Rainfall-triggered debris flows following the Wenchuan earthquake

On 24 September 2008, 72 debris flows were triggered by heavy rainfall in the central part of the area affected by the Wenchuan Earthquake. This paper describes the process of debris-flow initiation and transport in the study areas and presents field observations on the roles of rainfall, lithology and the presence of faults. It is likely that following the ground shaking, the critical amount of accumulated precipitation and the hourly rainfall intensity necessary to initiate debris flow was reduced compared with values before the earthquake. A case study in the Xishanpo gully is presented; the debris flow from which caused a thick accumulation in the already devastated city of Beichuan. It is concluded that the whole of the area shaken by the Wenchuan Earthquake is now more susceptible to debris flows, which may be initiated by localized heavy rainfall. Care must be taken to properly assess this new type of geo-hazard.