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Flash floods triggered by the 15–17th March 2022 rainstorm event in the Atacama Desert mapped from InSAR coherence time series

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Abstract

This research provides examples of the impacts of flash floods of March 2022 rainstorm event on the Atacama Desert infrastructures investigated by means of InSAR coherence and in situ observations. The erosional processes associated with flash floods and the downstream distance they can travel are poorly known, preventing any mitigation strategy. Thus, a better understanding of sediment mobilization during high-intensity rainstorm events in the Atacama Desert is therefore essential to assess the impact of hydrogeomorphic hazards on critical infrastructures and ecosystems. The main findings are (i) the devastating role of small-scale (< 5 km radius) rainfall cells and their large impact on transport network infrastructures and (ii) the impact on infrastructure depended mainly on the transport capacity of the flows, which is in turn determined by the drained area upstream of the considered channel, and the rainfall intensity on these upstream areas. For example, water flows with high discharge could remove larger volumes of sediments, undermining and cutting roads. Such flows were frequent at ~ 26°S, while at ~ 22°S, they were limited to a few channels with large contributing areas. This resulted in extensive damage and required considerable time and money to recondition the road. In contrast, thinner mudflows with limited transport capacity tend to follow the roads and leave a thin deposit of mud that can be cleaned in a few days. The fact that roads transported mudflows over large distances and that mining infrastructure deflects natural drainages has been observed as a potential hazard to downstream infrastructures or inhabited areas.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this research was provided by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) postdoctoral program to AC and KB, through the Programme National de Télédetection Spatiale (PNTS) project SECURITY, IRD-LMI-COPEDIM and ANID FONDECYT Iniciación Folio 11220285. Javiera Chocobar is thanked for assistance with fieldwork during the day in the Sierra Gorda area. Access to Agisoft Photoscan 1.2.4 licence is gratefully acknowledged to Stéphane Bonnet.

Funding

Funding for this research was provided by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) postdoctoral program to AC and KB, through the Programme National de Télédetection Spatiale (PNTS) project SECURITY, IRD-LMI-COPEDIM and ANID FONDECYT Iniciación Folio 11220285.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Géosciences Environnement Toulouse (GET), UMR 5563, CNRS/IRD/CNES/UPS, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France

    Albert Cabré, Dominique Remy, Odin Marc, Katy Burrows & Sébastien Carretier

  2. Advanced Mining Technology Center, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Albert Cabré

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  1. Albert Cabré
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  2. Dominique Remy
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  3. Odin Marc
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  4. Katy Burrows
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  5. Sébastien Carretier
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Correspondence to Albert Cabré.

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Cabré, A., Remy, D., Marc, O. et al. Flash floods triggered by the 15–17th March 2022 rainstorm event in the Atacama Desert mapped from InSAR coherence time series. Nat Hazards 116, 1345–1353 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05707-y

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