Post-wildfire erosion rates and triggering of debris flows: A case study in Susa Valley (Bussoleno)

Post-wildfire erosion rates can increase by more than 20 times, significantly raising the risk of debris flows and floods. A study in Susa Valley, Italy, applied a modified version of the RUSLE model on GIS to quantify these changes, leveraging high-resolution rainfall data and field surveys. The research found that the Erodibility Index (EI), monthly soil loss (A), and sediment loss (SL) all rose dramatically post-fire, with the highest erosion occurring in April, May, and June. This surge is attributed to a more than one-order magnitude increase in the Erodibility Index compared to pre-fire conditions. The findings highlight the severe impact of wildfires on geological hazards in Alpine regions, where such events are not typically expected.

Mandrone, G., Vacha, D., & Chicco, J. (2023). Post-wildfire erosion rates and triggering of debris flows: A case study in Susa Valley (Bussoleno). E3S Web of Conferences, 415, 4009. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202341504009