Bidimensional model for the simulation of detritic flows: FLATModel. Application to a watershed in the Catalonian Pyrenees.

Abstract

A bidimensional model is presented that was developed in its entirety by GITS-UPC (Grupo de Investigación en Transporte de Sedimentos de la Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña [Sediment Transport Research Group-Polytechnic University of Catalonia]), based on Godunov's scheme for the assessment of the dynamic behavior of single-phase detritic flows; i.e., a flow generated by gravity in response to a hyperconcentrated mixture of water and solid material. The lack of knowledge of the phenomenon is centered in the rheology of this kind of mixtures; thus, the model has tried to gathers the ones used the most in the literature, and their application in the study cases. With the model known as FLATModel, some flows of events that have occurred in the Pyrenees have been simulated, one of which, occurred in the region know as Pirineo Axial, in the Riu del Cardemeller, in the locality of Pal, is presented here. The numerical model is designed to work with a Geographical Information System (GIS), with a structured rectangular mesh, which facilitates collecting information from the Cartographical Institute and introduce it in the hydrodynhamic model. It is important to note that the process was performed a posteriori and, therefore, the cartography used is post event.