Open AccessExamining the causes of a devastating debris flow
Author(s) -
Balcerak Ernie
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2014eo340015
Subject(s) - landslide , storm , debris flow , natural disaster , terrain , natural (archaeology) , debris , vegetation (pathology) , precipitation , geology , natural hazard , physical geography , hydrology (agriculture) , geography , meteorology , cartography , geomorphology , archaeology , geotechnical engineering , oceanography , medicine , pathology
Storm‐triggered landslides cause loss of life, property damage, and landscape alterations. For instance, the remnants of Hurricane Camille in 1969 caused 109 deaths in central Virginia, after 600 millimeters of rain fell in mountainous terrain in 6 hours. More recently, on 8 August 2010, a rainstorm‐induced landslide devastated the Chinese county of Zhouqu, causing more than 1000 deaths. A new modeling study by Ren examines the multiple factors, natural and human caused, that came together to produce this event. Three things contribute to storm‐triggered landslides: geological condition, surface loading and vegetation roots, and extreme precipitation.