Natural Hazards and Earth System Science www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net 1561-8633 1684-9981 10 3 2010 10.5194/nhess-10-571-2010 http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/571/2010/ http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/571/2010/nhess-10-571-2010.html http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/10/571/2010/nhess-10-571-2010.pdf 571 580 2010-03-26 Recent changes in rainfall characteristics and their influence on thresholds for debris flow triggering in the Dolomitic area of Cortina d'Ampezzo, north-eastern Italian Alps M. Floris mario.floris@unipd.it A. D'Alpaos C. Squarzoni R. Genevois M. Marani Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy Department IMAGE, University of Padova, Padova, Italy In this paper, we examine variations in climate characteristics near the area of Cortina d'Ampezzo (Dolomites, Eastern Italian Alps), with particular reference to the possible implications for debris-flow occurrence. The study area is prone to debris-flow release in response to summer high-intensity short-duration rainfalls and, therefore, it is of the utmost importance to investigate the potential increase in debris-flow triggering rainfall events. The critical rainfall threshold is agreed to be a crucial triggering factor for debris-flows. Data from a monitoring system, placed in a catchment near Cortina (Acquabona), show that debris-flows were triggered by rainfalls with peak rainfall intensities ranging from 4.9 to 17.4 mm/10 min. <br><br> The analyses of meteorological data, collected from 1921 to 1994 at several stations in the study area, show a negative trend of annual rainfall, a considerable variation in the monthly rainfall distribution, and an increase in the temperature range, possibly related to global climate changes. Moreover, high-intensity and short-duration rainfall events, derived from data collected from 1990 and 2008, show an increase in exceptional rainfall events. 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