But Paul Kennard of Mt. Rainier National Park said that there is historic precedent for hugely destructive flows that coursed 30 to 40 miles down local waterways. If such an event happened today it could devastate the town of Orting, Wash. and even threaten the rapidly developing outskirts of the city of Tacoma. "These sorts of flows can happen without a volcanic eruption," Kennard said. "There are probably tens of thousands of people living directly along the rivers the drain Rainier. Potentially up to 200,000 people could be affected." Inside the park, Kennard said that debris flows have raised a portion of the Nisqually River bed 38 feet since 1910. It's is an extreme exampling of river infilling, but the process has made what was once a 100-year flood far more common: They now occur every 14 years. The Carbon, White and Puyallup Rivers are also infilling steadily, increasing the flood risks to populated areas downstream. Related Links: Go to Discovery Earth for slide shows, quizzes, interviews and more. |
advertisement
Put Discovery News on Your Site!
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
