Les progrès de la connaissance et les méthodes d'étude des phénomènes torrentiels

Progress in knowledge and methods for studying torrential phenomena

Cemagref, Division Protection Contre l'Erosion, BP 76, 38402 St-Martin-d'Hères

Abstract

Torrential phenomena have been forgotten for a long period by fluid mechanics researchers ; as a result, practitioners solved torrential hydraulic problems with the fluvial hydraulic tools. This paper explains why some progress has been made since a decade, and then, presents a classification of torrential processes. This classification locates the different domains of torrential hydraulics in between the fields of slow mass movements and of fluvial hydraulics. For each domain, we describe then the specific torrential phenomena and the methods used to solve the corresponding problems. Last of all, we introduce the following papers of this journal, which deal with peculiar torrential problems.