Morphometric Features of Debris Flow Basins of the Mountains of the Russian Subarctic’s European Sector

We calculated the morphometric features of the debris flow basins of the key mountain massifs of the Russian Subarctic’s European sector (the Monchetundra, the Chunatundra, the Volchyi Tundry, the Khibiny, the Lovozerskiye Tundry on the Kola Peninsula and the Ochenyrd Ridge, the Lyadkhe mountain massif, the Nyarmynkhoi Ridge, the Enganepe Ridge, the Malyi Paypudinskii Ridge, the Bolshoi Paypudinskii Ridge and the Kharbeyskii Ridge on the Polar Ural) by means of GIS. We obtained a data on (a) the different order basins watershed area, height, and mean surface slope, (b) talwegs’ length, altitude position and slope, (c) young and ancient accumulation zones area and range of removal of debris flow deposits beyond the limits of mountain massifs. Comparison of basins of different orders in key areas allowed to identify the most typical conditions for debris flow formation in the mountains of the European sector of the Russian Subarctic. Debris flow form in watersheds of the first order (according to Straller–Filosofov) with an area of 0.6 to 3.2 km² and of the second order with an area of 10 to 12 km². The most typical slope values of mudflow thalwegs of the first order are from 90 to 330‰, of the second order from 45 to 100‰. The most typical altitude level of debris flow formation is from 400 to 800 m. In the basins of the first order, the areas of young debris flow accumulation as a rule, are up to 0.08–0.15 km², the areas of ancient debris flow accumulation are up to 0.2– 0.4 km². In the basins of the second order, the areas of young debris flow accumulation are up to 0.1–0.3 km²; of ancient—up to 0.2–1.0 km². The range of removal of both young and ancient debris flow deposits beyond the boundaries of mountain massifs is up to 0.8–1.3 km.

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