Why are Mudflows Dangerous?

1. What conditions might cause mud to flow?

The angle of a hillside, the bigger the slope the more destructive the flow will be.

2. What conclusion can you draw from the two images?

Based on the picture the larger the slope slid down the board and the 30 degree didn't slide at all.

3. List at least two ways you could make the mud slide off the 30° slide plane without changing the plane's angle.
One way is by adding water, in real life a hurricane (they bring a lot of water) could cause a mudslide to flow. Another way is by shaking, like an earthquake.

4. What conditions in nature would be represented by the answers you gave for question 3?

A hurricane, they bring a lot of water and bad conditions, causing the ground to become unstable. There is also an earthquake. The earthquake shakes the ground and where there is unstable soil the ground becomes weak and a mudflow happens.

5. List at least two factors that contribute to the formation of mudflows on volcanoes.

Earthquakes, because they shake the earth and cause unpacked soil to loosen and volcanoes because of the ash.

6. How might forest fires affect an area's potential for experiencing mudflows?

The ash left over from a fire isn't packed into the ground so, with an earthquake or a lot of rain it could easily turn into a mudflow.

7. Hypothesize about how mudflows could change the topography of an area after a fire.

Mudflows could change the topography of land in many ways. One it wipes everything away in it's path and can add layers, like in the movie were they found a forest buried. There can be a whole new land scape.

8. What human activities strip soil of its protective vegetation and increase its vulnerability to mudflows?

When people build roads or plow land land on unstable soil that can cause irritation and shake an already unstable place. Another thing is building homes on mountains we're the soil could easily turn into a mudslide.

	9. Write a paragraph describing the conditions that cause dangerous mudflows. Include the types of locations where mudslides are most likely to occur.

Earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanoes are mainly he causes of mudflows. The types of locations would be places like the Cascades, shown in the movie, or Glenwood Springs, Colorado, because of their environment, because when they have rain the they have mudflows. Another location would be Mount Rainier, even though it's not active it still spews lava and can be dangerous.