Creating a Debris Flow Susceptibility Model for Great Britain: a GIS Based Approach

The term debris flow refers to the rapid downslope flow of poorly-sorted debris mixed with water (Ballantyne, 2004). Debris flows are described by (Hungr et al., 2014) as: “very rapid to extremely rapid surging flow of saturated debris in a steep channel. Strong entrainment of material and water from the flow path”. They are a widespread phenomenon in mountainous terrain and are distinct from other types of landslides as they can occur periodically on established paths, usually gullies and first- or second-order drainage channels. Debris flows in Great Britain are most commonly found in upland Scotland but also in parts of Wales and the Lake District.