Ashley Bosa and a fellow researcher set up mudflow monitoring equipment in the shadow of Fuego Volcano in Guatemala.( Dr. Jeffrey Johnson)

An erupting volcano can be quite dramatic, as bright orange lava explodes from the cone and oozes down the sides of the mountain.

But volcanoes also spew out rocks and mud, which can turn into fast-moving mudslides known as lahars. While not as colorful as lava, lahars are quick and deadly — pouring thousands of tons of material with little or no warning for the people who live near them.

A Boise State professor and his team of students have been studying lahars in Guatemala and are working to create an early warning system for these catastrophic events.

Dr. Jeffery Johnson, a Professor of Geophysics along with Ph.D. candidate Ashley Bosa and Master's student Jerry Mock joins Idaho Matters to talk more about their research.