Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2021, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (4): 337-348.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2020.6.39

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Soil mass domination in debris-flow disasters and strategy for hazard mitigation

CHEN Ningsheng1,2,3(), TIAN Shufeng1,2,4, ZHANG Yong1,2,4, WANG Zheng1,2,4   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Process, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
    2. Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
    3. Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, Xining 810016, China
    4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2019-10-14 Revised:2019-12-25 Online:2021-07-25 Published:2021-07-25

Abstract:

According to the traditional view, debris-flow disasters are mainly caused by precipitation, and the runoff, confluence process is a physical process that can be simulated by hydrological processes. However, based on the current observation that debris-flow disasters are concentrated in seismic zones and arid valleys, combining with the existing evidence on debris flow formation and prevention, we found that in human inhibited mountainous areas, the slope and precipitation conditions are prone to causing debris-flow hazards and consequently soil mass dominates the initiation, formation and evolution of debris-flow disasters. The dynamic variation of soil mass affects the feasibility of debris flow formation and also controls the scale and frequency of debris flow. Soil mass at the source region undergoes a loosening or compacting process depending on the internal and external dynamic geological effects, as debris flows of different scales, frequencies and properties are triggered by the failure of soil mass of different densities. And soil mass controls the debris flow enlargement process. It has been proven that the source control theory-based technologies, including regional prediction, multi-level, multi-indicator warning system, and engineering control technology, are scientific and effective in the prevention and mitigation of mountain hazards. Thus, catastrophic debris flows are a geological process and characterization of this process requires more consideration of empirical models based on geological conditions. In addition, the prediction, early warning and high-efficiency mitigation of debris-flow disasters should take into account the mechanism and process that are dominated by soil mass.

Key words: debris-flow disaster, soil mass domination, triggering and enlargement processes, prediction and warning system, resilient mitigation

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