No abstract

Debris flows generate seismic waves as they travel downslope and can become more dangerous as they entrain sediment along their path. We present field observations that show a systematic relation between the magnitude of seismic waves and the amount of erodible sediment beneath the flow. Specifically, we observe that a debris flow traveling along a channel filled initially with sediment 0.34 m thick generates about 2 orders of magnitude less spectral power than a similar‐sized flow over the same channel without sediment fill. We adapt a model from fluvial seismology to explain this observation and then invert it to estimate the level of bed sediment (and rate of entrainment) beneath a passing series of surges. Our estimates compare favorably with previous direct measurements of entrainment rates at the site, suggesting the approach may be a new indirect way to obtain rare field constraints needed to test models of debris flow entrainment.

Debris flows represent a major hazard in mountainous areas, due to their rapid motion along steep channels and to the transport of large sediment volumes, including large boulders. In this paper, we present data of channelized debris flows characterized by different velocities and sediment concentrations recorded in an instrumented channel reach of the Gadria basin (eastern Italian Alps). From the analysis of the seismic energy produced by the interaction of solid particles with channel boundaries, we show that (i) the peak amplitudes are representative of the kinetic energy of each surge and (ii) most energy transfer occurs during the passage of the surge fronts. Then, we propose a debris flow detection algorithm based on the amplitude information gathered from a linear array of geophones installed along the channel. The short time average over long time average ratio of the seismic signal is used to early detect the debris flow occurrence in a continuous stream of seismic data. The algorithm recognizes moving, long‐lasting sources of ground vibration (i.e., debris flows) and filters out different seismic sources (i.e., anthropic noise, earthquakes, and rockfalls). The alarm is triggered when the short time average/long time average threshold is exceeded on two geophones, progressively with time from upstream to downstream. The algorithm is employed in the early warning system installed for research purposes at Gadria. Complementary data (rainfalls, flow stage measurements, and video recordings) permitted a detailed event characterization and alarm validation. During three monitoring seasons, all debris flows were successfully detected, with the alarm lasting for their entire duration, and no false positives were produced.