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Rainfall duration and debris-flow initiated studies for real-time monitoring

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

A rainfall-induced debris flow warning is implemented employing real-time rain gauge data. The pre-warning for the time of landslide triggering derives the threshold or critical rainfall from historical events involving regional rainfall patterns and geological conditions. In cases of debris flow, the time taken cumulative runoff, to yield abundant water for debris triggering, is an important index that needs monitoring. In gathered historical cases, rainfall time history data from the nearest rain gauge stations to debris-flow sites connected to debris flow are used to define relationships between the rainfall intensity and duration. The effects by which the regional rainfall patterns (antecedent rainfall, duration, intensity, cumulative rainfall) and geological settings combine together to trigger a debris-flow are analyzed for real-time monitoring. The analyses focused on 61 historical hazard events with the timing of debris flow initiation and rainfall duration to burst debris-flow characteristics recorded. A combination of averaged rainfall intensity and duration is a more practical index for debris-flow monitoring than critical or threshold rainfall intensity. Because, the outburst timing of debris flows correlates closely to the peak hourly rainfall and the forecasting of peak hourly rainfall reached in a meteorological event could be a valuable index for real-time debris-flow warning.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the National Science Council of the Republic of China, Taiwan for financially supporting this research under Contract No. NSC 92-2811-Z-002-007.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NCDR), 3F., No. 106, Sec. 2, HoPing E. Rd, Taipei, 106, Taiwan

    Chen Chien-Yuan, Yu Wen-Hui & Tseng Chun-Chieh

  2. National Pingtung University of Science& Technology, No. 1, Shuehfu Rd, Neipu, Pingtung, 91201, Taiwan

    Chen Tien-Chien

  3. National Chung Hsing University, 250, Kuo Kuang Road, Taichung, Taiwan

    Yu Fan-Chieh

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  1. Chen Chien-Yuan
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  2. Chen Tien-Chien
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  3. Yu Fan-Chieh
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  4. Yu Wen-Hui
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  5. Tseng Chun-Chieh
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Correspondence to Chen Chien-Yuan.

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Chien-Yuan, C., Tien-Chien, C., Fan-Chieh, Y. et al. Rainfall duration and debris-flow initiated studies for real-time monitoring. Environ Geol 47, 715–724 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-004-1203-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-004-1203-0

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