Kinematic wave theory for debris flows

In this paper we will show that, regardless of the cause of initiation, the subsequent behavior of debris flows can be described by a model similar to a model developed for the movement of floodwaves resulting from a dam-break. Thedam-break model by Hunt (1982), based on kinematic wave theory, applies at large distances downstream from a failed dam. We modify this model, originally developed for flow in wide rectangular channels, to account for flow in the narrow channels in which debris flows generally occur.