This website is the digital version of the 2014 National Climate Assessment, produced in collaboration with the U.S. Global Change Research Program. For the official version, please refer to the PDF in the downloads section.
Lahars move rapidly down valleys like rivers of concrete. If you are on the floor of a valley that leads from a volcano and become aware of an oncoming lahar, seek high ground. Lahar is an Indonesian term that describes a hot or cold mixture of water and rock fragments that flows down the slopes of a volcano and typically enters a river valley.
Scott Briasco, of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Powerâs EV program, said that more than half of the 20,000 plug-in EVs in the utilityâs service area are charging this way. It isnât fast. Most cars charge at the rate of about 4 to 5 miles of range per hour. So, a mid-range vehicle like the Chevy Volt, with an all-electric range of 50 miles or so, will take 10 hours to completely recharge its battery. This kind of charging is relatively inexpensive and requires no special equipment.