Geologic Publications for Mount Rainier

Characterizing surges from a debris flow induced by a glacial outburst flood at Mount Rainier, USA

[ back to previous page ]

Author(s): Avery E. Conner, Katie M. Biegel, Amanda M. Thomas, Weston A. Thelen, Alexandra M. Iezzi, Kate E. Allstadt, Elaine A. Collins, Scott R. Beason, Claire E. Todd

Category: PRESENTATION
Document Type:
Publisher: Environmental Seismology - Seismological Society of America - 14-18 October 2025 Denver CO
Published Year: 2025
Volume:
Number:
Pages:
DOI Identifier:
ISBN Identifier:
Keywords:

Abstract:
On 15 August 2023, a small debris flow occurred in Tahoma Creek on the southwest side of Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington, USA. The debris flow originated from an outburst flood from the South Tahoma Glacier. Multiple instruments installed in the Tahoma Creek drainage recorded evidence of the debris flow, including nodal and broadband seismometers, infrasound sensors, a laser rangefinder located about 3.4 km downstream of the glacier, and a timelapse camera that captured images of the glacier terminus. In particular, nodal seismometers with a sampling rate of 500 Hz were deployed roughly every 350 m along approximately 2 km of the stream. After initiation of the debris flow, we find evidence in the seismic data of at least three debris flow surges due to either additional small outbursts from the glacier or the debris flow separating into multiple surge fronts caused by wave development from flow instability. Though the arrivals of the surge fronts are often obscured by higher-frequency signals contributed by the full debris flow, we find that the surges can be tracked as they travel downstream. From the seismic data, we are able to approximate where and when the surges merged or separated from the main flow and estimate the flow velocity of each surge front. As the fronts of debris flows generally contain the largest and most damaging materials in the flow, each surge front increases the hazard associated with an event. The dense instrumentation in the Tahoma Creek drainage allows for an in-depth analysis of the evolution of debris flow surges, providing information on how similar debris flows may behave in the future and contributing to the overall understanding of how debris flows evolve over time.

View Report:
Sorry, no PDF is available - Contact Scott to get a copy

Suggested Citations:
In Text Citation:
Conner and others (2025) or (Conner et al., 2025)

References Citation:
Conner, A.E., K.M. Biegel, A.M. Thomas, W.A. Thelen, A.M. Iezzi, K.E. Allstadt, E.A. Collins, S.R. Beason, and C.E. Todd, 2025, Characterizing surges from a debris flow induced by a glacial outburst flood at Mount Rainier, USA: Environmental Seismology - Seismological Society of America - 14-18 October 2025 Denver CO,