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Analysis of the rainfall pattern triggering the Lemešná debris flow, Javorníky Range, the Czech Republic

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Abstract

Two significant rainfall episodes affected the eastern part of the Czech Republic in May 2010 causing dozens of landslides, including a potentially damaging debris flow on Lemešná Mt. in the Javorníky Range on the 2 June 2010. The rainfall data from the rainfall gauges managed by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute situated 7, 12 and 20 km from the debris flow were analysed and a new rainfall gauge was installed in the immediate vicinity of the debris flow. The following rainfall parameters were calculated as moving values for each day within the period from 1983 to 2018: cumulative rainfall of 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60 days and an antecedent precipitation index of 5, 10, 20, 30, 60 days. The rainfall totals, which exceeded the debris flow triggering precipitation by many times, but no slope deformation was recorded during them, were also analysed. The debris flow triggering rainfall values were assessed and they showed a single concordance of all of the tested rainfall parameters on the day of the debris flow. We found that the combination of cumulative rainfall for 30 days together with 1-day and 3-day amounts, overall rainfall pattern and the development of the rainfall situation were more important for triggering the Lemešná debris flow than the individual rainfall extremes. This provides a new perspective to the rainfall thresholds issue. The importance of choosing the calculating method between the cumulative rainfalls and the antecedent precipitation index is illustrated by the significant differences between the values. The significance of the rainfall gauge selection is also emphasised, since the orographic position together with the distance between gauges can significantly influence the differences between on-site and measured rainfall amounts.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by the Grant Agency of Charles University in Prague, the Czech Republic (GAUK 425911/2011); by long-term conceptual development research organisation RVO: 67985891; and it was performed in the framework of the World Centre of Excellence on Landslide Risk Reduction, supported by the Czech national project Inter-Excellence (Inter-Vector, No. LTV19). We are grateful to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute and Ondřej Ledvinka for the provision and preparation of rainfall data. Special thanks go to Jiří Řehoř for his assistance in the rainfall gauge installation and fieldwork, as well as data analysis support. We also would like to thank Martin Knápek for his fieldwork and technical support and Mr. and Mrs. Matyščák for their pleasant support in the study area and their permission to install the rain gauge on their property. We would like to express our gratitude to two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on this paper.

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  1. Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic

    Jana Smolíková & Vít Vilímek

  2. Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic

    Filip Hrbáček

  3. Department of Engineering Geology, Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics, Czech Academy of Sciences, V Holešovičkách 41, 182 09, Prague 8, Czech Republic

    Jan Blahůt & Jan Klimeš

  4. Department of Geosciences and Environment, Faculty of Mines, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín, Carrera 80 No 65-223, Medellín, Colombia

    Juan Carlos Loaiza Usuga

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Smolíková, J., Hrbáček, F., Blahůt, J. et al. Analysis of the rainfall pattern triggering the Lemešná debris flow, Javorníky Range, the Czech Republic. Nat Hazards 106, 2353–2379 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-04546-7

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