runoff duration served as input of inundation simulation. Then, the dangerous area is predicted using kinematic wave method and Manning equation. Taking the debris flow in Huashiban gully in Beichuan County, Sichuan Province, China on 24 Sep. 2oo8 as example, the peak discharge of water flow and debris flow were calculated as 35.52 m3·s-1 and 215.66 m3·s-, with error of 4.15% compared to the measured values. The simulated area of debris-flow deposition was 161,500 m2, vs. the measured area of 144,097 m2, in error of 81.75%. The simulated maximum depth was 12.3 m, consistent with the real maximum depth between lO and 15 m according to the field survey. The minor error is mainly due to the flow impact on buildings and variations in cross-section configuration. The present methodology can be applied to predict debrisflow magnitude and evaluate its risk in other watersheds inthe earthquake area.

Features of Sandy Debris Flows of the Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin and Its Oil and Gas Exploration Significance

Sandy debris flow is a new genetic type of sand bodies,which has gained much attention in recent years and its corresponding theory is proved to be a significant improvement and even partial denial to the 'Bouma Sequence' and 'turbidite fan' deep-water sedimentary theories to some point. Oil exploration researchers are highly concerned with sandy debris flows for its key role in controlling oil and gas accumulation processes.In this article,by applying sandy debris flows theory and combining a lot work of core,outcrop observation and analysis plus seismic profile interpretation,we recognized three types of sedimentary gravity flows that are sandy debris flows,classic turbidites and slumping rocks in chang-6 member of Yanchang Formation in the deep-water area of central Ordos Basin.Among the three types,the sandy debris flows are the most prominent and possesses the best oil bearing conditions.On the contrary,the classic turbidites formed by turbidity currents are limited in distribution;therefore,previous Yanchang Formation deep-water sedimentary studies have exaggerated the importance of turbidite currents deposition.Further study showed that the area distribution of deep water gravity flow sand bodies in Yanchang Formation were controlled by the slope of the deep-water deposits and the flows had vast distribution,huge depth and prevalent advantages for oil forming,which make it one of the most favorable new areas for Ordos Basin prospecting.

The Critical Rainfall Characteristics for Torrents and Debris Flows in the Wenchuan Earthquake Stricken Area

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

Risk Assessment of Highways Affected by Debris Flows in Wenchuan Earthquake Area

Since the Wenchuan earthquake in China on May 12th, 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 S3o3 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.

Debris Flow Susceptibility Assessment Using a Probabilistic Approach:A Case Study in the Longchi Area, Sichuan Province, China

The Longchi area with the city of Dujiangyan, in the Sichuan province of China, is composed of Permian stone and diorites and Triassic sandstones and mudstones intercalated with slates. An abundance of loose co-seismic materials were present on the slopes after the May 12, 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, which in later years served as source material for rainfall-induced debris flows or shallow landslides. A total of 48 debris flows, all triggered by heavy rainfall on 13th August 20l0, are described in this paper. Field investigation, supported by remote sensing image interpretation, was conducted to interpret the co-seismic landslides in the debris flow gullies. Specific characteristics of the study area such as slope, aspect, elevation, channel gradient, lithology, and gully density were selected for the evaluation of debris flow susceptibility. A score was given to all the debris flow gullies based on the probability of debris flow occurrence for the selected factors. In order to get the contribution of the different factors, principal component analyses were applied. A comprehensive score was obtained for the 48 debris flow gullies which enabled us to make a susceptibility map for debris flows with three classes. Twenty-two gullies have a high susceptibility, twenty gullies show a moderate susceptibility and six gullies have a low susceptibility for debris flows.

Comparison between FLO-2D and Debris-2D on the Application of Assessment of Granular Debris Flow Hazards with Case Study

Numerical simulation has been widely applied to the assessment of debris flow hazards. In East Asia and especially Taiwan, the most widely used numerical programs are FLO-2D and Debris-aD. Although these two programs are applied to the same engineering tasks, they are different in many aspects. These two programs were compared according to their fundamental theories, input and output data, computational algorithms and results. Using both programs, the simulations of a real debris flow with abundant granular material induced by landslides at Xinfa village in southern Taiwan are performed for comparison. The simulation results show that Debris- 2D gives better assessment in hazard area delineating and flow depth predicting. Therefore, Debris-2D is better for simulation of granular debris flows.