The present development of debris flow monitoring technology in Taiwan – A Case study presentation

Abstract

In order to document the on-site debris flow events, the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau (SWCB), Council of Agriculture, Taiwan, has devoted to develop the debris flow monitoring system since 2002. This paper introduces the technology of 17 on-site and 3 mobile debris flow monitoring stations established by SWCB in Taiwan. In each on-site monitoring station, several observation instruments including rain gauges, CCD cameras, wire sensors, geophones, and water level meters were installed to collect the dynamic debris flow information that can be used as the references for countermeasures of debris flow disaster mitigation. Besides, several meteorological sensors are also adopted recently in order to record the long-term climate change effects on the slopeland of Taiwan. The framework of the debris flow monitoring system consists of monitoring sensors, instrumental cabin (vehicle platform for mobile station), transmission system and web-based display system. During the typhoon Mindulle period in 2004, a debris flow event in Aiyuzih creek was observed by the Shenmu debris flow monitoring station on July 2, Nantou County, central Taiwan. On-site observation data including the rainfall patterns, video images, wire sensor ruptures and ground vibrations caused by debirs-flows are analyzed in detail.