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Assessment of hydro-geomorphological hazard potentials in the Chilean semiarid coastal range and its impacts on La Serena city, Coquimbo Region

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Abstract

Two micro-catchments, tributaries of the Elqui River in the coastal range of the semiarid central-northern Chile were analyzed to establish the hazard potentials associated with extreme rainfall and their effects on the urban area of La Serena city. Geomorphological mapping was performed identifying the morphological features associated with inherited and present-day processes, through photointerpretation and field work. To assess the geohazard potentials related to extreme precipitation events, a detailed terrain analysis was performed deriving topographic indices that in turn characterize the related process potentials. Extreme rainfall events were calculated with a decadal recurrence (>60 mm/day) and are subsequently associated with El Niño (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO warm phase) events. We applied a simple storm flow model using a 20-year return period reflecting a disastrous flood event that affected the La Serena urban area in June 2011. The results highlight the spatial distribution of the hazard potentials in the two Elqui tributaries and their effects on the La Serena urban area. We show that areas subject to intensive land use change and urban sprawl associated with the lower marine terrace and river mouth of the Elqui River are of very high flooding and tsunami risk.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by FONDECYT (National Fund for Science and Technology) projects 1120234 and 11130629. Special thanks to Giuliano Rodolfi, colleague and friend, who died in November 2015.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Chile, Portugal 084, Santiago, Chile

    María Victoria Soto & Pablo Sarricolea

  2. CITRID, Risk Reduction and Disaster Program, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    María Victoria Soto & Sergio Andres Sepúlveda

  3. Department of Geology, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Sergio Andres Sepúlveda

  4. Institute of Engineering Sciences, University of O´Higgins, Rancagua, Chile

    Sergio Andres Sepúlveda

  5. University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Giuliano Rodolfi

  6. Physical Geography Lab, Department of Geography, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Misael Cabello

  7. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy

    Michael Maerker

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  1. María Victoria Soto
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Correspondence to María Victoria Soto.

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Soto, M.V., Sarricolea, P., Sepúlveda, S.A. et al. Assessment of hydro-geomorphological hazard potentials in the Chilean semiarid coastal range and its impacts on La Serena city, Coquimbo Region. Nat Hazards 88, 431–452 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-017-2873-8

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