Article
Engineering, Civil
Maria Papathoma-Koehle, Matthias Schloegl, Lea Dosser, Florian Roesch, Marco Borga, Marcel Erlicher, Margreth Keiler, Sven Fuchs
Summary: This study compares the results of vulnerability assessment using vulnerability curves and vulnerability indices. It found that vulnerability curves, while valuable, tend to over-estimate damages, while vulnerability indices provide better understanding of local-scale damage patterns but require more detailed data and further research. Both methods complement each other and provide better insights into the physical vulnerability of buildings exposed to torrential hazards.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Hao Zheng, Zhifei Deng, Lanlan Guo, Jifu Liu, Lianyou Liu, Tiewei Li, Huan Zheng, Tao Zheng
Summary: A physical vulnerability assessment model based on pushover analysis is proposed to assess the vulnerability of buildings in the earthquake-debris flow disaster chain in Beichuan County, China. By comparing different vulnerability assessment methods, it is observed that the structural properties and vulnerability of buildings have changed during the disaster chain process.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hao Guo, Ran Wang, Gregg M. Garfin, Anyu Zhang, Degen Lin, Qin'ou Liang, Jing'ai Wang
Summary: This study used the EPIC model to simulate the future risk of rice yield due to drought, finding that high-risk areas are mainly located north of 30 degrees latitude. The expected increase in shortwave radiation is associated with a loss in rice yield.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Environmental Studies
Mudassir Ali Khan, Zahiraniza Mustaffa, Indra Sati Hamonangan Harahap, Muhammad Bello Ibrahim, Mohamed Ezzat Al-Atroush
Summary: This study reviews the infrastructure vulnerability methods in the past 20 years facing debris flow hazards and discusses the technical uncertainties in vulnerability assessment. It was found that quantifying uncertainties is essential as neglecting them can make the system inefficient and unreliable.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Zhenmin Feng, Dongmei Huang, Yuan Zhang, Ying Li, Rui Li, Yupeng Sun, Chaoyi Wang
Summary: This study presents a method to quantitatively study the interaction between debris flow intensity and wheel loader damage index, employing force analysis and finite element modeling. The results show that debris flow can cause significant deformation and damage to the wheel loader, with maximum stress exceeding 250 MPa and critical impact conditions triggering skidding, tipping, and suspending. These research findings can improve the accuracy of vulnerability assessment of vehicles and emergency equipment under debris flow.
NATURAL HAZARDS REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Chih-Chung Chung, Zih-Yi Li
Summary: Taiwan's steep terrain and fragile geological environment, combined with frequent earthquakes and typhoons, pose risks for the tribe areas. This study applies the principle of risk to assess landslide risk in northern Taiwan and proposes a framework for rapid risk zoning. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in identifying high-risk slope units, as evidenced by the landslide disasters in the 2016 typhoon event.
NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marcos Samuel Matias Ribeiro, Maria Helena Constantino Spyrides, Lara de Melo Barbosa Andrade, Kellen Carla Lima, Venerando Eustaquio Amaro, Livian Rafaely de Santana Gomes Pinheiro, Mayte Duarte Leal Coutinho, Juliana Emanuelle da Costa Andrade Alves
Summary: This study analyzed the atmospheric and environmental conditions of an intense precipitation event caused by Easterly Wave Disturbances in the district of Mae Luiza, Natal, Brazil in June 2014. The main synoptic conditions observed were anomalies in wind speed and high humidity flux, which intensified moisture influx into the continent. Local environmental aspects were classified as high to very high vulnerability.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Raffaele Laguardia, Michele D'Amato, Matteo Coltellacci, Gino Di Trocchio, Rosario Gigliotti
Summary: This study investigates a group of 12,016 reinforced concrete buildings and proposes vulnerability, fragility, and loss curves, as well as an assessment of expected annual loss. The buildings data collected from the Da.D.O. database includes observed damage from the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake. The methodology used allows for the inclusion of undamaged and not-surveyed buildings, which are not part of the database, by considering the typological distribution in two different reference municipalities. The results obtained demonstrate that the completed database enables a more reliable seismic risk assessment, with the expected annual loss being minimally affected by the reference municipality assumed for estimating undamaged buildings.
JOURNAL OF EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Ahmed U. Abdelhady, Seymour M. J. Spence, Jason McCormick
Summary: This study introduces a new 3D six-degrees-of-freedom debris trajectory model for describing the flight of windborne debris in tornadoes. The model utilizes a predictor-corrector time-marching scheme to solve the equations of motion and update the wind field from a tornado wind field model. The research shows significant differences in modeling debris trajectories in tornado wind fields compared to straight line wind fields.
JOURNAL OF WIND ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL AERODYNAMICS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Feng Feng, Yael Wagner, Tamir Klein, Uri Hochberg
Summary: The study found that cavitation resistance is a dynamic trait that changes in coordination with turgor loss point. Comparisons of different methods showed differences in the results. Through a two-year observation in a Mediterranean climate, it was found that the cavitation pressure (psi(50)) of pine trees had plasticity, decreasing by approximately 1 MPa from the end of the wet season to the end of the dry season, in coordination with the dynamics of midday xylem water potential (psi(midday)) and turgor loss point (psi(tlp)). Seasonal plasticity is crucial for understanding the risk of cavitation and modeling species' ability to tolerate harsh environments.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hong Ji, Weikang Liu, Ke Yang, Juncheng Jiang, Zhixiang Xing, Yaxin Wang, Shuhua Zhao
Summary: The physical model experiment of a flume block landslide revealed that decreasing water depth increases the maximum impact pressure on underwater pipeline walls, making it easier to form higher first wave heights. Additionally, the maximum impact pressure on the upper surface of the pipeline wall was found to be greater than that on the lower surface.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Tanja Miteva, Erika Prina Howald
Summary: Debris flow events are significant causes of disasters and damages worldwide, considered as one of the most dangerous natural hazards due to their high impact pressures. However, there is a lack of general approach for quantifying the physical vulnerability of the built environment to debris flow. This study aims to develop a universal method for quantifying the vulnerability of the built environment, taking into account building features.
GEAM-GEOINGEGNERIA AMBIENTALE E MINERARIA-GEAM-GEOENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT AND MINING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Eran Frucht, Amos Salamon, Jesse Rozelle, Tsafrir Levi, Ran Calvo, Veronic Avirav, Jordan Nichole Burns, Casey Zuzak, Erez Gal, Pavel Trapper, Barak Galanti, Doug Bausch
Summary: The study assessed tsunami risk in Israel by simulating a worst-case tsunami event and emphasized the importance of increasing community preparedness, upgrading building designs, and utilizing detailed engineering knowledge.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Geological
H. Y. Luo, L. M. Zhang, J. He, K. S. Yin
Summary: This paper studies the physical vulnerability of buildings to debris flows, considering both the physical characteristics of debris flow intensity and building response. The uncertainties in building capacity and debris flow intensity are quantified to evaluate the damage probability of a typical reinforced concrete building. Four damage states are defined using information from field observations, numerical simulation, and expert experience. Fragility models are proposed based on practical debris flow impact pressure models, and different intensity measures are investigated. The methodology presented in this paper promotes vulnerability assessment and provides a more reliable evaluation of building damage caused by debris flows.
CANADIAN GEOTECHNICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Lingping Wang, Dongri Song, Gordon G. D. Zhou, Xiao Qing Chen, Min Xu, Clarence E. Choi, Peng Peng
Summary: The multiple-barrier mitigation strategy is effective in inhibiting debris-flow entrainment and scale amplification. This study investigates the physical processes and load characteristics of debris-flow overflowing a model barrier. The results show that the increase in total load is dominated by the static load due to the elevated flow depth. The re-liquefaction of deposited debris plays a crucial role in downward momentum transfer.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Md Sarwar Hossain, Jorge Alberto Ramirez, Tina Haisch, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Olivia Martius, Heike Mayer, Margreth Keiler
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
M. Papathoma-Koehle, T. Thaler, S. Fuchs
Summary: This paper provides an in-depth examination of the impact of institutional vulnerability on natural disasters, emphasizing its close connection with other vulnerability dimensions and its susceptibility to various types of crises. Through three European case studies, the direct influence of institutional vulnerability on all other vulnerability dimensions is highlighted.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Stefan Haselberger, Lisa-Maria Ohler, Robert R. Junker, Jan-Christoph Otto, Thomas Glade, Sabine Kraushaar
Summary: This study investigated small-scale biogeomorphic interactions on proglacial slopes by setting up erosion plots along a plant cover gradient. The results showed that there were two significant declines in geomorphic activity when plant cover exceeded 30% and 75% respectively. Analysis of vegetation composition and environmental conditions revealed the impact of high-magnitude geomorphic events on the environment and species communities.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mark Bawa Malgwi, Jorge Alberto Ramirez, Andreas Zischg, Markus Zimmermann, Stefan Schuermann, Margreth Keiler
Summary: This study developed a method for reconstructing past flood scenarios in data-scarce regions using flood observation data collected through field interviews, successfully applied in the 2017 flood event in Suleja and Tafa region, Nigeria through a stepwise process of minimizing errors between modelled and observed data.
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mark Bawa Malgwi, Matthias Schlogl, Margreth Keiler
Summary: The study compares expert-based and data-driven approaches for flood damage modeling in data-scarce regions, showing that comparable model performance can be achieved even with a reduced number of variables. Additionally, experts are likely to underestimate damage at low water depths, and differences in conformity to building standards can add challenges to flood damage prediction.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Andreas Paul Zischg, Veronika Roethlisberger, Markus Mosimann, Rahel Profico-Kaltenrieder, David Bresch, Sven Fuchs, Martina Kauzlaric, Margreth Keiler
Summary: The choice of vulnerability functions is crucial in flood risk management, impacting the overall uncertainty of flood damage modeling. In data-scarce regions, developing flood impact models based on global datasets is feasible, and targeted heuristics can be a valuable alternative approach.
JOURNAL OF FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Tsolmongerel Papilloud, Margreth Keiler
Summary: This study focused on assessing the vulnerability of road networks to floods and proposed modifications to improve accuracy. The results showed a strong relationship between parameter weights and accessibility measures, regardless of the evaluation methods used.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH PART D-TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Simone Loreti, Enrico Ser-Giacomi, Andreas Zischg, Margreth Keiler, Marc Barthelemy
Summary: Research shows that floods have affected over 2 billion people globally from 1998 to 2017, with the occurrence expected to increase as a result of climate warming, population growth, and rapid urbanization. Previous studies on the resilience of transportation networks during floods have mainly used the framework of percolation, but this study demonstrates its inadequacy through a realistic high-resolution flood simulation. Instead, a new approach is proposed to partition the road network based on the accessibility of local towns and define new measures to characterize the impact of flooding. This analysis helps to identify key cities that provide critical services to a large number of individuals during floods, aiding practical risk management and resource allocation decisions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Letter
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Heidi Kreibich, Marleen C. de Ruiter, Katsuichiro Goda, Margreth Keiler, Anawat Suppasri, Bruce D. Malamud
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jorge Alberto Ramirez, Mirjam Mertin, Nadav Peleg, Pascal Horton, Chris Skinner, Markus Zimmermann, Margreth Keiler
Summary: This study uses a landscape evolution model to simulate check dam failures due to lack of maintenance. The results show that check dam failures can cause channel erosion and an increase in sediment yield. It may take a long time for the channel to reach equilibrium after multiple check dam failures. Therefore, the maintenance of check dams is crucial.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SEDIMENT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Maria Papathoma-Koehle, Matthias Schloegl, Lea Dosser, Florian Roesch, Marco Borga, Marcel Erlicher, Margreth Keiler, Sven Fuchs
Summary: This study compares the results of vulnerability assessment using vulnerability curves and vulnerability indices. It found that vulnerability curves, while valuable, tend to over-estimate damages, while vulnerability indices provide better understanding of local-scale damage patterns but require more detailed data and further research. Both methods complement each other and provide better insights into the physical vulnerability of buildings exposed to torrential hazards.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Manfred Bardy-Durchhalter, Oliver Bender, Giulia Bertolotti, Domenico Branca, Valerie Braun, Pascal Bohleber, Daniela Festi, Andrea Fischer, Andreas Gschwentner, Lea Hartl, Andreas Haller, Kay Helfricht, Clemens Hiller, Kati Heinrich, Andrina Janicke, Margreth Keiler, Guenter Koeck, Armin Kratzer, Andrea Lamprecht, Harald Pauli, Annemarie Polderman, Jan Pfeiffer, Fernando Ruiz Peyre, Patrick Saccone, Brigitte Scott, Bernd Seiser, Martin Stocker-Waldhuber, Thomas Zieher
Summary: The article introduces the work of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Research and its contribution to the sustainable development of mountain regions worldwide. It highlights their views on mountains as research objects and the synergies and differences of their interdisciplinary research.
MOUNTAIN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. Papathoma-Koehle, M. Schloegl, C. Garlichs, M. Diakakis, S. Mavroulis, S. Fuchs
Summary: This paper presents an innovative solution for assessing the vulnerability of buildings to wildfires, using a physical vulnerability index developed through a relevant feature selection algorithm. Data from a recent wildfire event in Greece were used to select and weight building characteristics to form the index. The index can be used in Europe and other places where empirical data is lacking to support decision-making and risk reduction for emerging hazards.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Juan Du, Xushan Shi, Bo Chai, Thomas Glade, Zhengpeng Luo, Li Zheng, Bo Liu
Summary: This study investigates the progressive failure mechanism of translational rockslides and proposes an analytical method based on force and energy equilibrium to evaluate their stability and displacement. The method is validated using a real case study and it is found that hydrostatic pressure and shear surfaces are the primary impetus for accelerated deformation and failure development.