Article
Environmental Sciences
Ricardo A. Bocanegra, Carlos A. Ramirez, Elkin de J. Salcedo, Maria Paula Lorza Villegas
Summary: This article develops a new methodology to estimate the hazard of debris flows, which was implemented in the Jamundi River basin in Colombia. The results indicate a high hazard level in the lower part of the basin, particularly affecting approximately 15% of the area.
Article
Geography, Physical
Edward M. M. Fordham, Allison M. M. Pfeiffer, Andrew G. G. Bunn, Stephen J. J. Novak
Summary: Alpine mass wasting events can have significant impacts beyond their original locations, reaching populated lowlands. It is crucial to understand the processes behind these sediment pulses and their contribution to basin-scale sediment fluxes for hazard assessment and aquatic habitat management. This study focuses on the Suiattle River in Washington State, which is a major source of suspended sediment in the region, and investigates the magnitude, timing, and triggering mechanisms of sediment loading events in the basin.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gergo Pal, Gabor Domokos, Ferenc Kun
Summary: The passage discusses the impact-induced attrition processes in industrial ore processing and their role in determining the origin of sedimentary particles. It establishes a connection between microscopic particle-based models and mean field theory for these processes. By conducting realistic computer simulations, the study identifies the damage and fragmentation energy phases, showing that the former consists of abrasion and cleavage phases, linking shape evolution with spatio-temporal patterns.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shuai Li, Xiaoqing Chen, Jiangang Chen, Hui Tang, Yong You, Huayong Chen, Wanyu Zhao, Xueyu Geng
Summary: This study evaluates the performance of different step-baffle geometries in regulating debris flows. The results show that trapezoidal baffles perform the best in sediment interception and energy dissipation, while square baffles are most effective in promoting turbulent flows.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bin Yu, Lingwei Yang, Ming Chang, Theo W. J. van Asch
Summary: In areas with strong earthquakes, the triggering rainfall threshold for debris flow initiation decreases dramatically just after the quake due to finer materials supplied into channels by co-seismic landslides, but will gradually increase again over time. A revised prediction model successfully validated in Sichuan Province incorporates the effect of channel width and particle size of channel materials.
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Vittoria Scorpio, Marco Cavalli, Stefan Steger, Stefano Crema, Francesco Marra, Mattia Zaramella, Marco Borga, Lorenzo Marchi, Francesco Comiti
Summary: Coupling of hillslopes processes with the channel network during extreme events plays a vital role in river dynamics in mountain environments. This study investigates the impacts of lateral sediment connectivity on channel response and sediment export using Stolla Creek as a case study.
Article
Geography, Physical
A. Securo, C. Del Gobbo, L. Rettig, S. Pillon, A. De Luca, D. Fontana, E. Benedetti Fasil, R. R. Colucci
Summary: Small glaciers in temperate mountain regions have experienced significant reduction and unprecedented melt rates in recent years. Some glaciers have transitioned from clean ice to debris-covered or even rock glaciers. This study examines the surface elevation change of the Popera Alto glacier in the Sesto Dolomites using LiDAR and Structure from Motion surveys, and analyzes its evolution in terms of surface cover and geomorphic processes. The glacier has lost an average of 0.35 m water equivalent per year over the past 16 years, with active modification of its surface cover by geomorphic processes. The role of debris and local topography feedback has allowed the resilience of the glacier, leading to a marked difference between the current environmental equilibrium line altitude (envELA) and the effective ELA (effELA) of the glacier.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Leonardo Cascini, Sabatino Cuomo, Manuel Pastor, Ilaria Rendina
Summary: This paper examines the effectiveness of two storage basins in the Italian Alps against debris flows and flash floods induced by heavy rainfall in 2009. The results show that debris flows accumulated in the basins while flash floods overpassed the control works.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND CIVIL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jinn-Chyi Chen, Wen-Shun Huang
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between rainfall return period, probability of debris flow occurrence, and extreme events in the Chenyulan watershed. It presented a model using rainfall indexes to predict the probability of debris flow occurrence, particularly after extreme rainfall events like Typhoon Morakot. The study found that the P-T relationship using the RI or R-d index was reasonable for predicting the probability of debris flow occurrence.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qiaozhen Guo, Jinmiao Tan, Daoqing Li, Hao Lan, Peng Qiu, Tao Xu, Tingbin Sun, Wen Yin
Summary: Through the analysis of grain size curve, the sedimentary characteristics of shallow-water delta and sandy debris flow in the Qianshao area were identified and differentiated.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Mechanical
Zhi-Yang Wang, Ying-Wei Li, Zhi-Jun Wu
Summary: We proposed an analytical model to quantify the size-dependent tensile strength of polycrystalline rock, which shows an interesting trend of first ascending and then descending with the increase of specimen size. The model takes into consideration the hierarchical arrangement of mineral grains and applies Weibull distribution to model the tensile strength of mineral grain interfaces. By analyzing the stress state near the failed grain interfaces and performing a probabilistic analysis of failure evolution, the tensile strength distribution and meso crack accumulation in the rock specimen can be derived. The consistency between the model predictions and experimental results validates the proposed model, and it is revealed that the trend of the size effect is determined by the dispersion degree of structure strength distribution.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xiaojun Guo, Xingchang Chen, Guohu Song, Jianqi Zhuang, Jianglin Fan
Summary: Debris flows often occur in mountainous watersheds of earthquake-affected areas, with the Lushan earthquake area in southwestern China being a significant hazard. This study found that debris flows are mainly distributed in the northwestern part of the study area, where there is the highest density of active faults. Factors such as rainfall thresholds, temporal variations, and control projects play important roles in triggering and controlling the magnitude of debris flows.
Article
Engineering, Geological
Saoirse Robin Goodwin, Clarence Edward Choi
Summary: This study investigates the impact force from grains on instrumented barriers using both a physical flume and a discrete element method (DEM) model. The results highlight the importance of scaling considerations for granular flows impacting load-measuring systems, including the design of the load-measuring system and the model size. Additionally, discrete impacts may reduce in significance with increasing flow and channel sizes, suggesting that small-scale DEM simulations with low elastic moduli may accurately represent larger-scale impact dynamics.
JOURNAL OF GEOTECHNICAL AND GEOENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Wuwei Mao, Yuhan Wang, Ping Yang, Yu Huang, Hu Zheng
Summary: In the past decades, surface flows on Earth such as debris flows and rock avalanches have posed a threat to people's safety and infrastructure. However, the combined effects of grain size distribution and environmental factors on engineering structures like the slit dam are still unknown. This study uses a Computational Fluid Dynamics/Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) model to investigate the impact of grain size distribution and ambient environments on avalanche/debris flows' interaction with the slit dam.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zheng Wang, Ningsheng Chen, Guisheng Hu, Yong Zhang, Genxu Wang, Zheng Han
Summary: Multiple debris flows occurred in the Mount Gongga region, Sichuan, China, in small basins with minimal glacier or snow cover, resulting in high mortality and significant damage. The hydrometeorological conditions that caused these debris flows are complex and forecasting is challenging. Previous studies primarily focused on rainfall as the inducing factor, neglecting the effects of temperature. Therefore, a probabilistic analysis of hydrometeorological factors was conducted for the region to improve our understanding of debris flow initiation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Alberto Bosino, Dawid Aleksander Szatten, Adel Omran, Stefano Crema, Matteo Crozi, Rike Becker, Manuele Bettoni, Calogero Schillaci, Michael Maerker
Summary: This study assessed the sediment dynamics of a small ungauged watershed in the Northern Apennines, Italy by analyzing the volume concentration and grain-size distribution of suspended sediments in correlation with precipitation patterns. The results revealed a direct relationship between precipitation and suspended sediment load, with a delay of about 2 hours after intense precipitation events. Additionally, the study found an inverse relationship between Sauter Mean Diameter values and precipitation due to turbidity effects.
Article
Geography, Physical
Lorenzo Martini, Marco Cavalli, Lorenzo Picco
Summary: This study aimed to validate the index of connectivity (IC) as a tool for depicting structural connectivity and predicting sediment dynamics linking sediment sources to the channel network. The results showed that only 15% of sediment sources are connected to the stream network.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Vittoria Scorpio, Marco Cavalli, Stefan Steger, Stefano Crema, Francesco Marra, Mattia Zaramella, Marco Borga, Lorenzo Marchi, Francesco Comiti
Summary: Coupling of hillslopes processes with the channel network during extreme events plays a vital role in river dynamics in mountain environments. This study investigates the impacts of lateral sediment connectivity on channel response and sediment export using Stolla Creek as a case study.
Article
Geography, Physical
Stefan Steger, Vittoria Scorpio, Francesco Comiti, Marco Cavalli
Summary: This paper presents a novel data-driven approach to identify and map areas susceptible to debris flow initiation and structurally connected to the main channel network. Through research in three catchments in the Italian Alps, the study found the correlation between debris flow release susceptibility models and connectivity index maps.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
William Amponsah, Francesco Marra, Davide Zoccatelli, Lorenzo Marchi, Stefano Crema, Mario Pirastru, Marco Borga
Summary: The study on flash flood analysis is of great importance for flood risk management in small-sized rugged-relief mountain basins, but the existing methods suffer from significant uncertainties.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Giacomo Titti, Alessandro Sarretta, Luigi Lombardo, Stefano Crema, Alessandro Pasuto, Lisa Borgatti
Summary: This study presents a new tool for quantitative, data-driven susceptibility zoning. The tool, implemented as a QGIS plugin, allows users to perform susceptibility zoning using various classifiers and visualize the results. It also includes a new classification method for susceptibility index.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Alberto Alfonso-Torreno, Susanne Schnabel, Alvaro Gomez-Gutierrez, Stefano Crema, Marco Cavalli
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of gully control measures on runoff and sediment transport processes in an agroforestry system in SW Spain. The results showed that the control measures did not affect flood discharge, but reduced suspended sediment concentration by 65%. The implementation of runoff and sediment control measures stabilized the expansion of the channel network and had short-term beneficial effects. Long-term monitoring is needed to understand the long-term effects.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Martini Lorenzo, Baggio Tommaso, Torresani Loris, Crema Stefano, Cavalli Marco
Summary: Sediment connectivity refers to the capability of a system to regulate sediment exchange in catchments. The Index of Connectivity (IC) is a widely used tool to assess sediment connectivity from hillslopes to downstream channels. This study presents a novel implementation of IC in the R environment, aiming to expand its user base and encourage alternative applications of the index.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Omid Rahmati, Seyed Masoud Soleimanpour, Mahmood Arabkhedri, Sardar Mehrjo, Zahra Kalantari, Marco Cavalli, Stefano Crema, Aref Bahmani
Summary: This study investigated the performance of contour trenching program, a nature-based solution for soil erosion prevention in the hillslopes of Khamsan watershed in Iran. The results showed that contour trenching significantly reduced sediment connectivity and improved soil conservation. The study highlights the importance of contour trenching program in reducing soil erosion.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
S. Trevisani, M. Cavalli, F. Tosti
Summary: Understanding the interactions between human activities and the Earth's sphere is challenging but important for studying natural hazards, land degradation, and impacts on water resources. Technological advancements have improved our understanding, but also increased uncertainties in data and models. Therefore, the utilization of advanced geocomputational methodologies is crucial.
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
(2023)