Debris Flow Phenomenology and Rheological Modelling

Debris flows are among the most frequent and destructive of all geomorphic processes, mainly affecting mountainous areas in a range of morphoclimatic environments, and the damage they cause is often devastating.  Increased anthropisation calls for improvements in the criteria used to identify debris-flow risk areas and the prevention measures adopted. One of the main difficulties encountered by the approaches illustrated in previous literature is linked to their possible validation either in the field or in a laboratory environment.  The choice of a rheological model is extremely important.  This book provides methodological details, which can be applied to investigations on debris-flow mechanics, capable of providing an accurate representation of the phenomenology.