Modeling Debris Flow Events in the Rio Inferno Watershed (Italy) Through UAV-Based Geomorphological Survey and Rainfall Data Analysis

Turbessi, Laura; Taboni, Battista; Umili, Gessica; Fubelli, Giandomenico; Ferrero, Anna Maria

doi:10.3390/s25071980

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Debris Flow Events in the Rio Inferno Watershed (Italy) Through UAV-Based Geomorphological Survey and Rainfall Data Analysis

by

Laura Turbessi

^*

,

Battista Taboni

,

Gessica Umili

,

Giandomenico Fubelli

and

Anna Maria Ferrero

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Turin, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Sensors 2025, 25(7), 1980; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25071980

Submission received: 17 February 2025 / Revised: 19 March 2025 / Accepted: 20 March 2025 / Published: 22 March 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Sensors for Monitoring and Detection in Geotechnical Engineering)

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Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the debris flow phenomena in the Rio Inferno watershed (Municipality of Cesana Torinese, Western Alps, Italy). The annual frequency and magnitude of these events have caused significant damage to the viability of the historic Chaberton Military Road, which is now closed to transit. This study delved into the processes governing debris flows in the Rio Inferno watershed through detailed geomorphological analysis, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetric survey, and the elaboration of rainfall data from the nearby weather monitoring stations. The Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) code was used to simulate debris flow events considering critical precipitations associated with return periods of 20, 50, 100, and 200 years, based on the highly detailed topographical model obtained by means of photogrammetry. The paper highlights the importance of studying debris flow phenomena to implement effective risk mitigation and management strategies, especially in the context of climate change and the increased vulnerability of mountain territories.

Keywords: debris flow; Rio Inferno; Mt. Chaberton; photogrammetric survey; HEC-RAS

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MDPI and ACS Style

Turbessi, L.; Taboni, B.; Umili, G.; Fubelli, G.; Ferrero, A.M. Modeling Debris Flow Events in the Rio Inferno Watershed (Italy) Through UAV-Based Geomorphological Survey and Rainfall Data Analysis. Sensors 2025, 25, 1980. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25071980

AMA Style

Turbessi L, Taboni B, Umili G, Fubelli G, Ferrero AM. Modeling Debris Flow Events in the Rio Inferno Watershed (Italy) Through UAV-Based Geomorphological Survey and Rainfall Data Analysis. Sensors. 2025; 25(7):1980. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25071980

Chicago/Turabian Style

Turbessi, Laura, Battista Taboni, Gessica Umili, Giandomenico Fubelli, and Anna Maria Ferrero. 2025. "Modeling Debris Flow Events in the Rio Inferno Watershed (Italy) Through UAV-Based Geomorphological Survey and Rainfall Data Analysis" Sensors 25, no. 7: 1980. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25071980

APA Style

Turbessi, L., Taboni, B., Umili, G., Fubelli, G., & Ferrero, A. M. (2025). Modeling Debris Flow Events in the Rio Inferno Watershed (Italy) Through UAV-Based Geomorphological Survey and Rainfall Data Analysis. Sensors, 25(7), 1980. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25071980

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Modeling Debris Flow Events in the Rio Inferno Watershed (Italy) Through UAV-Based Geomorphological Survey and Rainfall Data Analysis

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