Large-volume lahars are significant hazards at ice and snow covered volcanoes. Hot eruptive products produced during explosive eruptions can generate a substantial volume of melt water that quickly evolves into highly mobile flows of ice, sediment and water. At present it is difficult to predict the size of lahars that can form at ice and snow covered volcanoes due to their complex flow character and behaviour. However, advances in experiments and numerical approaches are producing new conceptual models and new methods for hazard assessment. Eruption triggered lahars that are ice-dominated leave behind thin, almost unrecognizable sedimentary deposits, making them likely to be under-represented in the geological record.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2014 |
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Title | Water, ice and mud: Lahars and lahar hazards at ice- and snow-clad volcanoes |
DOI | 10.1111/gto.12035 |
Authors | Christopher F. Waythomas |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Geology Today |
Index ID | 70175509 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Volcano Hazards Program; Volcano Science Center |