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Experimental study of entrainment behavior of debris flow over channel inflexion points

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Abstract

On-spot observation and field reconnaissance of debris flows have revealed that inflexion points in the longitudinal profile of a movable channel may easily become unstable points that significantly affect their entrainment behavior. In this study, small-scale flume experiments were performed to investigate the entrainment characteristics of debris flows over two types of inflexion points, namely, a convex point, which has an upslope gradient that is less than the downslope gradient; and a concave point, which has an upslope gradient that is greater than the downslope gradient. It was observed that when debris flowed over a convex point, the entrainment developed gradually and progressively from the convex point in the downstream direction, and the primary control factors were the slope gradient and friction angle. Conversely, when debris flowed over a concave point, the entrainment was characterized by impacting and impinging erosion rather than traditional hydraulic erosion, and the impingement angle of the flow significantly determined the maximum erosion depth and outflow exit angle. An empirical relationship between the topography change and the control factors was obtained from the experimental data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Processes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Kai-heng Hu & Li Pu

  2. Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Conservancy, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Kai-heng Hu & Li Pu

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Li Pu

  4. State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China

    Xie-kang Wang

Authors
  1. Kai-heng Hu
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  2. Li Pu
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  3. Xie-kang Wang
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Correspondence to Kai-heng Hu.

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http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8114-5743

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0591-4007

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0065-404X

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Hu, Kh., Pu, L. & Wang, Xk. Experimental study of entrainment behavior of debris flow over channel inflexion points. J. Mt. Sci. 13, 971–984 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-015-3749-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-015-3749-6

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