Abstract
We examine the debris flow activity in Trans-Ili Alatau since 1900 till the present. Characteristics of the debris flow formation conditions and data on the largest debris flows are presented. A study is made of the interannual and intra-annual variability of debris flow activity. The debris flow activity was characterized by the number of debris flows in a year, and by the total volume of debris transported. For the period from 1900 to 2017 we recorded 481 debris flows. It was found that the genetic types of debris flows are dominated by rain-induced and glacial flows (87 % of the total number of debris flows). The other genetic types (snow-caused, seismogenic and anthropogenic) account for 13%. Most of the debris flows have a rain genesis (71% of the total number of rain-induced and glacial debris flows). Glacial debris flows account for 79% of the volume of debris transported. The volumes of the largest debris flows, both glacial and rain-induced, exceed one million cubic meters. They make up 3% of the total number of debris flows but they transported 70 % of debris. Small debris flows with a volume of less than 10 thousand cubic meters, in terms of their number, constitute 74%; however, they account for a mere 3% of the volume of debris flow deposits. Observations indicate that the earliest debris flows occurred in the second ten-day period of March, and the latest occurred in the first ten-day period of September. The distribution of the number of debris flows according to the dates of their occurrence clearly shows two maxima: one maximum in the second ten-day period of June, and the other maximum in the second ten-day period of July. The June maximum is due to rain precipitation, and the July maximum is associated with glacial debris flows. From 1950 to 2017 there were only 5 (7%) years without any debris flows. Four of them corresponded to the 2010s. The number of years with rain-induced and glacial debris flows was 55 (81%) and 39 (57%), respectively.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
VanDine, D.F. and Bovis, M., History and Goals of Canadian Debris Flow Research, A Review, Nat. Hazards, 2002, vol. 26, issue 1, pp. 67–80.
Gärtner, H. and Stoffel, M., Detailed Mapping and Dendrogeomorphological Analysis of a Debris Flow Torrent in Switzerland, Proc. 1 stCongr. Interpraevent in the Pacific Rim” (October 14–18, 2002, Matsumoto), in 2 Vols., Vol. 1: Protection of Habitat Against Floods, Debris Flows and Avalanches, Matsumoto: Interpraevent, 2002, pp. 199–207.
Stoffel, M., Lièvre, I., Conus, D., Grichting, M.A., Raetzo, H., Gärtner, H.W., and Monbaron, M., 400 Years of Debris-Flow Activity and Triggering Weather Conditions: Ritigraben, Valais, Switzerland, Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res., 2005, vol. 37, issue 3, pp. 387–395.
Passmore, D., Harrison, S., Winchester, V., Rae, A., Severskiy, I., and Pimankina, N.V., Late Holocene Debris Flows and Valley Floor Development in the Northern Zailiiskiy Alatau, Tien Shan Mountains, Kazakhstan, Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res., 2008, vol. 40, issue 3, pp. 548–560.
Medeu, A.R., Debris Flow Phenomena of South-East Kazakhstan: The Fundamentals of Management, Almaty: Gylym, 2011 [in Russian].
Perov, V.F., Debris Flow Studies, Moscow: Izd. Mosk. Univ., 2012 [in Russian].
Zhenzhurist, E.M., The July 8, 1921 Alma-Ata Disaster, Vestn. Irrigatsii, 1923, no. 1, pp. 62–76 [in Russian].
Duisenov, E.D., Debris Flows in Trans-Ili Alatau, Alma-Ata: Kazakhstan, 1971 [in Russian].
Vinogradov, Yu.B., Khonin, R.V., and Zems, A.E., The July 15, 1973 Debris Flow on the Malaya Almatinka, Selevye Potoki, 1976, no. 1, pp. 60–73 [in Russian].
Keremkulov, V.A. and Tsukerman, I.G., Overview of Information on Outbursts of Morainic Lakes of Trans-Ili Alatau, Selevye Potoki, 1988, no. 10, pp. 62–77 [in Russian].
Laptev, V.I., Description of the August 3–4, 1977 Debris Flow Within the Kumbel’su and Bol’shaya Almatinka Rivers, Selevye Potoki, 1990, no. 5, pp. 55–59 [in Russian].
Medeuov, A.R., Kolotilin, N.F. and Keremkulov, V.A., Debris Flows of Kazakhstan, Almaty: Gylym, 1993 [in Russian].
Gorbunov, A.P. and Severskiy, E.V., Debris Flows in the Environs of Almaty: A View Into the Past, Almaty: Nauka, 2001 [in Russian].
Yafyazova, R.K., The Origin of Debris Flows of Trans-Ili Alatau: Problems of Adaptation, Almaty: Nauka, 2007 [in Russian].
Baimoldaev, T.A. and Vinokhodov, V.N., “Kazleszashchita”: Prompt Measures Prior to and After the Disaster, Almaty: Bastau, 2007 [in Russian].
Medeu, A.R., Baimoldaev, T.A. and Kirenskaya, T.L., Debris Flow Phenomena of South-East Kazakhstan: Anthology of Debris Flow Phenomena and Their Investigations, Almaty: Gylym, 2016 [in Russian].
Bolch, T., Peters, J., Yegorov, A., Pradhan, B., Buchroithner M., and Blagovechshenskiy, V., Identification of Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes in the Northern Tien Shan, Nat. Hazards, 2011, vol. 59, issue 3, pp. 1691–1714.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
This work was done with the financial support from the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (grant no. AR05132214.
Russian Text © The Author(s), 2019, published in Geografiya i Prirodnye Resursy, 2019, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp. 173–179.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Medeu, A.R., Blagoveshchenskiy, V.P., Gulyayeva, T.S. et al. Debris Flow Activity in Trans-Ili Alatau in the 20th — Early 21st Centuries. Geogr. Nat. Resour. 40, 292–298 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1875372819030120
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1875372819030120