Lahar Detection

Active volcanoes are complex natural systems, and understanding a volcano's behaviors requires the attention of specialists from many science disciplines. It demands a combination of current knowledge about magma systems, tectonic plate motion, volcano deformation, earthquakes, gases, chemistry, volcano histories, processes, and hazards.

Lahars, along with debris flows and debris avalanches, are masses of rock, mud and water that travel rapidly downslope and downstream under the action of gravity.

The Cascades Volcano Observatory uses Acoustic Flow Monitors (AFMs) to detect lahars originating on Cascades volcanoes.