Mass Movements

Dr. Brian McArdell

Debris flows and rockfalls are rapid, gravitationally driven mass movements that threaten mountain communities in Switzerland and throughout the world.

The Research Group investigates the formation, movement and deposition of this complex geophysical processes to support the development of sound engineering and economically feasible defense strategies.

Main research field

• To develop and employ state-of-the-art sensors at field scale observations stations to experimentally identify the important flow characteristics of these movements.
• To elaborate physical theories describing the granular, multiphase rheology including the complex interaction with the terrain.
• To numerically model snow avalanches, debris flows and rockfalls. Models are validated using field scale measurements and laboratory experiments.
• To formulate frequency/magnitude relations describing the starting conditions of catastrophic events. These relations are introduced into hazard mapping procedures.
• To investigate the interaction of these movements with mountain forests and man-made defense structures such as avalanche dams and rockfall barriers.

Research is driven by our close interaction with practitioners to facilitate the application of new methodologies and guidelines in natural hazard analysis.
Stakeholders are mainly in the scientific community, integral risk managers at local and federal agencies and in private consulting companies.

Processes

Rockfalls

• Werner Gerber
  

• Barbara Krummenacher
  

• Axel Volkwein
  

Debris flow

• Yolanda Deubelbeiss
  

• Christoph Graf
  

• Brian McArdell
  

Shallow landslides

• Brian McArdell
  

• Christian Rickli