Bank Retreat Mechanisms Driven by Debris Flow Surges: A Parameterized Model Based on the Results of Physical Experiments

Abstract Lateral erosion is a critical factor that influences the formation and amplification of debris flows. However, our understanding of the bank retreat process in debris flow channels is limited, which limits the evaluation of debris flow magnitudes and the prediction of their activity trends....

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Main Authors: Xi'an Wang, Jiangang Chen, Xiaoqing Chen, Huayong Chen, Wanyu Zhao, Hechun Ruan, Jinshui Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-07-01
Series:Water Resources Research
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036914
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author Xi'an Wang
Jiangang Chen
Xiaoqing Chen
Huayong Chen
Wanyu Zhao
Hechun Ruan
Jinshui Wang
author_facet Xi'an Wang
Jiangang Chen
Xiaoqing Chen
Huayong Chen
Wanyu Zhao
Hechun Ruan
Jinshui Wang
author_sort Xi'an Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Lateral erosion is a critical factor that influences the formation and amplification of debris flows. However, our understanding of the bank retreat process in debris flow channels is limited, which limits the evaluation of debris flow magnitudes and the prediction of their activity trends. Herein, we conduct physical experiments to investigate bank retreat mechanisms using five types of bank soil and multiple debris flow surges. The bank retreat process is categorized into two stages: toe cutting and bank collapse. Toe cutting is mainly caused by hydraulic erosion, bank collapse includes gravity erosion in the form of toppling failure. Notably, the bank retreat process exhibits a significant negative feedback loop. Bank erosion widens the channel bed, subsequently decreasing the flow depth. In turn, this reduction in flow depth mitigates bank erosion. Moreover, we discover a concise pattern in the complex coupling of hydraulic erosion and toppling failure: erosion efficiency is linearly and negatively correlated with the bed widening width. We develop a new parameterized model for describing the bank retreat process and provided empirical values for the model parameters. Furthermore, we observe that the initial erosion efficiency first increases and then decreases with an increase in the fine particle content of the bank soil. Additionally, we report a negative correlation between the maximum bed widening width and the fine particle content in the bank soil that follows a power function relationship.
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institution OA Journals
issn 0043-1397
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language English
publishDate 2024-07-01
publisher Wiley
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spelling doaj-art-e4c4bcac5a6140a385bbf957b88ea7f42025-08-20T02:36:39ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-07-01607n/an/a10.1029/2023WR036914Bank Retreat Mechanisms Driven by Debris Flow Surges: A Parameterized Model Based on the Results of Physical ExperimentsXi'an Wang0Jiangang Chen1Xiaoqing Chen2Huayong Chen3Wanyu Zhao4Hechun Ruan5Jinshui Wang6State Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu ChinaState Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment Chinese Academy of Sciences Chengdu ChinaAbstract Lateral erosion is a critical factor that influences the formation and amplification of debris flows. However, our understanding of the bank retreat process in debris flow channels is limited, which limits the evaluation of debris flow magnitudes and the prediction of their activity trends. Herein, we conduct physical experiments to investigate bank retreat mechanisms using five types of bank soil and multiple debris flow surges. The bank retreat process is categorized into two stages: toe cutting and bank collapse. Toe cutting is mainly caused by hydraulic erosion, bank collapse includes gravity erosion in the form of toppling failure. Notably, the bank retreat process exhibits a significant negative feedback loop. Bank erosion widens the channel bed, subsequently decreasing the flow depth. In turn, this reduction in flow depth mitigates bank erosion. Moreover, we discover a concise pattern in the complex coupling of hydraulic erosion and toppling failure: erosion efficiency is linearly and negatively correlated with the bed widening width. We develop a new parameterized model for describing the bank retreat process and provided empirical values for the model parameters. Furthermore, we observe that the initial erosion efficiency first increases and then decreases with an increase in the fine particle content of the bank soil. Additionally, we report a negative correlation between the maximum bed widening width and the fine particle content in the bank soil that follows a power function relationship.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036914bank retreatdebris flow surgeserosion efficiencylateral erosionbasal endpoint control
spellingShingle Xi'an Wang
Jiangang Chen
Xiaoqing Chen
Huayong Chen
Wanyu Zhao
Hechun Ruan
Jinshui Wang
Bank Retreat Mechanisms Driven by Debris Flow Surges: A Parameterized Model Based on the Results of Physical Experiments
Water Resources Research
bank retreat
debris flow surges
erosion efficiency
lateral erosion
basal endpoint control
title Bank Retreat Mechanisms Driven by Debris Flow Surges: A Parameterized Model Based on the Results of Physical Experiments
title_full Bank Retreat Mechanisms Driven by Debris Flow Surges: A Parameterized Model Based on the Results of Physical Experiments
title_fullStr Bank Retreat Mechanisms Driven by Debris Flow Surges: A Parameterized Model Based on the Results of Physical Experiments
title_full_unstemmed Bank Retreat Mechanisms Driven by Debris Flow Surges: A Parameterized Model Based on the Results of Physical Experiments
title_short Bank Retreat Mechanisms Driven by Debris Flow Surges: A Parameterized Model Based on the Results of Physical Experiments
title_sort bank retreat mechanisms driven by debris flow surges a parameterized model based on the results of physical experiments
topic bank retreat
debris flow surges
erosion efficiency
lateral erosion
basal endpoint control
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR036914
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