Statistics and modelling of the influence of the volume, fall height and topography on volcanic debris avalanche deposits

dc.contributor.authorPouget, Solene
dc.date.accessioned2010-10-06T22:18:13Z
dc.date.available2010-10-06T22:18:13Z
dc.date.issued2010en
dc.description.abstractThis research project on volcanic debris avalanches aims to provide a better understanding of the influence of the volume, fall height and topography on the deposit location and morphology. This will enable improvements in delineation of the areas at risk from volcanic debris avalanches, and improvements in management of a disaster should it occur. Undertaken to fulfil the requirements for a double degree (Geological Engineering and MSc in Hazard and Disaster Management) this work is the result of a collaboration between Polytechnic Institute LaSalle-Beauvais in France and the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Following a brief introduction to the topic, statistical analyses of volcanic debris avalanche deposits are undertaken. Multiple variables analyses (Principal Components Analyses and Regressions) were carried out using a database of 298 volcanic debris avalanches derived from modification of Dufresne’s recent database. It was found that the volume has the main influence on the deposits rather than the fall height; the latter seems to have greater effect on avalanches of small volume. The topography into which the deposit is emplaced mainly determines its geometrical characteristics. These statistical results were compared with the results of laboratory-scale analogue modelling. A model similar to that used by Shea in 2005 provided data indicating similar trends of the influence of volume, fall height and topography on mass movement deposits at all scales. The final aspect of this project was a numerical simulation of a large debris avalanche from the north flank of the Taranaki volcano in the direction of the city of New Plymouth. The numerical code VolcFlow developed by Kelfoun in 2005 was used, after being tested against the laboratory experiments to verity its accuracy. The simulations showed that the Pouaki range protects the city of New Plymouth form major impacts from Taranaki collapses, but also indicated some potential problems with the hazard zoning and evacuation zones presently in place.en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10092/4621
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.26021/5849
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Canterbury. Geological Sciencesen
dc.relation.haspartAlso available through Inter-Library lending is an appendix on CD-Rom
dc.relation.isreferencedbyNZCUen
dc.rightsCopyright Solene Pougeten
dc.rights.urihttps://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/thesesen
dc.subjectdebris avalancheen
dc.subjectvolcanoen
dc.subjectvolumeen
dc.subjectfall heighten
dc.subjecttopographyen
dc.subjectstatistical analysesen
dc.subjectanalogue modellingen
dc.subjectnumerical modellingen
dc.subjectVolcFlowen
dc.subjectTaranakien
dc.subjectNew Plymouthen
dc.titleStatistics and modelling of the influence of the volume, fall height and topography on volcanic debris avalanche depositsen
dc.typeTheses / Dissertations
thesis.degree.disciplineGeologyen
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Canterburyen
thesis.degree.levelMastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen
uc.bibnumber1479991en
uc.collegeFaculty of Scienceen
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