EGS XXV General Assembly, Nice, France, April 2000

HS02.03 Dealing with extreme events (co-sponsored by NH): Extreme erosion and sediment yield events: processes, impacts and mitigation

Event Information

Infrequent but high impact events are increasingly recognized to be important controls on hillslope and channel evolution and on river basin sediment yield. Major landslide, debris flow, gully and volcanic events can inject enormous amounts of sediment into a channel system in a short space of time. Poor land management is often blamed for exacerbating their effects. Likewise, catastrophic floods generated by rainstorms, hurricanes, glacial lake outbursts and dam failures carry more sediment in a matter of hours or days than has been transported in the previous decade or even century. Such events also leave an aftermath of altered sediment supply and channel and hillslope morphology which has long term repercussions for channel behaviour and basin sediment yield. The impacts and consequences of extreme erosion and sediment yield events are of interest to geomorphologists seeking to understand channel and landscape evolution, to engineers designing reservoirs, protection schemes and other riverside infrastructure and to disaster relief organizations. Papers are invited on all aspects of the topic, including processes, impacts and mitigation. Through its concentration on erosion and sediment yield, the symposium will complement the International Symposium on Extraordinary Floods to be held in Iceland later in 2000.

Preliminary List of Solicited Speakers

Co-Sponsorship