Natural Hazards: Lahars

This week in GIS Applications, I delved into how GIS can be used to plan for environmental hazards. The primary focus this week was on Lahar. What are Lahars? Lahor are volcanic debris flow consisting of ash, soil, breccia, boulders, water which can be with cold or hot, traveling through natural ravines and river ways.

Mount Hood in Oregon is the study area for this week's lab. With focus on the study area, hydrology analysis was conducted to define/identify:

• the river ways (flow direction) that will channel the Lahar
• identify local population that will be impacted by the Lahar
• identify critical infrastructures in the path of or within the buffer of the Lahar e.g. Schools

Acting as a private consultant hired to identify potential inundation zones within Mount Hood, Oregon proximity, I used the Oregon school data to identify schools at risk of inundation and the 2010 Census data to conduct population analysis. I created a map that can be used by local and state officials for hazard planning and response, using ArcMap hydrology tool to determine the Lahar flow path via a mosaicked digital elevation model (DEM).

Mt. Hood Lahar Hazard Assessment