The rainfall intensity-duration control of debris flows after wildfire
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Data Releases:
- USGS data release - Field-verified inventory of postfire debris flows for the 2021 Dixie Fire following a 23-25 October 2021 atmospheric river storm and 12 June 2022 thunderstorm
- USGS data release - Field-verified inventory of postfire debris flows for the 2021 Dixie Fire following a 23-25 October 2021 atmospheric river storm and 12 June 2022 thunderstorm
- Open Access Version: Publisher Index Page
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Abstract
Increased wildfire activity in the western United States has exposed regional gaps in our understanding of postfire debris-flow generation. To address this problem, we characterized flows in an unstudied area to test the rainfall intensity-duration control of the hazard. Our rainfall measurements and field observations from the northern Sierra Nevada (California, USA) show that debris flows resulted from a short burst rainfall during a low-accumulation storm. In contrast, a much higher accumulation storm (∼10 times more rainfall) with lower short-duration rainfall rates only produced low-hazard flooding. We conclude that total storm rainfall is not an ideal metric for identifying the rainfall conditions that initiate runoff-generated debris flows in the first year after wildfire. Rather, a focus on short-duration (<1 hr), high-intensity rainfall that can occur during localized thunderstorms, or bands of intense rainfall during prolonged rainstorms, is more beneficial for the purposes of hazard assessment and warning.
Suggested Citation
Thomas, M.A., Lindsay, D.N., Cavagnaro, D.B., Kean, J.W., McCoy, S., and Graber, A.P., 2023, The rainfall intensity-duration control of debris flows after wildfire: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 50, no. 10, e2023GL103645, 10 p., Data Release, https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GL103645.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | The rainfall intensity-duration control of debris flows after wildfire |
| Series title | Geophysical Research Letters |
| DOI | 10.1029/2023GL103645 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Publication Date | May 23, 2023 |
| Year Published | 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Geophysical Union |
| Contributing office(s) | Geologic Hazards Science Center |
| Description | e2023GL103645, 10 p., Data Release |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Other Geospatial | North Fork Feather River Canyon |