Understanding high‐magnitude outburst floods

High‐magnitude outburst floods are ‘catastrophic’ geological agents, transforming landscapes through erosion and deposition within a matter of hours. Landform records of high‐magnitude outburst floods can be preserved which can help us reconstruct their hydraulic properties. It is important to understand these properties, as high‐magnitude floods not only drastically alter landscapes over very short time‐scales, but also provide sudden and abrupt inputs of water and sediment to oceans. They pose a world‐wide hazard to people, livestock, property and infrastructure. In this article we examine methods by which it is possible to reconstruct, and gain a better understanding of, high‐magnitude flood processes and mechanisms.