Distinguishing between debris flows and hyperconcentrated flows: an example from the eastern Swiss Alps

Abstract Much research has been done on water‐rich mass flows, but the distinction between hyperconcentrated flows and debris flows, and whether the two are indeed different processes, continue to be debated. Here, we contribute to the ongoing discussion of these phenomena by describing and interpreting the deposit of a large landslide‐induced mass flow in the eastern Swiss Alps. About 9400 years ago, 10‐12 km 3 of limestone detached from the wall of the Vorderrhein River valley and rapidly fragmented while sliding towards the valley bottom. The rock mass struck the valley floor with enormous force and liquefied at least 1 km 3 of valley‐fill sediments. A slurry of liquefied sediment – the ‘Bonaduz gravel’ – traveled tens of kilometres down the Vorderrhein valley from the impact site, carrying huge fragments of rockslide debris that became stranded on the valley floor, forming hills termed ‘tomas’. Part of the flow was deflected by a cross‐valley barrier and traveled 14 km up a tributary of the Vorderrhein valley. The Bonaduz gravel is >65 m thick and fines upward from massive sandy cobble gravel at its base to silty sand at its top. Sedimentologic and geomorphic evidence indicates that Bonaduz gravel was transported as a hyperconcentated flow, likely above a basal carpet of coarse diamictic sediment that behaved as a debris flow. The large amount of water involved in the flow indicates that at least part of the Flims rockslide entered a lake. The Bonaduz deposit shares many properties with sediments left by hyperconcentrated flows generated in flumes, including normal grading and elutriation pipes produced by the rapid escape of fluids when the flow comes to rest. These properties are characteristic of non‐Newtonian laminar flows with high sediment concentrations. Our study reinforces laboratory and theoretical studies showing that debris flows and hyperconcentrated flows are different processes. © 2017 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.