Glacier collapse may have triggered deadly Nepal flash flood, experts say
USGS said seismic energy from a 5.2-magnitude glacial collapse sent water levels up 9 meters in 30 minutes, overwhelming river valleys.
- On Wednesday, a catastrophic flash flood swept through river valleys in Nepal and the Chinese territory of Tibet, killing at least 31 people with hundreds of tourists reported missing.
- Geologists attribute the surge to an ice avalanche where a massive chunk of ice snapped off a glacier and blocked the Lhende River, causing water to accumulate before breaching downstream.
- Geologist Daniel Shugar noted satellite imagery showed the glacier break occurred about 65 kilometres north of Kathmandu, with ice falling almost 1200 metres. Scientists are investigating a 4.4 magnitude earthquake near the site.
- Nepal's Flood Forecasting Division warned that risks remain in the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli areas since the river blockage has not fully drained. Officials urged residents to stay away from rivers.
- Himalayan expert Farooq Azam said the region is "out of balance entirely" due to climate change and population pressure, echoing the 2021 Chamoli disaster that killed about 200 people.
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261 Articles
In Depth: Deadly Nepal-China Border Disaster Traced to Massive Ice Collapse
In Depth: Deadly Nepal-China Border Disaster Traced to Massive Ice Collapse - Preliminary scientific analysis points to a massive high-altitude ice collapse, not an earthquake, as the trigger for deadly floods and debris flows that swept across the Himalayan border region
Climate Matters: New evidence suggests massive rock avalanche triggered Nepal-Tibet flood
When a wall of rock, ice, and water tore through the Nepal-Tibet border region, the devastation was immediate and staggering. But the science behind why it happened is still coming into focus. Dr. Mylène Jacquemart, a senior researcher at ETH Zürich who studies glaciology, walked through what we do know and what we don't know The post Climate Matters: New evidence suggests massive rock avalanche triggered Nepal-Tibet flood appeared first on ABC1…
Scientists find clues in satellite imagery to the cause of catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet
As rescue teams searched Thursday for missing people following catastrophic flooding along the Nepal-China border, Earth scientists reviewed satellite imagery for clues to the cause and assessed the devastation.
Climate crisis could be destabilising mountain areas like Nepal, experts warn
A catastrophic flood swept through border communities of Nepal and Tibet this week, claiming at least 360 lives and leaving approximately 1,400 people missing. Satellite analysis indicates a glacier collapse on Langtang Lirung, a 7,000-meter mountain, served as the primary trigger for the disaster. Initially attributed to a magnitude 4.4 earthquake, further investigation by the US Geological Survey revealed that the ice-rock avalanche itself gen…
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