Susceptibility analysis of large-scale debris flows based on combination weighting and extension methods

Susceptibility is an important issue in debris flow analysis. In this paper, 26 large-scale debris flow catchments located in the Wudongde Dam site were investigated. Seven major factors, namely, loose material volume per square kilometer, loose material supply length ratio, average gradient of the main channel, average hill slope, drainage density, curvature of the main channel, and poor vegetation area ratio, were selected for debris flow susceptibility analysis. Geographic information system, global positioning system, and remote sensing, collectively known as 3S technologies, were used to determine major factors. Weights of major factors affecting debris flow susceptibility were determined. This paper applied the combination weighting method, which considers both the preference of the engineers for major factors and the objective major factor information by using analytic hierarchy process and entropy method. Combination weights of major factors for the investigated 26 debris flow catchments are 0.20, 0.12, 0.20, 0.10, 0.08, 0.19, and 0.11, respectively. Combination weights follow the order of loose material volume per square kilometer = average gradient of the main channel > curvature of the main channel > loose material supply length ratio > poor vegetation area ratio > average hill slope > drainage density. This paper applied extension theory, which is used to solve incompatibility and contradiction problems, to determine susceptibility. Susceptibility results show that the susceptibility of 4 debris flow catchments are very low, 13 are low, 8 are moderate, and 1 is high. Assessment results exhibit consistency with the activity analysis. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013