Debris Flow

Debris Flow

Debris flows are fast moving, liquefied landslides of mixed and unconsolidated water and debris that look like flowing concrete. They are defined by their non-newtonian flow dynamics, and behave as Bingham plastics. This characteristic can lead to the formation of levees at the margins of unconstrained debris flows as the margins of the flow freeze. They are differentiated from mudflows by their coarser and more poorly sorted sediment load. Flows can carry material ranging in size from clay to boulders, and may contain a large amount of woody debris such as logs and tree stumps. Flows can be triggered by intense rainfall, glacial melt, or a combination of the two. Speed of debris flows can vary from 5 km/h to up to 80 km/h in extreme cases. Volumes of material delivered by single events vary from less than 100 to more than 100,000 cubic metres. Variables considered important in debris flow initiation include slope angle, available loose sediment, and degree of land disturbance by activities such as forest harvesting. Debris flows are often more frequent following forest and brush fires, as experience in southern California clearly demonstrates. Debris flows are extremely destructive to life and property, and claim thousands of lives world-wide in any given year. They are a particular problem in steep mountainous areas subjected to intense rainstorms, and have received particular attention from researchers in Japan, Western USA, Western Canada, New Zealand, the European Alps, and Kazakhstan.

True debris flows are very sediment dense, typically > 60 % sediment by volume. Less concentrated flows would be hyperconcentrated or fluvial.