Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Procedures for the Documentation of Historical Debris Flows: Application to the Chieppena Torrent (Italian Alps)

  • ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The reconstruction of triggering conditions, geomorphic effects, and damage produced by historical floods and debris flows significantly contributes to hazard assessment, allowing improved risk mitigation measures to be defined. Methods for the analysis of historical floods and debris flows vary greatly according to the type and quality of available data, which in turn are influenced by the time the events occurred. For floods and debris flows occurring in the Alps a few decades ago (between about 1950 and 1980), the documentation is usually better than for previous periods but, unlike events of most recent years, quantitative data are usually scanty and the description of the events does not aim to identify processes according to current terminology and classifications. The potential, and also the limitations of historical information available for the reconstruction of historical debris flows in the Alps have been explored by analyzing a high-magnitude debris flow that occurred on November 4, 1966 in the Chieppena Torrent (northeastern Italy). Reconstruction of the event was based on the use of written documentation, terrestrial and aerial photographs, and geomorphological maps. The analysis aimed to define the temporal development of phenomena, recognizing the type of flow processes and assessing some basic flow variables, such as volume, channel-debris yield rate, erosion depth, total distance traveled, and runout distance on the alluvial fan. The historical development of torrent hydraulic works, both before and after the debris flow of November 1966, was also analyzed with regard to the technical solutions adopted and their performance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barnikel F (2004) The value of historical documents for hazard zone mapping. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 4:599–613

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnikel F, Becht M (2003) A historical analysis of hazardous events in the Alps—the case of Hindelang (Bavaria, Germany). Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 3:625–635

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bathurst JC, Burton A, Ward TJ (1997) Debris flow run-out and landslide sediment delivery model tests. J Hydraulic Eng 123:410–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benito G, Lang M, Barriendos M, Llasat MC, Frances F, Ouarda T, Thorndycraft VR, Enzel T, Bardossy A, Cœur D, Bobee B (2004) Use of systematic, paleoflood and historical data for the improvement of flood risk estimation. Review of scientific methods. Nat Hazards 31:623–643

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bovis MJ, Jakob M (1999) The role of debris supply conditions in predicting debris flow activity. Earth Surf Landforms Processes 24:1039–1054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brázdil R, Glaser R, Pfister C, Dobrovolný P, Antoine J-M, Barriendos M, Camuffo D, Deutsch M, Enzi S, Guidoboni E, Kotyza O, Sanchez Rodrigo F (1999) Flood events of selected European Rivers in the sixteenth century. Climatic Change 43:239–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castiglioni GB (1971) Natural disasters in the Alps. In: Atti del XXI Congresso Geografico Italiano, Verbania, Italy, pp 7–37 (in Italian)

  • Castiglioni GB, Pellegrini GB, Nardin M, Ferrari L, Mattana U (1971) Notes on the map of the flood event of November 1966 in Venetia and Trentino - Alto Adige: Morphological effects and inundations. In: Atti del XXI Congresso Geografico Italiano, Verbania, Italy, pp 269–290 (in Italian)

  • Cerato M (1999) Contributes for a history of hydraulic works and soil bioengineering in Valsugana. Provincia Autonoma di Trento, Azienda Speciale di Sistemazione Montana, Trento, Italy, 109 pp (in Italian)

  • Cœur D, Lang M, Paquier A (2002) Flood knowledge: History, hydraulics and hydrology. Houille Blanche 4-4:61–66 (in French)

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa JE (1988) Rheologic, geomorphic, and sedimentologic differentiation of water floods, hyperconcentrated flows, and debris flows. In: Baker VR, Kochel RC, Patton PC (eds.) Flood geomorphology. John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp 113–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Croce D, Nodari P, Pellegrini GB, Tessari F (1971) Effects of the November 1966 flood on inhabited areas of northeastern Italy. In: Atti del XXI Congresso Geografico Italiano, Verbania, Italy pp 291–301 (in Italian)

  • D’Agostino V, Cerato M, Coali R (1996) Extreme events of sediment transport in the eastern Trentino torrents. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium Interpraevent 1996, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. 1:377–386 (in Italian)

  • Dorigo L (1969) The river basins of Venetia. In: L’evento alluvionale del novembre 1966. Commissione interministeriale per lo studio della sistemazione idraulica e della difesa del suolo. Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, Rome, Italy, pp 133–165 (in Italian)

  • Eisbacher GH, Clague JJ (1984) Destructive mass movements in high mountains: Hazard and management. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 84–16, Ministry of Supply and Services, Ottawa, Canada, 230 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Esposito E, Porfido S, Violante C (2004) The flood of October 1954 in Vietri sul Mare (Salerno). Scenario and effects of a catastrophic flood in a rocky coast area. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche GNDCI, IAMC, Naples, Italy, 381 pp (in Italian)

  • Gorfer A (1967) The general flood of November 4, 1966. Natura Alpina 18:5–42 (in Italian)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorfer A (1977) The valleys of Trentino – eastern Trentino. Manfrini Editori, Calliano, Italy, 1118 pp (in Italian)

  • Govi M (1975) Mapping, documentation and interpretation of floods and mudflows in the Italian Alps. In: Proceedings of the International Symposyium Interpraevent 1975, Innsbruck, Austria, 2:209–233 (in French)

  • Guzzetti F, Cardinali M, Reichenbach P (1994) The AVI Project: A bibliographical and archive inventory of landslides and floods in Italy. Envir Manage 18:623–633

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guzzetti F, Tonelli G (2004) Information system on hydrological and geomorphological catastrophes in Italy (SICI): A tool for managing landslide and flood hazards. Natural Hazards Earth Syst Sci 4:213–232

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ikeya H (1989) Debris flow and its countermeasures in Japan. Bull Int Assoc Eng Geol 40:15–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kellerhals R, Church M (1990) Hazard management on fans, with examples from British Columbia. In Rachocki AH, Church M (eds.) Alluvial fans: a field approach. John Wiley & Sons, New York pp 335–354

    Google Scholar 

  • Kronfellner-Kraus G (1984) Extreme sedimentations and gullying of torrents. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium Interpraevent 1984, Villach, Austria, 2:109–118 (in German)

  • Moscariello A, Marchi L, Maraga F, Mortara G (2002) Alluvial fans in the Italian Alps: Sedimentary facies and processes. In: Martini P, Baker VR, Garzon G (eds.) Flood & megaflood processes and deposits—recent and ancient examples. Blackwell Science, Oxford, UK, pp 141–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedenzini A (2001) Water from the sky and from ground – Strigno, November 4, 1966. Il Foglio di Strigno, no. 3, 110 pp (in Italian)

  • Pierson TC (2005) Distinguishing between debris flows and floods from field evidence in small watersheds. U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2004–3142, 4 pp

  • Provincia Autonoma di Trento (1991) For the protection of the territory. November 4, Trento, Italy, 237 pp (in Italian)

  • Rickenmann D (1999) Empirical relationships for debris flows. Natural Hazards 19:47–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rickenmann D, Zimmermann M (1993) The 1987 debris flows in Switzerland: Documentation and analysis. Geomorphology 8:175–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tonini D, (1968) The floods of November 1966 in Venetia and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. In: Atti del Convegno sul Tema: Le scienze della natura di fronte agli eventi idrogeologici, Rome, Italy, pp 91–146 (in Italian)

  • Tropeano D (1989) Floods and landslide in the Bormida River basin. Retrospective study. Quaderni di Studio e Documentazione, no. 10, Associazione Mineraria Subalpina, Torino, Italy, 155 pp (in Italian)

  • Tropeano D, Turconi L (2004) Using historical documents for landslide, debris flow and stream flood prevention: Applications in Northern Italy. Natural Hazards 31:663–679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turitto O (2004) Extreme Po River flood in November 1951 and inundation of Polesine territory (Northern Italy). Houille Blanche 5:64–70 (in French)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Venzo GA (1968) Observations on the relationships between geological settings and characteristics of the flood of November 1966 in Trentino. In: Atti del Convegno sul Tema: Le scienze della natura di fronte agli eventi idrogeologici. Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Roma, Italy, pp 147–160 (in Italian)

  • Venzo GA, Largaiolli T (1968) The basin of Chieppena Torrent (Trentino) - Stratigraphy - Tectonics – Geomorphology and Hydrology - Landslides. Memorie del Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali 17:1–103, includes two maps at 1:10000 scale (in Italian)

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Provincia Autonoma di Trento–Servizio Bacini montani (contract no. 1543 CONV) and the European Commission (Sixth Framework Programme, HYDRATE Project, contract no. GOCE-037024). The authors thank M. Cerato for the useful discussion on historical records of flood events, and F. Tagliavini for the information on the geolithological setting of the basin. The staffs from the Historical Archive of the Autonomous Province of Trento and State Archive are thanked for their collaboration in the collection of historical documents. We also thank R.L. Baum, F. Guzzetti, an anonymous reviewer, and the Editor-in-Chief, V.H. Dale, for valuable comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNR IRPI Padova, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy

    Lorenzo Marchi & Marco Cavalli

Authors
  1. Lorenzo Marchi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marco Cavalli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lorenzo Marchi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Marchi, L., Cavalli, M. Procedures for the Documentation of Historical Debris Flows: Application to the Chieppena Torrent (Italian Alps). Environmental Management 40, 493–503 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0288-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0288-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation