Examining the causes of a devastating debris flow
Monday, July 21, 2014 - 10:30
in Earth & Climate
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 mm 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, published by Geophysical Research Letters, examines the multiple factors, both natural and human caused, that came together to produce this event. The triad of storm-triggered landslides is geological condition, surface loading and vegetation roots, and extreme precipitation.