Combining traditional lahar simulations and multiple visualizations to make lahar hazards easier to understand at Mount Shasta, California
Abstract
Mount Shasta is one of California's eight watch list volcanoes, with a last confirmed eruption around 3,000 years ago. Many of its eruptions were accompanied by lahars created by hot pyroclastic material melting snow and ice, and lahars are among one of the most serious hazards on the volcano. However, the current hazard assessment (published in 1980) contains lahar hazard zone mapping based only on existing deposits, and lacks input from forward-looking models such as LAHARZ, a now standard lahar inundation forecasting software.
This new study uses a range of plausible lahar volumes (based on snow and ice volumes available to supply water) and 2010 Lidar elevation data to simulate eruption-derived lahar inundation limits with LAHARZ. The results are also processed to show travel times for a selection of lahar scenarios, and are accompanied by oblique visualizations to help orient users who might struggle with a plane view map. The final product will include not only simulation results but plain-language explanations of the modeling process and how the results should be interpreted. The goal is to make it easier for non-USGS stakeholders and the public to learn from, and adapt, modeling results for land-planning and safety decisions.- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFM.V33A..05B
- Keywords:
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- 3275 Uncertainty quantification;
- MATHEMATICAL GEOPHYSICS;
- 8419 Volcano monitoring;
- VOLCANOLOGY;
- 8488 Volcanic hazards and risks;
- VOLCANOLOGY;
- 8494 Instruments and techniques;
- VOLCANOLOGY