Passing volume calculation system (PVCS): computer software for managing data on watersheds that produce mud flows and the case of Quebrada La Cadena, Antofagasta, Chile

Abstract

Severe storms in desert regions, especially along the coastal area of the Chilean desert, produce very destructive mud flows that last a few hours and constitute the only surface run-off in these events. To date, there is no simple or practical methodology for assessing such mud flows. Given the settlement of mining fields and creation of desert campgrounds, it is increasingly necessary to understand how these water and/or mud flows behave in order to develop structural and non-structural mitigation plans. Thus, herein, we present software known as PVCS, which provides a system for calculating mud volumes after a strong storm. This hydrological and computer tool allows us to calculate the structure and volume of mud passing through the mouth of a hydrographic watershed after a desert rainstorm. To use this software, it is necessary to know the hydrological, meteorological, and morphometric parameters of the watershed under study. These data are entered into a model that estimates the amount of mud that will pass through the mouth with each hour of rain. Simulations can be done with historical data or data designed for future events, thereby allowing the preparation of measures to protect people and property. We use the watershed Quebrada La Cadena to exemplify the use of this software. This drainage basin is located on the western slope of the Chilean Coastal Range in Antofagasta, a city in northern Chile. Here, rain in June 1991 produced a destructive flood that killed nearly one hundred people living at the main mouth of the watershed and caused huge economic losses. Data from this catastrophe have significantly improved the understanding of such flows, and this has been incorporated into the software. The principal value of PVCS lies in its ability to forecast the volume of mud that will result from a storm and hourly outflows that will pass through a specific populated area, mining camp, or industrial plant located in the mouth of a watershed of any size. This information is used to determine the most critical moment, i.e., the time of the largest outflows, which can then be used to organize timely evacuations to safe places for people, animals, and machines. Moreover, the program is methodologically valuable since, in order to implement PVCS, the user must structure information in a hydrological way. In summary, this program simulates different rain scenarios, thereby allowing us to design structural mitigation projects and contingency plans.