Glacier collapse behind Nepal flood highlights region’s climate risk
Similar events are becoming more frequent as global warming accelerates the ongoing thaw in the Himalayas.
Scientists are attributing a recent flash flood that claimed at least 350 lives and left many others missing near Nepal's border with China to a massive glacier collapse and accompanying rock landslide. The disaster, which occurred in a mountainous region increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of human-induced climate change, appears to have been triggered when a substantial portion of a glacier detached and fell after the underlying bedrock gave way.
This event generated seismic waves akin to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake, according to assessments from the U.S. Geological Survey. The subsequent movement of ice and rocks likely obstructed the Lhende Khola river, leading to rapid water accumulation and the eventual surge downstream. Simon Allen, a research associate at the University of Zurich specializing in glacial hazards in the Himalayas, confirmed the occurrence of a significant ice avalanche comprising both ice and rock, which transitioned from a solid state to a fluid-like substance, ultimately resulting in the catastrophic flood.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
