Contribution of Excessive Supply of Solid Material to a Runoff
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water Case Report Contribution of Excessive Supply of Solid Material to a Runoff-Generated Debris Flow during Its Routing Along a Gully and Its Impact on the Downstream Village with Blockage Effects Ming-liang Chen 1, Xing-nian Liu 1, Xie-kang Wang 1, Tao Zhao 2 and Jia-wen Zhou 1,* 1 State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China; [email protected] (M.C.); [email protected] (X.L.); [email protected] (X.W.) 2 College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +86-28-8546-5055 Received: 3 January 2019; Accepted: 15 January 2019; Published: 18 January 2019 Abstract: On 8 August 2017, a runoff-generated debris flow occurred in the Puge County, Sichuan Province of southwestern China and caused huge property damage and casualties (25 people died and 5 people were injured). Emergency field investigations found that paddy fields, dry land, residential buildings and roads suffered different degrees of impact from the debris flow. This paper reveals the formation process of the debris flow by analyzing the characteristics of rainfall precipitation and sediment supply conditions in the study area and it approaches the practical application of hazard prevention and mitigation constructions. Doppler weather radar analysis indicates that a very high intensity rainfall occurred in the middle and upper zones of the basin, illustrating the importance of enhancing rainfall monitoring in high-altitude areas. The abundant supply of deposits in gully channels is among the significant causes of a transformation from mountain floods to large-scale debris flows. It was also found that the two culverts played an important role in the movement affecting the processes of debris flows which has substantially aggravated the destructive outcome. The excessive supply of solid material and local blockage with outburst along a gully must receive significant attention for the prediction of future debris flows, hazard prevention and mitigation measures. Keywords: debris flow; heavy rainfall; supply condition; scale amplification; blockage with outburst 1. Introduction Debris flows have been posed a great threat to human beings, infrastructure (e.g., roads, tunnels, bridges) and residences in mountainous areas. In recent years, the number of debris flow events increased because of the combination of high intensity rainfalls and the availability of solid material due to the seismic load in Southwest China after the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake [1–3]. Debris flow essentially is a solid-liquid mixture routing on very high slopes. More refined descriptions of debris flows are provided by Iverson [4,5]. A debris flow can be initiated from the shallow failure induced by high pore water pressure within shearing slip zones or from sediment entrainment into runoff by erosion. Runoff-generated debris flow is characterized by the rapid movement and the sufficient runoff to disperse solid grains throughout the whole depth of flow [6–8]. The movement process of runoff-generated debris flow is usually accompanied with the entrainment of a large quantity of debris material. Therefore, they occur in the mountainous areas of Southwest China when they are hit by heavy rainfall that can cause abundant runoff that is able to entrain large quantities of debris Water 2019, 11, 169; doi:10.3390/w11010169 www.mdpi.com/journal/water Water 2019, 11, 169 2 of 17 Water 2019, 1 x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 17 material. Such a triggering mechanism, initially revealed by laboratory experiments on flumes [9] and slopesentrain [10 large–12], hasquantities also been of showndebris bymaterial. field investigations Such a triggering in all differentmechanism, environments initially revealed around by the worldlaboratory [13–20 experiments], including on China flumes [20 [9],21 and]. These slopes debris [10–12], flows, has also once been being shown triggered, by field can investigations dramatically growin all in different volume environments [22–29] due around to the entrainmentthe world [13– of20], debris including deposits China on [20,21]. the propagation These debris direction. flows, once being triggered, can dramatically grow in volume [22–29] due to the entrainment of debris The runout area and deposition depth depend on the debris flow volume [30–34]. Such events increased deposits on the propagation direction. The runout area and deposition depth depend on the debris over the past years due to the increase of (1) extreme rainfall [35], (2) the melting of glaciers [36] flow volume [30–34]. Such events increased over the past years due to the increase of (1) extreme induced by climate change and (3) in particular cases, great earthquakes, such as the Wenchuan rainfall [35], (2) the melting of glaciers [36] induced by climate change and (3) in particular cases, earthquakes [37–43]. great earthquakes, such as the Wenchuan earthquakes [37–43]. Around human settlements, prevention construction and measures for geological risks are Around human settlements, prevention construction and measures for geological risks are designed and established to ensure the safety of personnel and property and to reduce the impact designed and established to ensure the safety of personnel and property and to reduce the impact fromfrom geological geological hazards hazards toto thethe greatestgreatest extentextent possible.possible. Protection Protection and and stabilization stabilization structures, structures, sedimentsediment retention retention works works (e.g., (e.g., checkcheck dams,dams, sedimentsediment trapping dams) dams) and and siltation siltation and and discharge discharge controlcontrol works works (drainage (drainage channels, channels, grilledgrilled dams,dams, sedimentationsedimentation basins, basins, step-p step-poolool systems systems and and others) others) areare the the constructions constructions that that areare commonlycommonly usedused toto regulate the formation and and movement movement of of debris debris flowsflows [ 44[44].]. However,However, inin thethe mountainousmountainous areas of southwestern China, China, some some previous previous hazard hazard preventionprevention and and reduction reduction construction construction measuresmeasures diddid not effectively work work and and increased increased the the risk risk to to humanhuman beings beings [45 [45–47].–47]. One One of of the the mainmain reasonsreasons for thisthis is that that the the magnitude magnitude of of the the design design event event was was underestimatedunderestimated because because the the excess excess supply supply ofof solidsolid materialsmaterials was not considered. InIn this this work, work, a a debris debris flow flow that that occurred occurred in in the the Puge Puge County County will will be be used used as as a a case case study study (Figure (Figure1 ). Aimed1). Aimed at understanding at understanding the mechanism the mechanism of sediment of se supplydiment conditions supply conditions that influence that theinfluence evolution the of debrisevolution flows of and debris artificial flows and structures artificial that structures influence that movement influence movement process, the process, event the will event be analyzed will be inanalyzed detail in in the detail paper. in the Emergency paper. Emergency field investigations field investigations identified identified three three regions regions in the in studythe study area: thearea: formation the formation area, the area, transition the transition area and area the inundatedand the inundated or runout or area, runout which area, reflect, which respectively, reflect, therespectively, corresponding the different corresponding activity characteristicsdifferent activity of debris characteristics flows. After comprehensiveof debris flows. analyses After of thecomprehensive results of the fieldanalyses investigation of the results and three of essentialthe field factorsinvestigation (generation and ofthree surface essential runoff; factors supply condition(generation and of channel surface steepness), runoff; supply the contributionscondition and from channel the excessivesteepness), supply the contributions of solid materials from the and localexcessive blockage supply with of outburst solid materials along the and gully local channel blockage will with be outburst discussed along systematically the gully channel in this will paper. be discussed systematically in this paper. FigureFigure 1. 1.An An overview overview of theof studythe study area byarea aerial by aerial photography photography on 8 August on 8 August 2017 with 2017 the with site location the site of thelocation study areaof the on study a map area of on China. a map of China. Water 2019, 11, 169 3 of 17 Water 2019, 1 x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 17 2. Description of the Debris Flow Erosion Process Observed in the Tongzilin Gully 2. Description of the Debris Flow Erosion Process Observed in the Tongzilin Gully The study area belongs to the Hengduan Mountain range that runs east-west in the Yunnan-GuizhouThe study area Platea belongs and is locatedto the on Hengduan the east side Mountain of Luoji Mountain,range that approximately runs east-west 17 km in fromthe Yunnan-GuizhouPuge County (Figure Platea2). According and is located to the on data the of east the lastside three of Luoji years Mountain (2014–2017), approximately from meteorological 17 km fromstations Puge around County the study(Figure area, 2). the According annual average to the precipitation