Quantifying the impact of earthquakes and geological factors on spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow prone areas: A case study in the Hengduan Mountains

Understanding the spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow-prone areas holds significant implications for regional risk management, particularly in seismically active regions with geological faults. Despite the significance of this knowledge, a comprehensive quantification of the influence of regional topographical and geological factors on the spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow-prone areas has been lacking. This study selected the Hengduan Mountains, an earthquake-prone region characterized by diverse surface conditions and complex landforms, as a representative study area. An improved units zoning and objective factors identification methodology was employed in earthquake and fault analysis to assess the impact of seismic activity and geological factors on spatial heterogeneity of debris-flow prone areas. Results showed that the application of GIS technology with hydrodynamic intensity and geographical units analysis can effectively analyze debris-flow prone areas. Meanwhile, earthquake and fault zones obviously increase the density of debris-flow prone catchments and make them unevenly distributed. The number of debris-flow prone areas shows a nonlinear variation with the gradual increase of geomorphic factor value. Specifically, the area with 1000 m–2500 m elevation difference, 25°–30° average slope, and 0.13–0.15 land use index is the most favorable conditions for debris-flow occurrence; The average annual rainfall from 600 to 1150 mm and landslides gradient from 16° to 35° are the main causal factors to trigger debris flow. Our study sheds light on the quantification of spatial heterogeneity in debris flow-prone areas in earthquake-prone regions, which can offer crucial support for post-debris flow risk management strategies.