Articles | Volume 24, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-1357-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-24-1357-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
24 Apr 2024
Research article |
| 24 Apr 2024
| 24 Apr 2024
Characteristics of debris-flow-prone watersheds and debris-flow-triggering rainstorms following the Tadpole Fire, New Mexico, USA
Luke A. McGuire
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
Francis K. Rengers
Geologic Hazards Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
Ann M. Youberg
Arizona Geological Survey, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
Alexander N. Gorr
Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
Olivia J. Hoch
Geologic Hazards Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
Rebecca Beers
Arizona Geological Survey, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA
Ryan Porter
School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA
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Short summary
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Debris flows often occur after wildfires. These debris flows move water, sediment, and wood. The wood can get stuck in channels, creating a dam that holds boulders, cobbles, sand, and muddy material. We investigated how the channel width and wood length influenced how much sediment is stored. We also used a series of equations to back calculate the debris flow speed using the breaking threshold of wood. These data will help improve models and provide insight into future field investigations.
Tao Liu, Luke A. McGuire, Nina Oakley, and Forest Cannon
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 361–376, 10.5194/nhess-22-361-2022, 10.5194/nhess-22-361-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A well-constrained rainfall-runoff model forced by radar-derived precipitation is used to define rainfall intensity-duration (ID) thresholds for flash floods. The rainfall ID doubles in 5 years after a severe wildfire in a watershed in southern California, USA. Rainfall ID performs stably well for intense pulses of rainfall over durations of 30-60 minutes that cover at least 15%-25% of the watershed. This finding could help issuing flash flood warnings based on radar-derived precipitation.
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Short summary
Runoff and erosion increase after fire, leading to a greater likelihood of floods and debris flows. We monitored debris flow activity following a fire in western New Mexico, USA, and observed 16 debris flows over a <2-year monitoring period. Rainstorms with recurrence intervals of approximately 1 year were sufficient to initiate debris flows. All debris flows initiated during the first several months following the fire, indicating a rapid decrease in debris flow susceptibility over time.
Runoff and erosion increase after fire, leading to a greater likelihood of floods and debris...
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