Articles | Volume 12, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1193-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-12-1193-2024
Research article
 | 
22 Oct 2024
Research article |  | 22 Oct 2024

Modeling the formation of toma hills based on fluid dynamics with a modified Voellmy rheology

Stefan Hergarten

Data sets

Formation of toma hills Stefan Hergarten https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13143283

Model code and software

MinVoellmy Stefan Hergarten http://hergarten.at/minvoellmy

Video supplement

Formation of toma hills Stefan Hergarten http://hergarten.at/minvoellmy/tomahills

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Short summary
Toma hills are relatively isolated hills found in the deposits of rock avalanches, and their origin is still enigmatic. This paper presents the results of numerical simulations based on a modified version of a friction law that was originally introduced for snow avalanches. The model produces more or less isolated hills (which look much like toma hills) on the valley floor. The results provide, perhaps, the first explanation of the occurrence of toma hills based on a numerical model.