Articles | Volume 25, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-3559-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-25-3559-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Sep 2025
Research article |
| 23 Sep 2025
| 23 Sep 2025
The Parraguirre ice–rock avalanche 1987, semi-arid Andes, Chile – a holistic revision
Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
David Farías-Barahona
Department of Geography, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
Thomas Bruckner
Institut für Geographie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
Lucia Scaff
Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, University of Concepción, Concepción, Chile
Martin Mergili
Institut für Geographie und Raumforschung, Universität Graz, Graz, Austria
Santiago Montserrat
Advanced Mining Technology Center, AMTC, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Humberto Peña
Diagua: Derecho e Ingeniería del Agua Consulting, Santiago, Chile
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Short summary
The 1987 Parraguirre ice–rock avalanche developed into a devastating debris flow, causing the loss of many lives and inflicting severe damage near Santiago, Chile. Here, we revise this event, combining various observational records with modelling techniques. In that year, important snow cover coincided with persistent warm periods in spring. We also put forward upward corrections for the trigger and flood volumes involved in this debris flow. Finally, temporary river damming was key for the flow ferocity.
The 1987 Parraguirre ice–rock avalanche developed into a devastating debris flow, causing the...
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