Analysis of rainfall and runoff for debris flows at the Illgraben catchment, Switzerland

Abstract

For hazard analysis, scenario design and mitigation there is a need to accurately and objectively predict the volume of debris flows. One approach is to base the calculation on rainfall properties. Herein we present an analysis of rainfall and debris-flow volume using data from the Illgraben catchment in Switzerland. The Illgraben debris-flow observation station, operated starting in the year 2000, has successfully recorded 75 debris flows and debris floods, with volume and bulk density estimates available for most of these events since 2000 and 2004, respectively. Here we describe results for 52 debris flows with sufficient data. Runoff coefficients determine the proportion of precipitation discharged from a catchment and support estimates on flow magnitudes. For each debris flow, runoff coefficients were determined by considering the event rainfall and the water contained in the debris flow. The events can further be characterized by the 14-day antecedent wetness. Runoff coefficients comprise a wide range from near 0 to close to 1. Clear trends are apparent, such as larger runoff coefficients during the snowmelt season. Furthermore, the debris-flow volumes are more sensitive to the antecedent rainfall than to the rainfall amount that triggered the event, likely because a wet channel bed enhances entraining. This study gives insights on which climate variables control the debris-flow volume. This will be further investigated and incorporated into the SedCas (Sediment Cascade) model (Bennett et al., 2014) to improve prediction of debris-flow activity.