Influence of fine particle content in debris flows on alluvial fan morphology

Abstract

Alluvial fans are large-scale depositional structures commonly found at the base of mountain ranges. They are relatively soil-rich compared to the rocky terrains, or catchment areas, from which their material originates. When frequented by debris flows (massive, muddy, rocky flows) they contribute significantly to local hazards as they carry focused, collisional, fast-moving materials across alluvial fans, unpredictable in size, speed, and direction. We research how fine particle content in debris flows correlates with directional changes, i.e., debris flow avulsions. Toward this, we analyzed field data from two neighboring alluvial fans in the White Mountains (California, USA) that exhibit dramatically different topographies despite their proximity and associated similar long-term climates. Informed by these measurements, we performed long-term and incremental alluvial fan experiments built by debris flows with systematically-varied fine particle content. We found that (1) decreasing fine particle content increases the variability of fan slopes and associated channelization dynamics, and (2) for all mixtures longer-term continuous alluvial fan experiments form more complex surface channelizations than repeated flows for the same total time, indicating the importance of both particle sizes and timescales on alluvial fan surface morphology.