Lahars
Lahars are volcanic mudslides. Lahars are created during an eruption, when ice and snow melts from the extreme heat, and carries ash and debris with it. Lahars are extremely destructive and destroy homes, man-made structures and many forestlands. Lahars can be dangerous for many, many years. After a lahar, some dust particles and debris could be left behind. After a rainfall, the debris and dust particles could form another lahar that would destroy towns and cities. With our irrigation system, we would lessen the damage of lahars and protect homes, man-made structures, cities, towns and forestlands.
Innovation
In this year’s theme, Nature’s Fury, there are three parts, prepare, stay safe, and rebuild. We target both stay safe and rebuild with an irrigation system used to divert a major problem that happened in the previous Mt. St. Helens (Washington USA) eruption - the creation of mudslides, or lahars. Lahars are created when the snow and ice on the volcano melts, because of extreme heat, and as it flows down the mountain, it carries ash and debris with it. Our irrigation system is a series of canals that will divert the lahars to large underground compartments that hold the mud. When the volcanic eruption is over, the lahar can be used to make pottery which would be sold to make money that could go into helping volcano research.
* Photos: USGS & Vulcabotz
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