lahar

la·har | \ ˈlä-ˌhär

How to pronounce lahar (audio)

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Definition of lahar

: a moving fluid mass composed of volcanic debris and water

Examples of lahar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The broad forested area in the foreground is underlain by many layers of volcanic deposits, chiefly lahars and pyroclastic flows generated from past eruptions of Mount St. Helens. — Mahita Gajanan, Time, "8 of the World’s Most Dangerous Volcanoes, According to Experts," 6 June 2018 Lava began flowing out of the volcano and down toward the mountain’s flank and across homes and roads around 4 p.m. Dramatic video showed a fast-moving lahar slamming into a bridge on a highway between Sacatepequez and Escuintla. — Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, "Guatemala volcano eruption kills at least 65, forces thousands to evacuate," 2 Oct. 2018 Seattle is probably safely out of reach of any future volcanic lahars, Moran said. — The Seattle Times, OregonLive.com, "Yes, Cascades volcanoes could blow -- but not like Hawaii's," 8 May 2018 A few days later, rainstorms caused lahars, or ashen mudslides, which damaged the areas further. — Lila Thulin, Smithsonian, "Riveting Footage Captures the Destruction of Last Year’s Volcanic Eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala," 6 Sep. 2019 Also of concern is the potential for what are known as lahars, or flows of debris. — Maya Wei-haas, Smithsonian, "Geology Makes the Mayon Volcano Visually Spectacular—And Dangerously Explosive," 19 Jan. 2018 The projected paths of lahars cover communities in the Stillaguamish and Skagit valleys. — Kari Bray, The Seattle Times, "‘Very high threat’ Snohomish County volcano may get new monitoring stations," 19 Aug. 2018 Orting is the town most vulnerable to lahar damage from Mount Rainier, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, "Hawaii volcano stokes fears of West Coast eruptions," 13 May 2018 Video showed lahar slamming into and partly destroying a highway bridge. — Carolina Gamazo And Kate Linthicum, latimes.com, "Rescuers frantically dig through ash after Guatemala volcano kills at least 62," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lahar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Lahar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lahar. Accessed 25 Feb. 2020.

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