EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF SUBAQUEOUS VS. SUBAERIAL DEBRIS FLOWS - VELOCITY CHARACTERISTICS AS A FUNCTION OF THE AMBIENT FLUID

摘要

A series of comparable subaerial and subaqueous debris flow experiments of sand-clay-water mixtures has been performed at the St Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) at University of Minnesota. Different compositions were tested and velocities measured in detail using PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) techniques. The experimental series provides a unique data set highlighting the effects of the ambient and interstitial fluid in comparable subaerial and subaqueous debris flows. Based on our experimental data we emphasize the differences in the dynamical behaviour associated with the two environments and suggest important mechanisms to be included in numerical models.