A blog about science stuff from the Philippines and around the world
In December last year, two typhoons hit the Philippines: Urduja (international: Kai-Tak) and Vinta (international: Tembin). Both weren't particularly strong typhoons (at least from what we experience in the Philippines); Urduja peaked at Category 1 and Vinta as a Tropical Storm in the Saffir-Simpson Scale. What made the two typhoons deadly were the excessive rainfall... Continue Reading →
Last time, I mentioned that what hit Mocoa, Colombia were not floods or mudflows, but debris flows. But what exactly is a "debris flow?" This term isn't very well-known, at least in popular usage. Indeed, numerous reports describe the Mocoa tragedy as caused by either a mudflow, mudslide, or a landslide (which is technically correct,... Continue Reading →
A little over a month ago, heavy and sustained rainfall in Mocoa, Colombia triggered deadly landslides and debris flows, claiming more than 300 lives. Post-event analysis by scientists from GFZ Potsdam show that more than 600 landslides occurred within the watersheds next to town. The mixture of soil, rocks and debris from the landslides mixed with water... Continue Reading →
