A numerical investigation on debris avalanche propagation

The paper deals with a numerical investigation of the propagation stage of debris avalanches. Two complementary cases are analyzed: i) a benchmark open slope followed by almost flat piedmont, ii) a case study of Southern Italy which involved pyroclastic soils originating from Vesusius volcano. A hydro-mechanical coupled depth-integrated Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) model is used. Irregular topography of slope, bed entrainment and pore water pressure variations are taken into account. The key role of bed entrainment is outlined and a satisfactory back-analysis of the case study is obtained. Globally, the achieved results indicate that the chosen model is an advisable tool for the analysis of debris avalanches.