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Abstract
Debris flows that involve loess material produce important damage around the world. However, the kinematics of such processes are poorly understood. To better understand these kinematics, we used a flume to measure the kinematics of debris flows with different mixture densities and weights. We used sensors to measure pore fluid pressure and total normal stress. We measured flow patterns, velocities, and depths using a high-speed camera and laser range finder to identify the temporal evolution of the flow behavior and the corresponding peaks. We constructed fitting functions for the relationships between the maximum values of the experimental parameters. The hydrographs of the debris flows could be divided into four phases: increase to a first minor peak, a subsequent smooth increase to a second peak, fluctuation until a third major peak, and a final continuous decrease. The flow depth, velocity, total normal stress, and pore fluid pressure were strongly related to the mixture density and total mixture weight. We defined the corresponding relationships between the flow parameters and mixture kinematics. Linear and exponential relationships described the maximum flow depth and the mixture weight and density, respectively. The flow velocity was linearly related to the weight and density. The pore fluid pressure and total normal stress were linearly related to the weight, but logarithmically related to the density. The regression goodness of fit for all functions was >0.93. Therefore, these functions are accurate and could be used to predict the consequences of loess debris flows. Our results provide an improved understanding of the effects of mixture density and weight on the kinematics of debris flows in loess areas, and can help landscape managers prevent and design improved engineering solutions.
Highlights
Debris flows are common in mountainous areas [1,2,3,4,5]
Our results provide an improved understanding of the effects of mixture density and weight on the kinematics of debris flows in loess areas, and can help landscape managers prevent and design improved engineering solutions
The main goal of this study was to improve our understanding of the kinematics of debris flows by analyzing data from flume experiments performed with Chinese loess material
Summary
Debris flows are common in mountainous areas [1,2,3,4,5]. They occur when masses of sediment on a slope become saturated with water and are agitated (e.g., by heavy runoff or an earthquake), causing them to rush down the slope under the influence of gravity [6,7,8]. These events threaten residents and their societal infrastructures [17,18,19,20] This is especially true for residents of China’s northwestern loess region [21,22], an area with widely distributed steep slopes where surface runoff occurs very rapidly. These slopes have become a serious problem for managers of soil erosion [23], and debris flow hazards have proliferated in recent decades throughout China’s loess areas [16,24]. As the risks posed by debris flows have increased, it has become increasingly urgent to understand the kinematics of these debris flows to guide the design of preventative engineering measures [5,25]
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