Zuccarini, A. orcid.org/0000-0003-0477-5084, Vasu, N.N., Banks, V.J. et al. (3 more authors) (2025) PIV analysis of flow-type landslides under suboptimal image conditions. Landslides. ISSN 1612-510X
Abstract
The dynamics of flow-type landslides, including earthflows and debris flows, are still not fully understood, primarily due to the complexity of the physical processes that govern the flow and the challenges in acquiring direct field measurements. In modern monitoring stations, cameras represent cost-effective data sources, providing essential information for characterising documented reactivation events. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) algorithms have been extensively employed in the literature to reconstruct velocity fields and rheological behaviour of laboratory physical models under ideal conditions. However, the resolution of camera footage in the field typically falls short of being optimal due to lighting and weather conditions, as well as non-zenithal recording geometry, hindering a straightforward application of PIV. This study presents two primary sets of laboratory flume tests conducted to explore a broad range of recording conditions, bridging the gap between ideal laboratory settings and actual field acquisitions. The experiments enabled the evaluation of PIV performance for each image quality scenario, detailing and quantifying the main uncertainties as well as their impact on the resulting velocity fields while discussing underlying reasons and mitigation measures. The experimental results reveal that, with due adjustments, suboptimal-quality footage can be used to estimate the actual flow velocity field and infer the rheological behaviour of the flow. Furthermore, distortions related to non-zenithal perspectives can be reliably minimised through suitable orthorectification algorithms. These findings support the potential for broader application of the tested PIV-based methodological approach in field scenarios to investigate the dynamics of flow-type landslides.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 The Authors. Except as otherwise noted, this author-accepted version of a journal article published in Landslides is made available via the University of Sheffield Research Publications and Copyright Policy under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
Keywords: | Flume experiments; Particle image velocimetry (PIV); Flow velocity field; Flow-type landslides |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 24 Mar 2025 17:39 |
Last Modified: | 24 Mar 2025 17:39 |
Status: | Published online |
Publisher: | Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s10346-025-02498-8 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:224804 |