Abstract
In tropical mountainous areas, typhoon-induced rainstorms trigger extensive landslides and deliver huge amounts of sediment to river basins. Two mountainous catchments in central Taiwan, with 0.8–13.5% of their catchment areas disturbed by landsliding induced by a series of typhoons, were selected for the purpose of quantifying the impact of typhoon-induced rainfall kinetic energy on landslides and sediment transport during 1994–2008. Distribution analysis of the rainfall kinetic energy required to trigger landslides revealed the threshold at which rainfall kinetic energy Ek induces landslides in the mountainous catchments of central Taiwan to be approximately 2000Jm−2. The present study demonstrates that higher rainfall kinetic energy causes more sediment to be delivered to rivers, and finds a positive relationship between Ek and sediment transfer during typhoon periods. We postulate that real-time monitoring of rainstorms can be used to predict the impact of typhoon events by applying the threshold of rainfall kinetic energy needed to trigger landslides and transport of huge amounts of sediment.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
