Previously undiscovered landslide deposits in Harrison Lake, British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

A bathymetric survey of Harrison Lake in southwest British Columbia revealed deposits of three large landslides on the lake floor. The blocky and flow-like surface morphology of the deposits suggests rapid emplacement from subaerial sources. The multibeam survey, together with a subbottom acoustic survey, allowed us to estimate deposit volumes of 2.4 Mm3, 1.3 Mm3, and 0.2 Mm3 for the Mount Douglas, Mount Breakenridge, and Silver Mountain landslides, respectively. The large volumes and inferred rapid emplacement of the Mount Douglas and Mount Breakenridge landslides suggest they were tsunamigenic. Because people live along the shoreline of Harrison Lake, our discovery and characterization of these landslide deposits and their tsunami-generating potential form an important foundation for further landslide-tsunami hazard analysis in the region.