Good God! Hat tip to the American Geophysical Union's excellent Landslide Blog:
Something to remember - there is very little water in motion here. This is all loose rock and gravel that has been fluidized by its movement down the ravine. It captures air and this provides enough lubrication that the slide acts like a liquid and can travel great distances at great speeds. Notice the carrying capacity - huge boulders are being carried along without any seeming effort.
This is very similar to a volcanic lahar - one of the dangers of living on the slopes of an active volcano... (video of three Japanese lahars)
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