lahar

[ lah-hahr ]

noun

, Geology.

1. a landslide of wet volcanic debris on the side of a volcano.
2. the deposit left by such a landslide.

lahar

/ ˈlɑːhɑː /

noun

1. a landslide of volcanic debris mixed with water down the sides of a volcano, usually precipitated by heavy rainfall

lahar

/ lä′här′ /

1. A wet mass of volcanic fragments flowing rapidly downhill. Lahars usually contain ash, breccia, and boulders mixed with rainwater or with river or lake water displaced by the lava flow associated with the volcano.
2. The deposit produced by such a flowing mass.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lahar¹

1925–30; < Javanese: lahar, lava

Word History and Origins

Origin of lahar¹

C20: from Javanese: lava

Example Sentences

But often, a lahar occurs, which are large deposits of muddy debris that can fall away from a volcano with little warning.

From Seattle Times

Those mudslides are known as lahars in Indonesian, which translates to cold lava.

From New York Times

Cold lava, also known as lahar, is a mixture of volcanic material and pebbles that flow down a volcano’s slopes in the rain.

From Seattle Times

“It’s a race against time and it’s a matter of life and death but there’s also the danger of rockfalls and volcanic lahar.”

From Seattle Times

Some lahars move boulders of up to 33 feet in diameter.

From Scientific American