Collapsed glacier likely caused devastating Nepal-Tibet floods, scientists say

Scientists believe a collapsed glacier on the Nepal-Tibet border caused devastating floods, according to preliminary investigations. Initially, many thought an earthquake triggered a landslide, but the US Geological Survey later clarified that it was due to a glacial collapse. The impact of the disintegrating glacier registering a magnitude of 5.2, causing a wave of debris that generated a sudden surge in the Lende Khola, a tributary of the Bhote Koshi river.

This surge raised water levels by between seven and nine meters within 30 minutes, washing away several monitoring stations. Dr Simon Cook, a glacier expert, detected the glacier collapse near the Langtang Lirung peak in Nepal, estimating it occurred in a northwesterly direction and traveled westwards downstream. An analysis by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) suggests an ice-rock avalanche from a high-altitude area could have caused the collapse, leading to a large volume of ice and rock debris entering the Lende Khola.

Mike Searle, a professor of earth sciences at Oxford University, noted that the topography of the area, with its steep valleys, could have exacerbated the flood. The collapse of the glacier, which Searle described as very unusual, is believed to be a result of both tectonic uplift of the Himalayas and climate change-induced melting, both of which are causing increasing hazards in the region.