Author(s)

F. Wei, Y. Jiang, Y. Zhao, A. Xu & J. S. Gardner

Abstract

Debris flows commonly occur throughout southern China, posing a hazard to people, property and infrastructure. Although debris flows occur more frequently and with greater magnitude in mountainous southwest China, where they have been studied extensively, their impacts on society are greater in southeast China, where population densities and land use intensities are greater. A number of recent disastrous debris flow events in southeast China have drawn the attention of researchers and the government. Using historical records and field investigations, this paper describes debris flow distribution, casual and contributing factors, hazards and disaster prevention and mitigation measures in southeast China. Keywords: debris flows, distribution, hazard, southeast China. 1 Introduction The west to east topographic profile of China is characterized by three general units and declining elevation. At higher elevation in the west is the Qinghai- Tibet Plateau, followed by the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Sichuan Basin and Loess Plateau, and finally the lower elevation region of middle and eastern China. Debris flow occurrence is most common in the higher elevation areas of the first two units and the transition zone between them. However, a number of disastrous debris flow events in the third unit, particularly its southeastern part,

Keywords

debris flows, distribution, hazard, southeast China