Ice-rock avalanche triggered flash floods, not GLOF event: What Nepalese scientists' report reveals
As the Himalayan nation continues to reel from the aftermath of last week's flash floods, the death toll has now crossed the 900 mark.
The severe flash floods that ravaged Nepal and Tibet last week were not caused by a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) as initially suspected, according to a preliminary report by Nepalese scientists. The floods were triggered by an ice-rock avalanche, which began falling from the northern part of Langtang-Lirung peak around 8:37am on Wednesday, August 26.
The avalanche, which is a slow process of ice and rock falling due to gravitational forces, caused a significant seismic signal (M5.2) and traveled 22 kilometers to Ashwagandha in just seven minutes, reaching an average speed of 167 kilometers per hour. Satellite images revealed substantial changes in surface conditions, including reduced snow and ice coverage and increased exposure of underlying terrain.
While glacial mass wasting, the process that led to the avalanche, is linked to climate change, the report also warns that the probability of flash floods events may increase in the Himalayan region due to evidence of mass wasting.
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