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Torrential Hazard Cascades in Tropical Mountains

Processes contributing to the torrential hazard cascade in West Kot, Kenya, in 2020 (Graphic by Maria Arango based on an Planet Labs image)

Funding agency:

German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)

Funding period:

March 2022 - November 2025

Project description:

Torrential hazards refer to the spectrum of water-sediment flows that include landslides, debris flows, debris floods, hyperconcentrated flows, and flash floods. These processes often form destructive cascades, particularly in tropical and humid subtropical mountains, yet they remain understudied. In the tropics, factors like high humidity, heavy rainfall, and deeply weathered soils amplify their impacts, making torrential fans with dense settlements especially vulnerable. This project documents these hazards, analyzes their morphological and triggering characteristics using satellite imagery and remote sensing, and aims to integrate physically based models to improve understanding and hazard assessment in these regions.

 

Cooperation partners: 

  • This project is part of the BB-KI Chips project between the University of Potsdam and the Technical University of Munich. 
  • Cooperation with Paul Voit and Cassiano Bastos from NatRiskChange
Processes contributing to the torrential hazard cascade in West Kot, Kenya, in 2020 (Graphic by Maria Arango based on an Planet Labs image)