Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net 1023-5809 1607-7946 2 1 1995 10.5194/npg-2-1-1995 http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/2/1/1995/ http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/2/1/1995/npg-2-1-1995.html http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/2/1/1995/npg-2-1-1995.pdf 1 15 0000-00-00 Cellular automaton for realistic modelling of landslides E. Segre C. Deangeli Istituto di Cosmo-Geofisica del C.N.R., Torino, Italy Politecnico, Dipartimento di Georisorse e Territorio, Torino, Italy A numerical model is developed for the simulation of debris flow in landslides over a complex three dimensional topography. The model is then validated by comparing a simulation with reported field data. Our model is in fact a realistic elaboration of simpler "sandpile automata", which have in recent years been studied as supposedly paradigmatic of "self-organized criticality". Statistics and scaling properties of the simulation are examined, and show that the model has an intermittent behaviour.