Slushflows at El Port del Comte, northeast Spain

Slushflows were first recorded in the Iberian Peninsula on 18 December 1997 Three slushflows were released at the ski resort of Fl Port del Comte, in the Catalan Pyrenees, northeast Spain, during intense rainfall. Two of the slushflows originated on the pistes, and the third affected another piste. Three ski lifts were damaged. This paper analyzes the hydrogeological chara cteristics of the massif, the geomorphic features of the terrain and the me teorological and snowpack conditions that caused the release of the slushfl ows. Man's role in triggering the slushflows by compacting snow on the pist es is also considered. Drainage control for reducing the hazard is outlined , taking into consideration the low frequency of the phenomenon.