Influence of Flow Width on Mean Velocity of Debris Flows in Wide Open Channel

Abstract

Debris flow in a wide open downstream channel has a significant transverse velocity component that strongly influences its mean longitudinal velocity. Investigation of observation data of debris-flow surges at Jiangjia Ravine in China shows the dependency of Manning resistance of debris flows on the ratio of flow width to depth. Regression fit reveals a power function relationship between the Manning resistance coefficient and the width-to-depth ratio. This derives a new formula of mean velocity incorporating the influence of flow width. The result indicates that the width-to-depth ratio can be viewed as a kind of shape roughness analogous to grain roughness in the Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient expression.