Copyright Information: All images are in the public domain and available for free. If you use this image, credit NOAA/NGDC, J. Scheidt, Bureau of Land Management. |
The photograph shows the results of debris flows that blocked Interstate 70 during Labor Day weekend, September, 1994. A very hot and fast-moving wildfire in July denuded the slopes of vegetation. An intense rain storm generated debris flows from material on the burned hill slopes and in the channels between hills. Thirty cars were swept into the Colorado River, but no one was hurt. Interstate traffic was disrupted for a day. This caused serious delays for emergency vehicles and hospital access, as Interstate 70 was the only rapid access route through this part of the Rockies. The Interstate 70 corridor through the Rocky Mountains experiences numerous problems from landslides, debris flows, and rockfalls. Image Credit: J. Scheidt. Bureau of Land Management The slopes above streams and rivers are subjected to a variety of processes that cause them to recede and retreat from the river or stream channel. These processes, collectively called mass wasting, can be classified according to rapidity of movement and according to the type of materials that are transported. |
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