Another Process Pattern: Outburst Floods

In contrast to floods, which are controlled by meteorological causes such as precipitation or snowmelt, lakes can empty suddenly and unexpectedly without warning or external signs. Depending on the volume of water released, extreme peak discharges can occur that exceed floods caused by precipitation by several orders of magnitude. Although reservoirs may be associated primarily with man-made dams, there are many forms of natural reservoirs whose abrupt emptying due to dam failure is referred to as a lake outburst.