3D WebGIS-based platform for debris flow early warning: A case study

In mountainous areas of Southwestern China, debris flows occur every rainy season in recent years and have become one of the main threats to human life and properties. After a giant debris-flow event on August 13, 2010 in Sichuan province, the need to deploy a real-time monitoring network and early warning system (EWS) in this region with high potential risk became of paramount importance. This paper, therefore, presents a proposal for a 3D WebGIS-based platform combined with wireless sensor network (WSN) for debris-flow monitoring, analysis of rainfall thresholds for potential debris-flow gullies, and preliminary criteria for automatic and continuous monitoring and alert of debris flows. The choice of a WSN environment simplifies data collection, especially for the combination of various monitoring data provided by different sensor terminals. Warning thresholds stored in the database can easily be modified to improve the prediction of debris-flow occurrence, and there is a user-friendly 3D graphical interface which allows an almost real-time solution for decision-makers. The automatic computer-based EWS applied in the case study proves to be useful for debris-flow early warning, and improvements expected from continuation of this study could ultimately reduce the losses caused by such type of natural hazard.