Slope Debris Flows in the Wenchuan Earthquake Area

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

Early warning model for slope debris flow initiation

Early warning model of debris flow is important for providing local residents with reliable and accurate warning information to escape from debris flow hazards. This research studied the debris flow initiation in the Yindongzi gully in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan province, China with scaled-down model experiments. We set rainfall intensity and slope angle as dominating parameters and carried out 20 scaled-down model tests under artificial rainfall conditions. The experiments set four slope angles(32°, 34°, 37°, 42°) and five rainfall intensities(60 mm/h, 90 mm/h, 120 mm/h, 150 mm/h, and 180 mm/h) treatments. The characteristic variables in the experiments, such as, rainfall duration, pore water pressure, moisture content, surface inclination, and volume were monitored. The experimental results revealed the failure mode of loose slope material and the process of slope debris flow initiation, as well as the relationship between the surface deformation and the physical parameters of experimental model. A traditional rainfall intensity-duration early warning model(I-D model) was firstly established by using a mathematical regression analysis, and it was then improved into ISD model and ISM model(Here, I is rainfall Intensity, S is Slope angle, D is rainfall Duration, and M is Moisture content). The warning model can provide reliable early warning of slope debris flow initiation.

Effects of loose deposits on debris flow processes in the Aizi Valley, southwest China

Loose deposits, rainfall and topography are three key factors that triggering debris flows.However, few studies have investigated the effects of loose deposits on the whole debris flow process.On June 28, 2012, a catastrophic debris flow occurred in the Aizi Valley, resulting in 40 deaths.The Aizi Valley is located in the Lower Jinsha River,southwestern Sichuan Province, China. The Aizi Valley debris flow has been selected as a case for addressing loose deposits effects on the whole debris flow process through remote sensing, field investigation and field experiments. Remote sensing interpretation and laboratory experiments were used to obtain the distribution and characteristics of the loose deposits, respectively. A field experiment was conducted to explore the mechanics of slope debris flows, and another field investigation was conducted to obtain the processes of debris flow formation, movement and amplification. The results showed that loose deposits preparation, slope debris flow initiation,gully debris flow confluence and valley debris flow amplification were dominated by the loose deposits.Antecedent droughts and earthquake activities may have increased the potential for loose soil sources in the Aizi Valley, which laid the foundation for debris flow formation. Slope debris flow initiated under rainfall, and the increase in the water content as well as the pore water pressure of the loose deposits were the key factors affecting slope failure. The nine gully debris flows converged in the valley, and the peak discharge was amplified 3.3 times due to a blockage and outburst caused by a large boulder. The results may help in predicting and assessing regional debris flows in dry-hot and seismic-prone areas based on loose deposits, especially considering large boulders.

Geohazards Induced by the Lushan Ms7.0 Earthquake in Sichuan Province, Southwest China:Typical Examples, Types and Distributional Characteristics

Geohazards induced by the Lushan Ms 7.0 earthquake on April 20, 2013 mainly have four types： collapse, landslide, slope debris flow, and sand-soil liquefaction. These geohazards mainly occurred near the epicenter, on steep slopes or below cliffs in high mountain and deep valley areas, and at or near fault ends. They have no obvious relationships to active faults, but their relationships to the weathering degree and structures of rock and rock mass are obvious. Compared with the Wenchuan Ms 8.0 earthquake on May 12, 2008, the Lnshan earthquake is relatively little in the impact force and the throwing amount. All of these should be related to the magnitude of this earthquake, not very large but not very little. This character of the Lushan earthquake would make some processes uncompleted so as to bring about some concealed geohazards. Finally, in order to deal with challenges presented by such conceal geohazards, some brief recommendations are put forward.