scholarly journals Glacier lake outburst floods of the Guangxieco Lake in 1988 in Tibet, China

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (5) ◽  
pp. 4605-4634 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. J. Liu ◽  
Z. L. Cheng ◽  
Y. Li
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Debris Flow ◽  
Satellite Images ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Viscous Debris Flow ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Ice Avalanche ◽  
Archive Material

Abstract. Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) have become more frequent and attracted more and more attention under conditions of global warming. However, there are few observations of the reasons for outbursts and their processes because of their unexpected occurrence and their inaccessible location in high-elevation areas. The GLOF of the Guangxieco Lake, which is the only outburst lake below an elevation of 4000 m in Tibet, provides a case study for discussing the reasons for outbursts. This paper reconstructs the process in detail using geomorphological evidence, interviews of the local inhabitants, archive material and satellite images. It was found that: (1) There were three main reasons for the GLOF in 1988: intense pre-precipitation and persistent high temperatures before the outburst, ice avalanche by rapid movement of the Gongzo Glacier and low self-stability of the end-moraine dam by perennial piping. (2) The GLOF with the peak discharge of 1270 m3 s-1 was evolved along the Midui Valley following sediment-laden flow–non-viscous debris flow–viscous debris flow–non-viscous debris flow–sediment-laden flood. Eventually the sediment-laden floods blocked the Palongzangbu River. (3) Comparing the conditions for the outburst in 1988 and at present, the possibility of a future outburst is thought to be small unless the glacier moves rapidly again.

scholarly journals Using satellite images to monitor glacial-lake outburst floods: Lago Cachet Dos drainage, Chile

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly A. Friesen ◽  
Christopher J. Cole ◽  
David A. Nimick ◽  
Earl M. Wilson ◽  
Mark J. Fahey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Images ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

scholarly journals Himalayan misconceptions and distortions: What are the facts?

1970 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 15-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack D Ives
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Cautionary Tale ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Theory Of Everything ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Politics ◽  
Scientific Attention

Himalayan Delusions: Who’s kidding who and why — Science at the service of media, politics and the development agencies. EDITOR’S NOTE: Jack Ives’ article, drawn from his new book Himalayan Perceptions, is a cautionary tale that might almost be read as a gloss on Peter Weingart’s “Moment of truth for science” (see page 11-14). Ives begins by recounting the life and times of the “Theory of Himalayan Environmental Degradation,” a grossly exaggerated but convenient “theory of everything” that suited almost everybody’s agenda — from the media (always hungry for neatly packaged disaster scenarios), to the politicians (happy to point fingers conveniently away from their own failings), to the developers (ready and willing to focus their energies in the pleasant hills of Nepal rather than the steamy lowlands of Bangladesh and India), to the scientists (eager for fame and funding). True to Weingart’s prediction, there was a scientific reaction to the alarmist theories: the Mohonk Conference successfully rallied a generation of “montologists” to investigate critically the bases for predictions of Himalayan deforestation and subcontinental flooding. As a result, the theory was effectively debunked. Unfortunately, it seems to rear its head now and then — most notably in China. And, even more unfortunately, there seems to be a ready supply of successor theories. One media favorite is the impending catastrophic collapse of glacial lakes swollen by glaciers retreating in the face of global warming. Let’s hope that Weingart’s optimism is justified: melting glaciers and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) obviously deserve scientific attention. The question is, will the media and politicians pay any attention at all if researchers predict something less than a super-catastrophe? Himalayan Journal of Sciences 3(5) 2005 p.15-25

scholarly journals Periodic Glacial Lake Outburst Floods threatening the oldest Buddhist monastery in north-west Nepal

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 6937-6971 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kropáček ◽  
N. Neckel ◽  
B. Tyrna ◽  
N. Holzer ◽  
A. Hovden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Images ◽  
Empirical Relation ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Glacial Lake ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
North West ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Geodetic Mass Balance ◽  
Flooded Area

Abstract. Since 2004 Halji Village, home of the oldest Buddhist Monastery in north-west Nepal has suffered from recurrent Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Studies of recent satellite images identified a supra-glacial lake, located at a distance of 6.5 km from the village, as a possible source of the flood. During a field survey in 2013, the finding was confirmed and several entrances to en-glacial conduits which are draining the lake were found. The topography of the lake basin was then mapped by combining Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) measurements with a Structure From Motion (SFM) approach from terrestrial photographs. From this model the maximum filling capacity of the lake has been estimated as 1.06 × 106 m3 with a maximum discharge of 77.8 m3 s−1 calculated using an empirical relation. The flooded area in the valley has been estimated by employing a raster-based hydraulic model considering six scenarios of discharge volume and surface roughness. To understand the changes in glacier geometry in the last decade the thinning and retreat of Halji Glacier have been analysed by geodetic mass balance measurements and a time series of satellite images respectively. The GLOF occurrences have further been correlated with cumulative temperature and cumulative liquid precipitation calculated from the High Asia Reanalysis (HAR) dataset. Finally, effective mitigation measures and adaption strategies for Halji village have been discussed.

scholarly journals Hydrometeorological Triggering of Periglacial Debris Flows Using a Bayesian Approach: A Case Study of the Hailuogou Gully Region, China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Ningsheng Chen ◽  
Guisheng Hu ◽  
Yong Zhang ◽  
Genxu Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Debris Flow ◽  
Debris Flows ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Hydrological Characteristics ◽  
Effects Of Temperature ◽  
Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽  
Hydrometeorological Conditions ◽  
Debris Flow Initiation

Abstract Mount Gonggais located in the east of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau; many debris flows have occurred in small basins with a small glacier cover or snow cover in this area. The hydrometeorological conditions that caused debris flows in this region are complex, making forecasting and early warning difficult. Previous studies for these small-glacial-covered basins have primarily considered rainfall as the only inducing factor of debris flows, and often the effects of temperature are neglected. Thus, we carried out a probabilistic analysis of variables derived from hydrometeorological factors for the Mount Gongga region, Sichuan, China, where debris flows were recorded on 14 days between 1988 and 2019. By analyzing hydrological characteristics when debris flows occurred, three distinct dominant trigger types could be identified. The results show that 7 (50%) of the observed debris flow events during the study period, high-intensity rainfall was the dominant trigger, snowmelt by high temperature was identified as the dominant trigger for 2 (14%). Furthermore, 5 (36%) debris flow events could be attributed to the combined effects of long-lasting (or short-medium) rainfall and sustained higher temperatures. We find that the differences between the trigger types are statistically significant, and a susceptibility prediction differentiating between trigger types can outperform simple rainfall-only situations. This study contributes to an improved understanding of the hydrometeorological impact on debris flow initiation in high elevation watersheds.

scholarly journals Understanding Climate Change Adaptation Issues in Nepal

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngamindra Dahal
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Local Effects ◽  
Glacial Retreat ◽  
Critical Areas ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Key Words Climate Change

Nepal has observed trend of annual increase in temperature per decade by 0.41°C which is much higher than global average. Climate change is relatively new challenge of global scale but have strong local effects. The evidences of the global warming and climate change are more prominent on the Himalayan region of the globe with melting of ice, glacier retreat, and worst of all the incidence of glacial lake outburst floods with the aftermath falling directly on the ecosystem. The most critical areas are the resource poor developing countries like Nepal which are first to face this calamity yet helpless to implement any concrete ideas still. Nepal has to develop its mechanism to disseminate information regarding climate change and its rational use in planning and implementing policy processes with simultaneous approach on the research to follow the trend of climate change. Thus, this paper focuses on Nepal strategies to cope with challenges of climate change keeping in view the shifting focus of global climate policy. Key Words: Climate change, Global warming, Glacial retreat, Depleting ice, Ecosystem DOI: 10.3126/init.v2i1.2536 The Initiation Vol.2(1) 2008 pp138-144

scholarly journals Three-dimensional hydrodynamic lake simulations of avalanche-generated impulse wave dynamics for potential GLOF scenarios at Lake Palcacocha, Peru

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Chisolm ◽  
Daene C. McKinney
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Condition ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Wave Dynamics ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Lake Model ◽  
Lake Dynamics

Abstract. This paper studies the lake dynamics for avalanche-triggered glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range in Ancash, Peru. As new glacial lakes emerge and existing lakes continue to grow, they pose an increasing risk of GLOFs that can be catastrophic to the communities living downstream. In this work, Lake Palcacocha is used as a case study to analyze the upper watershed processes that typically comprise a GLOF event, specifically the lake dynamics when an avalanche produces a large tsunami-like wave that might overtop and erode the lake-damming moraine. Dynamics of avalanche-generated impulse waves were investigated through three-dimensional hydrodynamic lake simulations of potential GLOF scenarios at Lake Palcacocha, Peru. Wave generation from avalanche impact was simulated using two different boundary condition methods. Representation of an avalanche as water flowing into the lake generally resulted in higher peak flows and overtopping volumes than simulating the avalanche impact as mass-momentum inflow at the lake boundary. Three different scenarios of avalanche size were simulated for the current lake conditions, and all resulted in significant overtopping of the lake-damming moraine. The lake model was evaluated for sensitivity to turbulence model and grid resolution, and the uncertainty due to these model parameters is significantly less than that due to avalanche boundary condition characteristics. Although the lake model introduces significant uncertainty, the avalanche portion of the GLOF process chain is the greatest source of uncertainty. To aid in evaluation of hazard mitigation alternatives, two scenarios of lake lowering were investigated. While large avalanches produced significant overtopping waves for all lake-lowering scenarios, simulations suggest that it may be possible to contain waves generated from smaller avalanches if the surface of the lake is lowered.

scholarly journals Observed and simulated winter temperature over Gurudongmar area, North Sikkim, India

MAUSAM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-124
Author(s):  
BARAT ARCHISMAN ◽  
SARTHI P PARTH ◽  
KUMAR SUNNY ◽  
KUMAR PRAVEEN ◽  
SINHA ASHUTOSH K
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Surface Air Temperature ◽  
Eastern Himalaya ◽  
Future Time ◽  
Cold Desert ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Outburst Floods ◽  
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods ◽  
Future Time Period ◽  
Area North

The global warming and its impact on the cryosphere is a matter of serious concern. The Sikkim and the Eastern Himalaya are a canvas of vivid landscapes and of different climate zones. The study of cryosphere needs more attention on long term climatic trends of surface air temperature. The Gurudongmar area is very much important because this area is surrounded by glaciers and as well as cold desert and TsoLhamo Lake nearby. The Gurudongmar lake (located at an altitude of 17,800 ft) has been studied by several researchers in the context of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and reported a high risk lake which is being largely affected by global warming and climate change. The present study is aimed to investigate the trend of temperature in recent past and in future time periods over the study area of Sikkim. The observed and model’s simulated gridded temperature data is considered to inkling of rising trend in winter months of December-January-February (DJF) over the study area. An increase in temperature is found for the future time period. This can be linked to the increasing hazard risk and change in local cryosphere environment.

GLOBAL WARMING IMPACT ON URMIA LAKE VULNERABILITY AND HAZARD

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Homayoun Khoshravan ◽  
Homayoun Khoshravan
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Salt Marshes ◽  
Satellite Images ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Urmia Lake ◽  
Mud Volcanoes ◽  
Seismic Profiles ◽  
Global Warming Impact ◽  
Morphological Behavior ◽  
Different Parts

The main goal of the research is to analyze the global warming impact on Urmia lake vulnerabiliy and hazard. By the study of topographic maps, satellite images and field research, the various types of coasts were identified: mud flats, salt marshes, sandy or cliffed coasts, and islands. Moreover the interpretation of seismic profiles, has led to recognize so important morphological features in the lake bed, such as: erosive channels, colos, mud volcanoes, the raised sandy masses and under water mounts. The main results illustrate the variable morphological behavior of Urmia Lake in different parts of the lake.

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