Dr. Dieter Rickenmann

Function

Senior Scientist

Mountain Hydrology and Mass Movements

Torrents and Mass Movements

Contact

dieter.rickenmann(at)wslto make life hard for spam bots.ch

+41 44 739 24 29+41 44 739 24 29

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
Zürcherstrasse 111
8903 Birmensdorf

Site

Birmensdorf Bi LG E 07

Education / Degrees

Univ. Professor, Institute of Mountain Risk Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences BOKU, Vienna, Austria (2002-2009)

Dr. sc. techn., Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), Switzerland (1991)

Diploma degree in Civil Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), Switzerland (1984)

Research interests

Sediment transport in mountain streams

Sediment transport and erosion processes in steep streams (torrents). Modelling of sediment transfer and aggradation/degradation processes in torrents and mountain rivers. Morphology of mountain streams. Measuring techniques of bedload transport.

Hydraulics of mountain streams
Flow resistance in mountain streams and torrents.

Debris flows
Dynamics of flow behavior and deposition. Empirical approaches for hazard assessment.

Hazard assessment related to sediment transfer processes in mountain streams
Procedures for hazard assessment of sediment transporting flood events and debris flows. Sediment transfer processes during flood events in mountain catchments. Evaluation of protection measures against sediment disasters.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

Using different sensor types to improve the signal interpretation

Indirect bedload transport measurements help to better understand how coarse solid particles are transported in steep streams (torrents) and mountain rivers. We use three different sensor types to improve the signal interpretation: geophone, accelerometer, and microphone.

SedSlope

This project aims at assessing the contribution of sediment erosion from steep slopes adjacent to channel beds to the sediment transport in small catchments.

The Swiss plate geophone system

This project aims to further develop the Swiss plate geophone system, a passive seismic method to measure bedload transport in water courses, with a new set of controlled experiments and field calibration measurements.

WOODFLOW

Wood in rivers fulfills important ecological functions. However, in case of flood events large wood may become a considerable source of danger. The aim of the research program WoodFlow is to better understand large wood dynamics in order to minimize associated risks.

Publications WSL

Scientific publication article peer reviewed

Smith, H.E.J.; Monsalve, A.D.; Turowski, J.M.; Rickenmann, D.; Yager, E.M., 2023: Controls of local grain size distribution, bed structure and flow conditions on sediment mobility. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, doi: 10.1002/esp.5599

Heiser, M.; Schlögl, M.; Spangl, B.; Fuchs, S.; Rickenmann, D.; Zimmermann, M.; Scheidl, C., 2023: Repose time patterns of debris-flow events in alpine catchments. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 48, 5: 1034-1051. doi: 10.1002/esp.5533

Rickenmann, D.; Ammann, L.; Nicollier, T.; Boss, S.; Fritschi, B.; Antoniazza, G.; Steeb, N.; Chen, Z.; Wyss, C.; Badoux, A., 2022: Comparison of calibration characteristics of different acoustic impact systems for measuring bedload transport in mountain streams. Earth Surface Dynamics, 10, 6: 1165-1183. doi: 10.5194/esurf-10-1165-2022

Nicollier, T.; Antoniazza, G.; Ammann, L.; Rickenmann, D.; Kirchner, J.W., 2022: Toward a general calibration of the Swiss plate geophone system for fractional bedload transport. Earth Surface Dynamics, 10, 5: 929-951. doi: 10.5194/esurf-10-929-2022

Chen, Z.; He, S.; Nicollier, T.; Ammann, L.; Badoux, A.; Rickenmann, D., 2022: Finite element modelling of the Swiss plate geophone bedload monitoring system. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 60, 5: 792-810. doi: 10.1080/00221686.2022.2059585

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Further scientific publications

Saritas, F.; Staehli, S.; Ammann, L.; Rickenmann, D.; Custer, R.; Suter, S., 2022: Using acoustic signal to predict grain size of bedload particles. In: 2022: 2022 9th Swiss conference on data science (SDS). Proceedings. 2022 9th Swiss conference on data science (SDS), Lucerne. 59-64. doi: 10.1109/SDS54800.2022.00017

Steeb, N.; Badoux, A.; Boes, R.M.; Gasser, E.; Rickenmann, D.; Rickli, C.; Ruiz-Villanueva, V.; Schalko, I.; Schmocker, L.; Schwarz, M.; Stoffel, M.; Weitbrecht, V., 2021: WoodFlow project - large wood management in rivers. In: Beyer Portner, N. (eds), 2021: 14th congress INTERPRAEVENT 2021. Natural hazards in a changing world. 14th congress INTERPRAEVENT 2021, Bergen, Norway. 275-283.

Rickenmann, D.; Nicollier, T.; Boss, S.; Badoux, A., 2020: Four years of bedload transport measurements in the Swiss Mountain River Albula. In: Uijttewaal, W.; Franca, M.J.; Valero, D.; Chavarrias, V.; Ylla Arbós, C.; Schielen, R.; Crosato, A. (eds), 2020: River flow 2020. Proceedings of the 10th conference on fluvial hydraulics. River flow 2020, Delft, Netherlands. 1749-1755. doi: 10.1201/b22619-245

Nicollier, T.; Rickenmann, D.; Boss, S.; Travaglini, E.; Hartlieb, A., 2020: Calibration of the Swiss plate geophone system at the Zinal field site with direct bedload samples and results from controlled flume experiments. In: Uijttewaal, W.; Franca, M.J.; Valero, D.; Chavarrias, V.; Ylla Arbós, C.; Schielen, R.; Crosato, A. (eds), 2020: River flow 2020. Proceedings of the 10th conference on fluvial hydraulics. River flow 2020, Delft, Netherlands. 901-909. doi: 10.1201/b22619-127

Nicollier, T.; Rickenmann, D.; Hartlieb, A., 2019: Field calibration of the Swiss plate geophone system at the Albula stream and comparison with controlled flume experiments. In: 2019: SEDHYD 2019, Reno, NV. 8 pp..

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Magazine article and brochures

Rickenmann, D.; Badoux, A., 2018: Gefahrenbeurteilungen von Wildbächen in der Schweiz - quo vadis? Standortbestimmung und kurzer Ausblick. FAN Agenda, Fachleute Naturgefahren Schweiz, 25-30.

Badoux, A.; Rickenmann, D., 2018: Geschiebetransport: Beobachten, Messen, Berechnen. Ingenieurbiologie: Mitteilungsblatt, 29-38.

Raymond Pralong, M.; Rickenmann, D.; Schneider, T., 2018: Vergleich dreier numerischer Simulationsmodelle für Murgänge: Anwendung auf Wildbachkegel im Kanton Wallis. Wasser, Energie, Luft, 110, 1: 43-52.

Steeb, N.; Kuratli, B.; Rickli, C.; Badoux, A.; Rickenman, D., 2017: GIS-Modellierung des Schwemmholzpotentials in alpinen Einzugsgebieten. FAN Agenda, Fachleute Naturgefahren Schweiz, 9-12.

Raymond Pralong, M.; Heimann, F.; Rickenmann, D.; Badoux, A., 2014: L'outil de simulations de transport de sédiments sedFlow et son application à deux rivières torrentielles en Suisse. FAN Agenda, Fachleute Naturgefahren Schweiz, 3-6.

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Teaching

ETH Zürich, Switzerland: Management of Hillslope and Channel Processes (Master course)

Projects and supervision of PhD theses

Project "Evaluation of a sediment routing model in steep torrent channels" (Austrian Science Foundation, 2005 - 2008)
Project "Analysis of runout prediction methods for debris flows" (Austrian Science Foundation, 2006 - 2009)
Project "Long-term bedload monitoring" (supported by hydrologic experimental catchment research of WSL)<br/>
Project "Bedload transport and roughness of Alpine mountain streams" (Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, 2007 - 2011)
Project "APUNCH - Hydrological extremes and sediment transport" (ETH<br/>Competence Centre for Environment and Sustainability, 2008 - 2012)
Project "Climate change effects on sediment delivery to hydropower sites" (canton of Valais, 2009 - 2011)
Project "Sediment transport in steep streams" (Swiss National Science Foundation, 2009 - 2011)<br/>
Project "SEDRIVER – Effects of climate change on mountain streams" (Swiss National Science Foundation, NRP 61 programme, 2010 - 2013)
Project “Sediment Transport in Mountain Streams during flood events” (Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, 2011-2014)
Project “Sediment Transport Measurements with Geophone Sensors” (Swiss National Science Foundation, 2012-2015).