Collapsed glacier likely caused devastating Nepal-Tibet floods, scientists say
Summary
Scientists say a collapsed glacier caused the deadly flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border, killing at least 177 people. The glacier broke apart and sent a surge of ice, rocks, and water rushing down a valley, showing the impact of melting glaciers in the Himalayas.Key Facts
- The flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border was caused by a glacier collapse, not an earthquake.
- The collapse produced a force equal to a magnitude 5.2 earthquake.
- The glacier broke near Nepal’s Langtang Lirung peak, about 15 km west of the flood area.
- A large volume of ice and rock debris entered the Lende Khola river, causing water levels to rise 7 to 9 meters in 30 minutes.
- Several river monitoring stations were destroyed by the flood.
- Scientists have warned that Himalayan glaciers are melting faster due to rising temperatures and climate change.
- Similar glacier-related floods have occurred recently in India, Switzerland, and Italy.
- The increasing number of glacier collapses and floods highlights rapid changes in the Earth’s frozen regions, known as the cryosphere.
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