noun
- a rapid flow of mud and rock debris down the slope of a volcano, typically caused by heavy rain, melting snow, or an eruption
Usage: geology; often used in volcanology and disaster management contexts
Examples
- The volcanic lahar destroyed several villages at the base of the mountain.
- Scientists monitor lahars closely during the rainy season near active volcanoes.
- A lahar can travel at speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour down a volcano's slope.
- The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo generated massive lahars that buried entire towns.
- Heavy rainfall triggered a lahar that swept through the valley below the volcano.