Debris-flow monitoring for the set-up of a warning and alarm system: experiences from the pyrenees

Abstract

Debris-flow monitoring sites provide many important inputs on their mechanics and strongly improved the understanding on this hazardous process. Monitoring data are the basis for future early warning systems (EWS) and alarm systems (AS). In this study, results from the Rebaixader monitoring are presented and evaluated for the implementation in an EWS and AS at catchment scale. The key parameters are the rainfall thresholds for the warning and the ground vibration produced by the moving debris flow for the alarm emission. At regional scale, a preliminary EWS for a test area in the Central-Eastern Pyrenees is evaluated. The EWS is based on quantitative precipitation estimates obtained from the weather radars and a simple susceptibility model, which is applied in each basin of the test area. The experiences gathered in the Pyrenees show that the knowledge on initiation and flow behaviour of debris flows has strongly advanced and facilitate the set-up of operational EWS or AS. However, there are still remaining various uncertainties (especially related to the adequate definition of thresholds), which must be evaluated and continuously eliminated.