Aerial view of the lower Puyallup River valley near the confluence of
the Puyallup (right) and Carbon (left) rivers immediately downstream of Orting,
Washington. About 500 years ago, a large landslide on the west flank of Mount
Rainier quickly transformed into a lahar and swept through this part of the Puyallup
River valley, located about 50 km from the volcano. Orting and other communities
were built on the resulting lahar deposit. Concern about future lahars
triggered either by eruptions or large landslides have recently led USGS
scientists and Washington State emergency-management officials to
explore an "automatic" lahar-detection system that could also provide
warning of an approaching lahar.
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