The principal difference between a debris flow and a mudflow is ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The principal difference between a debris flow and a mudflow is the grain size of the moving mass. A debris flow consists of a mixture of soil, rock fragments, and water, with the grain size of the particles typically ranging from sand to boulder-size. In contrast, a mudflow is composed of fine-grained sediment such as silt and clay, which can be easily transported by water, and can mix with other substances such as ash or soil to form a slurry. The shape of the path taken by the moving mass is not a reliable indicator of the type of flow, and neither does a debris flow necessarily contain abundant water or pyroclastic debris from a volcanic eruption.

The Principal Difference Between a Debris Flow and a Mudflow