Debris flows are common in volcanic regions because of the following volcanic features:
- Tephra is usually fairly loose unconsolidated material with low material strength
- Composite volcanoes have high, ~steeply sloped topography
- Abundant water is common around volcano summits because:
- Summit craters may contain lakes
- Geothermal heat rising from volcanoes melts snow caps at summits
- Volcanic ash clouds often generate rainstorms
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