Wildfire-related debris-flow initiation processes, Storm King Mountain, Colorado

Cannon, Susan H.; Kirkham, Robert M.; Parise, Mario

doi:10.1016/s0169-555x(00)00108-2

Cited by 229 publications

(196 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…In the case of diffuse erosion, our field observations coincide with those of other researchers (e.g. Meunier, 1991;Cannon et al, 2001) indicate that the paths left by debris flow sometimes gradually disappear with distance up the torrent gully. The exact initiation zone for the debris flow is then difficult to locate.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 91%

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Effects of ground freezing and snow avalanche deposits on debris flows in alpine environments

Bardou

Delaloye

2004

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Debris flows consist of a mixture of water and sediments of various sizes. Apart from few exceptions, the water is usually contributed directly from precipitation. In a high mountain environment like the Alps, it appears necessary to consider infiltration of water into the ground during rainfall events, the runoff characteristics and the potential supply of sediment as a function of a multitude of climatic and hydrogeological factors. This paper outlines several new processes -either linked to ice formation in the ground before an event, or to the presence of snow avalanche deposits -that change the probability of observing an event.These processes were identified during field observations connected with extreme weather events that occurred recently in the Valais Alps (south-western Switzerland): they can be seen as factors either amplifying or reducing the potential of slope instability caused by the precipitation event. An intense freezing of the ground during the week preceding the exceptional rainfall event in mid-October 2000 amplified the probability of triggering debris flows between roughly 1800 and 2300 m asl. Both growth of ice needles and superficial ground freezing destroyed soil aggregates (increasing the availability of sediments) and/or, a deeper ground freezing resulted in decreased infiltration rate (increased runoff) during the first hours of heavy rainfall. The presence of snow avalanche deposits in a gully could be simultaneously an amplifying factor (the snow deposits increase the base flow and create a sliding plane for the sediments, mainly at the time of summer storms) or a reducing factor (reduction in the impact energy of the raindrops, mainly at the time of winter storms) of the risk of triggering debris flows.If it is not currently possible to establish rainfall threshold values for debris flow triggering, the knowledge and the implementation of these processes in the analysis of the potential triggering (for example by comparing the catchment hypsometric curve with the meteo-climatic situation) would nevertheless make the analysis of debris flows and forecasting more efficient.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The exact initiation zone for the debris flow is then difficult to locate. This process is prevalent in areas impacted by forest fires (Cannon et al, 2001), but is also observed in alpine environment (e.g. Gostner et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Effects of ground freezing and snow avalanche deposits on debris flows in alpine environments

Bardou

Delaloye

2004

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…Water-repellent soils and (or) surface-sealing effects reduce infiltration rates dramatically, and smooth flow paths allow rapid runoff (Swanson, 1981;Meyer and Wells, 1997;Robichaud, 2000). Rill and sheetwash erosion strip fine sediment and ash from surface soil, sometimes generating small debris flows on slopes and in uppermost drainages (Wells, 1987;Cannon et al, 1998Cannon et al, , 2001. The very large volume of runoff produces extreme discharges in low-order channels, with further sediment entrainment and generation of catastrophic flash floods to debris flows in main channels (Parrett, 1987;Meyer and Wells, 1997).…”

Section: Postfire Erosion and Deposition: Processes And Patternsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climatic controls on fire-induced sediment pulses in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho: a long-term perspective

Meyer

Pierce

2003

Forest Ecology and Management

108

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Fire management addressing postfire erosion and aquatic ecosystems tends to focus on short-term effects persisting up to about a decade after fire. A longer perspective is important in understanding natural variability in postfire erosion and sedimentation, the role of these processes in structuring habitat, and future expectations in light of a warming climate and environmental change. In cool high-elevation forests of northern Yellowstone National Park, stand ages indicate infrequent large stand-replacing fires. In warmer low-elevation forests of the Payette River region of Idaho, fire-scarred tree-rings record frequent low-severity fires before 1900; stand-replacing fires and resulting debris flows in recent decades are usually attributed to 20th-century fire suppression, grazing, and other land uses. In both areas, however, tree-ring records extend back only about 500 years. We use 14 C-dated geologic records to examine spatial and temporal patterns of fire-induced sedimentation and its relation to climate over the last 10 000 years. We review sedimentation processes in modern postfire events, which vary in magnitude and impact on stream systems depending on burn severity, basin geomorphology, and the timing and characteristics of postfire storms. Modern deposits also provide analogs for identification of fire-related deposits in alluvial fans. In Yellowstone, episodes of fire-induced sedimentation occurred at intervals of about 300-450 years during the last 3500 years, indicating a regime of infrequent high-severity fires. Millennial-scale variations in the fire-sedimentation record appear to relate to hemispheric-scale climatic change. Fire-related sedimentation is rare in Yellowstone during cooler episodes (e.g., the Little Ice Age $1200-1900 A.D.), probably because effectively wetter conditions prevented most fires from spreading. During some of the same cool periods, the Payette region experienced light surface fires and frequent, small pulses of fire-induced sediment. Between 900 and 1200 A.D., however, large fire-related debris flows occurred in both study areas, coincident with the Medieval Warm Period. During that time, drought may have limited grass growth in xeric Payette-region forests, restricting surface fire spread and allowing understory shrubs and trees to create ladder fuels. Although fire suppression and land-use effects are clearly involved in recent catastrophic fires in the Payette region, a warming climate and severe drought are probable contributors to major stand-replacing fires and postfire sedimentation, both past and present. Restoration and maintenance of conditions prior to European settlement may be unrealistic because of the potent influence of climate, and the incidence of severe fires will likely increase in both areas with future warming. #

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“…In terms of water quality, contaminant levels can be dramatically increased for many years after a wildfire in both soil (Burke et al, 2010) and stream systems (Emelko et al, 2011;Stein et al, 2012;Burke et al, 2013), increasing the workload on source water protection organizations in communities reliant upon burned watersheds for drinking and agricultural water. Furthermore, wildfires are readily attributed as the cause of substantial increases in debris flows (Benavides-Solorio and MacDonald, 2001;Cannon et al, 2001;Meyer et al, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization and evaluation of controls on post-fire streamflow response across western US watersheds

Saxe

Hogue

Hay

2018

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. This research investigates the impact of wildfires on watershed flow regimes, specifically focusing on evaluation of fire events within specified hydroclimatic regions in the western United States, and evaluating the impact of climate and geophysical variables on response. Eighty-two watersheds were identified with at least 10 years of continuous pre-fire daily streamflow records and 5 years of continuous post-fire daily flow records. Percent change in annual runoff ratio, low flows, high flows, peak flows, number of zero flow days, baseflow index, and Richards-Baker flashiness index were calculated for each watershed using pre-and post-fire periods. Independent variables were identified for each watershed and fire event, including topographic, vegetation, climate, burn severity, percent area burned, and soils data.Results show that low flows, high flows, and peak flows increase in the first 2 years following a wildfire and decrease over time. Relative response was used to scale response variables with the respective percent area of watershed burned in order to compare regional differences in watershed response. To account for variability in precipitation events, runoff ratio was used to compare runoff directly to PRISM precipitation estimates. To account for regional differences in climate patterns, watersheds were divided into nine regions, or clusters, through k-means clustering using climate data, and regression models were produced for watersheds grouped by total area burned. Watersheds in Cluster 9 (eastern California, western Nevada, Oregon) demonstrate a small negative response to observed flow regimes after fire. Cluster 8 watersheds (coastal California) display the greatest flow responses, typically within the first year following wildfire. Most other watersheds show a positive mean relative response. In addition, simple regression models show low correlation between percent watershed burned and streamflow response, implying that other watershed factors strongly influence response.Spearman correlation identified NDVI, aridity index, percent of a watershed's precipitation that falls as rain, and slope as being positively correlated with post-fire streamflow response. This metric also suggested a negative correlation between response and the soil erodibility factor, watershed area, and percent low burn severity. Regression models identified only moderate burn severity and watershed area as being consistently positively/negatively correlated, respectively, with response. The random forest model identified only slope and percent area burned as significant watershed parameters controlling response.Results will help inform post-fire runoff management decisions by helping to identify expected changes to flow regimes, as well as facilitate parameterization for model application in burned watersheds.

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Wildfire-related debris-flow initiation processes, Storm King Mountain, Colorado

Cited by 229 publications

References 14 publications

Effects of ground freezing and snow avalanche deposits on debris flows in alpine environments

Effects of ground freezing and snow avalanche deposits on debris flows in alpine environments

Climatic controls on fire-induced sediment pulses in Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho: a long-term perspective

Characterization and evaluation of controls on post-fire streamflow response across western US watersheds

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